Young citizens from West Side Academy II and nonprofit organizations Safe & Sound, Out Next Generation and Milwaukee Habitat For Humanity have teamed up to create a unique piece of public art in a neighborhood hit hard by foreclosure.
On the boards covering the windows and doors of an abandoned property at 40th and Lloyd, they've painted colorful murals representing their positive future hopes and dreams. Organizers call the project an "artistic board up."
Dreamy constellations and peace signs are painted on the broad side of house, towering a story above the street level. On the porch of the house, another mural depicts the logos of area colleges the young people hope to attend, under the headline "Education First."
Click the podcast player to hear from a few young citizens, including those from Safe & Sound's Drug Free Communities program, who created the artwork.
And join Mayor Tom Barrett on May 19 at 10 a.m. at City Hall as he recognizes students who have been working on art projects to help improve Milwaukee’s boarded homes and other anti-graffiti messages expressed in artful ways.
