Youth create murals to welcome athletes for 2015 Pan Am Games

TORONTO – Students from Joseph Brant Public School created three murals for the Pan Am Games that are being held in Toronto. The murals are a part of an arts initiative called Welcome 41 that is facilitated by Arts for Children and Youth(AFCY).

“Welcome 41′ is a special initiative of Arts for Children and Youth and we’re partnering with Pattison Outdoor Media to engage over 500 children and youth from age six to 26”, said Julie Frost, Executive and Artistic Director of AFCY.

41 murals are being created to welcome athletes and coaches from the 41 countries participating this summer for the Pan Am Games.

AFCY provides innovative and exciting arts programming opportunities for young people living in challenged communities.

“It connects them to activities in the city that they may not have a chance to be part of…programs like this allow them to feel like they are contributing meaningfully and artfully to the place they live in,” Frost said.

For eight consecutive weeks, starting at the end of June, all 41 original murals will be displayed throughout Toronto’s subway system, and digital images profiled at terminal one at Pearson International Airport.

Nega Balamurali, Grade 7 student at Joseph Brant Public School, said that she really enjoyed creating the murals. “It was really fun because I am a quiet person, so I met new people and it was an experience that…you can never really forget,” Balamurali said.

For the last three months, Art Educators have worked with youth from shelters, communities centres and schools, providing them the skills needed to become confident artists.

“I think it is giving kids a voice, usually they’re in their little bubble in their little community of friends and just being able to touch people now on an international scale is huge,”said Sandra Tarantino, Arts Educator for AFCY.

These murals will be given back to the schools after they are displayed, so that the students can look back and feel proud about what they made.