“Me, My City, My Future” is a summer camp program for Buffalo Public high school students sponsored by UB’s Liberty Partnership in collaboration with the Frizlen Group Developers, Common Bond Real Estate, and Albarella Media. Students will learn about public art and how it relates to the community through the process of creating a public art piece. The students will learn teamwork, project management and presentation skills.
During the program, students will explore a range of public art projects considering their role, message and impact before imagining what they want to see in their own community. Public art can entertain, stimulate thought and discussion, as well as unite the community. It is free and available to the general public. Basically, it is not a matter of whether public art makes sense or not, but what to present and how to create it. These are questions the students will answer, with the guidance of the teaching artists.
Before work on the art begins, students will develop, present and critique proposals for their project. Once the selection process is completed, they will work together to create a mural on of a thirty-five foot long external wall of a warehouse building at the Mattress Factory. This recently developed project is located at the corner of Florida and Jefferson Streets. The students’ work on this site will become a highly visible piece of public art.
When students practice self-efficacy, working together, project management, research and presentation skills, the community benefits. When they create public art in the process, that benefit is visible and long-lasting. On Friday, June 29th at 1:00 p.m., student participants will celebrate their public art piece by presenting it to the public. All are welcome to attend the presentation, but if you can’t make the opening, drive by and see what a group of public high school students created.