2022 FYI Mural Project
The Food Youth Initiative launched a youth-led public art initiative to bring attention to the effect of climate change in North Carolina and beyond. The FYI Mural Project activated youth groups, local artists and organizers by merging education, reflection, community building and arts. Participating youth have come together to learn about opportunities to shift food systems in response to climate change and frameworks for making change in their communities. Muralists Claire Alexandre and Alyzza May led several workshops with the youth to develop the concept for the mural and art galleries.
Reflective Mural Art Series
Throughout the Reflective Mural Art Series, youth shared their stories and reflections in the form of art and poetry. Working in small groups, the participants collaborated on a mural and poem that captured their thoughts, feeling, and experiences sparked by 1 of these 6 words: Collective, Resilience, Tradition, Joy, Recovery, Ancestors.
In keeping with our dedication to language justice, youth also presented their art work in English, Spanish, Karen, and Congolese French – building on awareness and understanding of the diversity experienced in our groups and cultures.
Reflective Gallery Walk
In building our understanding of the intrinsic relationship between food and culture, we asked youth to draw foods or experiences that describe the role food plays in their lives, culture, or community. Once presented, we displayed these artful expressions and commenced our gallery tour where youth and adult participants alike marveled at the thoughtful visuals and noticed cultural commonalities.
Mural Unveiling Event
Youth from across the state held a celebratory event on June 11, 2022 at Transplanting Traditions in Chapel Hill, NC to showcase a new mural intended to raise awareness of food and climate justice. The family-friendly event included a DJ, music performances, the mural unveiling, community painting, local food, farm tours, and local vendors.
This event is intended to raise awareness of what is possible when youth work together to address issues around climate and food justice as well as to support the community by engaging local vendors.
This event has been organized by the Food Youth Initiative (FYI), a project launched in 2010 by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) with support from a number of community partners. FYI youth are a collective of youth representatives (high school, continuing GED, and recent graduates) and youth organizers from groups across the state working towards food justice in their communities. Groups participating in the development of the mural and this celebration event include: A Better Chance, A Better Community (ABC2) (Halifax County), the NC 10% Campaign (statewide), Pupusas for Education (Durham County), and Transplanting Traditions Community Farm (Orange County).
Keynote Speaker: Cleaster Cotton, Artist | Educator | Author | Inventor
Cleaster Cotton is an African American/Native American artist. Cleaster’s scientific and natural approach to her creative process is influenced by the methodology of her ancestors, elders and ancients.
Cleaster explores texture, color, light, shape and saturation on wood, tar paper, canvas, textiles and paper. Her manipulation of unconventional, ordinary materials produces extraordinary results – as seen in her narrative, figurative and mixed media art. Cotton’s complex body of work includes paintings, drawings, photographs, textiles and digital imagery.
Cleaster Cotton founded Youth Artists Empowered (YAE) in 2018. YAE engages underserved youth in art, economic and self-empowerment. Cleaster invented the ALNUGE Codes (Evidence Based Visual Language and K12 STEAM curriculum) known as the modern day hieroglyphics. ALNUGE was researched and certified by the Chief of Staff of Neurology at Columbia University Medical Center, and was introduced in Dubai at the World Congress of Neurology Conference (2019).
For more information visit:
Visual Art: cleastercotton.com
ALNUGE Education: alnuge.com
Literary Art: cleastercotton.wordpress.com
Funding
This project is made possible by a generous donation from Dr. Sarah Ash and funding from The Alces Foundation.