Project Jericho, a nationally acclaimed outreach program based at Clark State Community College, will be unveiling their latest public mural on the exterior of the YMCA building at 300 S Limestone St. on Wednesday, July 9, 2014 at 1 p.m. Refreshments will begin at 12:45 p.m.
Work on the mural will begin on the evening of June 27, with painting shifts for the youth running from June 30to July 3. The public unveiling event will include brief comments from representatives of Project Jericho, the YMCA and Clark County Juvenile Court.
Project Jericho is collaborating with the Springfield chapter of the YMCA and the Clark County Juvenile Court on a large-scale mural to be painted on the north facing exterior wall of the YMCA building. Youth from the YMCA and Project Jericho will work with international mural artist Joel Bergner to complete the mural, which is focused on the themes of individual growth and peaceful engagement with our communities.
Bergner, who developed the artwork for the mural, has worked with youth across the world, most recently at the “Street Child World Cup” in Brazil and in the Za’atari Syrian Refugee Camp in Jordan. In each of his projects, Bergner works collaboratively with the youth as they consider their lives and how to positively affect their communities.
“I think Springfield is just crying out for more public artwork,” said project coordinator Brandon Sipes, Clark State’s outreach and education specialist for Project Jericho. “This is an opportunity for our youth to be involved in creating something positive and lasting for their community.”
With funding by the Department of Youth Services, the mural project is one component of Project Jericho’s “stART” program. It is designed to both reduce the recidivism rates of adjudicated youth and increase their positive engagement with Springfield. Project Jericho is a collaboration of the Clark County Department of Job and Family Services and Clark State Community College. Its long lasting partnership with Clark County Juvenile Court is funded by Reclaim Ohio, which supports the “Inside the Walls, Outside the Box” Program.
Project Jericho is a collaborative program of the Clark State Performing Arts Center and Job & Family Services of Clark County with additional funding provided by the Ohio Arts Council and The Turner Foundation. Project Jericho provides positive, in-depth arts experiences for local youth and families.
Project Jericho received national acclaim when it was awarded a Coming Up Taller award in 2008 from the White House. Coming Up Taller is an initiative of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH). The President’s Committee partners with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to administer the program.
For more information, contact Project Jericho at 937-328-3869, or go to the Project Jericho website at http://www.project-jericho.com.