"Dear CCAP:
I wanted to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Having lost all of the artwork in my home due to Katrina and the difference it makes in making a house a home, I sincerely understand the importance of art in our lives. It is so very important that our children have an opportunity to experience art in a personal and close-up manner. The art masterpieces that Wicker received as a result of this wonderful opportunity will forever enhance our school and the spirit of our entire school community. Again, thank you."
Jacquelyn L. Mahatha, Ph.D.
A. Wicker Elementary School
"Thank you --the paintings are wonderful -- we fell in love with the benches --- now we want a concrete table ---any connections ---??? - I vote for you as president ... Well - let’s start with mayor or governor!"
Sister Marie Noel,
Banneker Elementary
We envision communities being aesthetically enhanced through artistic expression that embraces culture, individuality and pride for one’s community; ultimately proffering an ownership and respect for ones’ surroundings.
Our images encapsulate the essence of the environments in which they are created. Our community partners and volunteers are the sole beneficiaries and therefore the focus of our work.
Currently in New Orleans there are 81 schools open; serving 32,149 students.* Some schools are in old buildings, while others are operating out of a series of trailers called a modular campus. In both cases there is a distinct need to enhance these environments with color, art and educational images. Crescent City Art Project serves both models.
However, our initial focus will be on modular campuses as our past experience has shown these projects to be an immense need and a great impact through one day projects.
* Source: Greater New Orleans Community Data Center,
www.gnocdc.org
The modular campus typically consists of white trailers lined with gravel surrounded by high chain link fences; a picture that reminiscent of a prison yard. We plan to add visual stimuli thru our “Paint the Change” program. This program will infuse these drab campuses with colorful, cultural murals on canvass and wood panels, as well as educational sidewalk murals and mosaics.
Over the next two years we will engage our non-profit partners to transform schools in this way. Most of the art that we create is portable and thus able to be brought to non-modular schools as they are renovated, rebuilt and reopened. This model has been tested and proved successful at Carver Elementary, Carver High School and Fannie C. Williams Elementary School.
At a frequency to be determined, Crescent City Art Project will engage volunteers in annual service days, such as “Paint the Change.” These events will be dedicated to celebrating the talent of many local young artists and to transforming a campus from a blank canvas to a visually stimulating, education rich environment. The ultimate goal is to enhance the school’s identity and the pride of the student body.
The four impact areas for this program are Exterior murals, Interior paintings, Sidewalk Educational murals and finally Fence Murals. Working with pre-designed images from local artists.
We offer an unqiue quality of imagery; these are not your everyday murals and school paintings. Please review the work of Creative Director D. Banfield to get a sense of the range of styles he brings to these projects.
All the paintings are portable; so that when the actual building reopens the paintings/murals can be apart of the refurbished schools. At this time a new school will be assigned to the trailers and we could apply our program to the new school.
Exterior paintings
Interior paintings
Interior paintings are on canvas with a variety of sizes. Imagery is a combination of cultural reflection, educational subject matters, realism, inspirational quotes, and vibrant portraits. These projects are produce 50 to 80 paintings and can accommodate 50-100 volunteers.
Sidewalk Murals
Using acrylic paint on a pre-prepped cement surface, volunteers will be painting a variety of educational imagery, and cultural reflective images. Examples would be the food chart, and the solar system. The numbers of how many painting varies by location. These projects can accommodate 40-100 volunteers.
Fence Murals : New Program
This is a new concept to deal with fence that students are surrounded by. Working with prepped and prime flexible tarp, paintings cover the prison-like chain link fences along the main entrances of the campus. School colors will be incorporated into the imagery and school mottos. The numbers of how many painting varies by location. These projects can accommodate 40-200 volunteers.
Phase 5 Mosaics: A New Phase!
CCAP is committed to utilizing all types of art in its work. For that reason we have research this medium and have enlisted the help of other artists to add this new phase to our model. This moves our work into new exciting dimensions. These mosaics can cover a flat surface, like a sidewalk, or be three dimensional, covering a whole bench. We are very excited to install these creations and feel that it yet another way to raise the bar and to continually challenge the mind.
The ideal project timeline for a school is a month, each week one of the programs implement. The composite above shows what a school can look like in a months’ time. The impact is immediate and stimulating. The experience is rewarding and fun to be a part of. The projects are designed in a way that allow the least artistic to contribute, often times surprising themselves.
The projects can range one to two day projects either half days or full days. Breaks for lunch are included on full days. There is usually music, for special events we could offer live music.
Complete List of Schools
Albert Wicker Lit. Academy
Banneker Elementary School
Bauduit
Booker T. Washington
Central City E.O.C.
Clark High School
Craig Elementary
Carver High
Carver Elementary
Dibert School
Dryades School
Fannie C Williams
Frederick A Douglass H.S.
Gregory School
H.C. Schaumburg Elem
Habans School
Harney School
James Weldon School
Julian School
L. E. Rabouin School
Kipps Carrollton
Kipps Royal
Marie Henderson
Singleton High
Sylvanie F. Williams
Walter L. Cohen H.S
Warren Easton School
Welcome Middle School
