ArtWorks for Milwaukee, Inc., a nonprofit organization that is helping develop our city’s future workforce, is hosting a family-friendly Safe Place Block Party on Aug 27 from 12:00pm-4:00pm at 706 South 5th St., Milwaukee, 53204. Fourteen Milwaukee teens that are currently employed as Intern Artists at ArtWorks for Milwaukee will be performing Spoken Word poetry about crime & violence that plagues our communities, and what young people can do about it. They will also be displaying Mosaic Glass art pieces they created which portray positive stories about their communities. This is the first year of the event.
Executive Director, Meghan Koven, states the importance of this event for Milwaukee, “Given the recent teen violence incidents in Riverwest and at State Fair, it is so vital that teens get involved in positively influencing their peers to create safe & secure neighborhoods for all Milwaukeeans. We need our teens to step up and encourage their friends & families to help reduce crime & violence in our communities. We are very proud of our Interns’ hard work this summer and are excited to share their art and ideas with the Milwaukee community. Please come and join us in being a part of the solution!”
In addition to showcasing their Interns’ art work, Art- Works for Milwaukee is collaborating with organizations in the Walker’s Point neighborhood including Walker’s Point Center for the Arts, Arts@ Large, The National Café, and Glamorosa Salon & Spa to offer free art activities, free face painting, free hair braiding, one-of-a-kind art sales, food/ beverages sales from Fast Foodie, Mangia! Mangia! and Michael’s Real Italian Ice, as well as a raffle. The big ticket raffle item (free entry & open to ages 18 and under) will be a refurbished computer, donated by IndependenceFirst. ArtWorks for Milwaukee provides paid arts internships to teens with significant barriers to employment so they may develop highly transferable job skills that empower their creativity and confidence, broaden their paradigms and prepare them to enter the workforce in any industry. This nonprofit targets Milwaukee teens that most need this critical training. Since its inception in 2001 the organization has hired and trained over 400 Interns from throughout Milwaukee County in over 70 unique programs. Of the responding Interns ArtWorks hired since 2007, 100% have stayed in high school and/or graduated and 34% secured a job after their internship.
This summer ArtWorks for Milwaukee has hired these Interns to complete two different projects; “Mosaic Window To your Community” with Lead Artist Nicole Lesser & “Safe and Sound Spoken Word” with Lead Artist Dan Vaughn. The Interns are using the Safe Place Block Party as the unveiling event for their work, as well as a youth-led intervention again crime & violence. ArtWorks for Milwaukee Interns have been blogging about their experience, sharing their accomplishments and personal feedback. Follow the eight week summer programs by visiting, http://www.blogger.com/profile/08797376105962157560.
ArtWorks for Milwaukee, Inc. is a local 501(c)3 non-profit that utilizes the arts to train employability skills to Milwaukee teens who need it most. These paid arts internships for teens promote teamwork, tolerance for diversity, project management, and prepare young people to successfully enter the workforce in any industry.
For more information about ArtWorks for Milwaukee or to learn more about giving opportunities, please visit: www.artworksformilwaukee.org.
For more information contact Meghan Koven, Executive Director, ArtWorks for Milwaukee, (414)708-9996, director@artworksformilwaukee. org
