LENNOX PARK COMMUNITY MURAL A BIG SUCCESS

We're excited about our Create A Mural Now workshop that was just celebrated at Lennox Park. On August 26th, members of the Lennox community gathered in front of our spectacular mural called “Lennox Past, Present and Future.” Create Now board member Mark Schulman (drummer with P!nk) started off the festivities by leading the kids in fun drumming exercises while sharing motivational stories from his experiences, such as the need to have a good attitude. Mr. Flores, a teacher at Lennox Middle School whose students worked on the mural, also shared his poetry.



The presentation included Russ Guiney and Joe Mendoza of the Department of Parks and Recreation, Laura Zucker of the L.A. County Arts Commission and Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas of the Second District, who cut a ribbon with help from some of the kids who created the mural. Create Now Founder and Executive Director Jill Gurr also spoke, followed by artist mentor Roger Dolin.

This project was initiated in May 2010 thanks to support from Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. Check out our slide show, below.

Our mentors (Roger Dolin and Tim Cornelius) worked with local children and adults in the Lennox community to create a 1,200 square foot mural of their neighborhood in the future. Virtually every image originates from one of the over 80 drawings produced by Lennox community members. Around 30 youth between the ages of 6 and 20 years were dedicated to designing and painting their vision of Lennox, with over 100 people of all ages helping out.

“This project is a perfect example of not just bringing art to a community, but empowering the community to unleash its own artistic creativity,” Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said. “It allows youth to work as a team to envision their community’s future and enhance their neighborhood.”

In an effort to feature the best qualities of the Lennox community and convey hope for the future, themes of environmentalism, sustainability and health were integrated in the artwork. In their original design drawings, the Lennox youth illustrated people recycling, being active outdoors and interacting with nature.

Artist Roger Dolin explains the mural’s visual entry point in outer space. “I liked the idea of Lennox Park from close up and from far away, showing that the people of Lennox are part of a micro community, but are also part of the rest of the world.”

Russ Guiney, the Director of Parks and Recreation said, “The Lennox Park Mural provides a focal point for the community. The County Parks Department is very appreciative of all that Create Now did in bringing young people from the neighborhood together to create this very special piece of art work. Hopefully, it will reflect the pride of the community for years to come.”

"This mural captures the spirit and aspirations of the Lennox community," said Laura Zucker, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. "Create Now, a stellar arts education organization, also ensured a high quality experience for the youth that participated in the design and painting of the mural."

We’re very grateful to our supporters, and to the Lennox community for their enthusiastic participation in our “Create A Mural Now” workshop.

Here’s what some of the kids had to say:

Angel, age 12: “Everybody helped and it was teamwork. The community took part in the mural. My favorite part was painting the spaceship.” Vierney, age 9 said, “It made me really happy to paint this mural. I had a lot of fun!”