| “It was no easy feat to bring together the input of the many diverse people who use the park and incorporate that into a cohesive design. I think everyone who visits this mural will see a little part of themselves in it.”
– Elizabeth Masella, Senior Public Art Coordinator. NYC Parks |
Public Art Youth
Employment Program
CAW’s flagship Public Art Youth Employment programs offer full-time summer and part-time after- school jobs to young adults ages 16-24, creating large-scale public art or multimedia projects while earning real wages. Guided by professional Teaching Artists, Youth Apprentices develop professional and interpersonal skills that benefit them long-term and are transferable to any field. Engaging with clients empowers them as communicators, collaborators, and problem-solvers. More than 125 large-scale works of art created by Youth Apprentices can be viewed in public spaces across New York City.
Learn more about commissioning youth-created art for your workplace or public space.
See a large selection of our murals on our mural map.
| “Students are consistently joyful and excited to participate and experiment with new techniques. Being able to both observe as well as create the type of art from a book is a really rewarding practice for students, because it opens a door into a dynamic and active way of learning.”
– CAW Teaching Artist Maham Khwaja |
Out-of-School Time Programs
Offered after school, on Saturday, and during school vacations, CAW’s Out-of- School-Time programs offer students enriching, dynamic arts-based activities outside of the school day. In collaboration with public schools, OST providers, community and cultural centers, and city agencies, semester-long units build confidence, enhance creativity and critical thinking, and culminate in events where students present their work to teachers, peers, family, and community members.
Selected Offerings
Art Around the World, Hispanic Art, Mixed Media, Modern & Contemporary, Narrative Art, Cartooning and Anatomy, Book Arts, Digital Arts, Sneaker Design and Branding, Anatomy & Physiology Art Lab, Urban Design, Mural-Making, Photojournalism, Active Design, Documentary Filmmaking, Character Design, Printmaking, Claymation GIFs, Counter-marketing, Wearable Art, Lost and Found Sculpture.
| “After trying other arts programs, we found CAW's level of commitment to our students, professionalism, and quality of program delivery to be of the highest standard.”
– James Cole, Assistant Principal of M.S. 328 in Washington Heights |
In-School Programs
CAW’s In-School programs aim to mitigate the removal of arts education from NYC public schools by providing arts-based curricula during the academic day for underserved students. In addition to dedicated arts classes, CAW engages students with arts lessons integrated with language arts, literature, social studies, earth science, health classes, social justice, media literacy, and more. Curricula are designed in collaboration between CAW’s professional teaching artists and school teaching staff and administrators in keeping with the National Core Arts Standards, New York State Learning Standards for the Arts, and the New York City Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts.
| “Creative Art Works organized a workshop that was engaging and afforded our families an opportunity to bond with their children, demonstrate their love for family and, most of all, embrace joy.”
– Assistant Principal Ayo Mendez-Torres |
Community Artmaking
CAW provides youth-oriented, interactive art-making projects in the context of larger public events with partner organizations. Drop-in projects are designed to engage youth with their community and to allow them to experience and celebrate the power of art with their families.