Public Art & Culture Program
2021 Cohort
Leaders of Today's Public Art & Culture (PAC) Program is a six month cohort project designed for Lorain County high school students to build leadership and creativity by transforming public spaces through the power of art.
Students submit mediums of art that express at least one of the below themes:
Unity/Non-Violence, Community Pride, Positive Mental Health, Racial Equity
Students are awarded a $250-$500 stipend for selected art piece chosen by a community review panel. All student submissions are displayed at the Elyria Arts Council in honor of Black History Month.
Following the exhibit, the eight selected students are assigned an artist-mentor who assist with redesigning students' original artwork into a 8ft x 4ft mobile art mural to be publicly displayed throughout the community.
Students submit mediums of art that express at least one of the below themes:
Unity/Non-Violence, Community Pride, Positive Mental Health, Racial Equity
Students are awarded a $250-$500 stipend for selected art piece chosen by a community review panel. All student submissions are displayed at the Elyria Arts Council in honor of Black History Month.
Following the exhibit, the eight selected students are assigned an artist-mentor who assist with redesigning students' original artwork into a 8ft x 4ft mobile art mural to be publicly displayed throughout the community.
20-21 PAC Program
Photos taken by Victor Matos Photography
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"ALL OF US"ABIGAIL CLAYTON
ELYRIA HIGH SCHOOL Visit this mural at: Lorain County Community College (College Center) “All of Us” represents the world fitting together and needing one another to be complete like a puzzle. This puzzle painting unifies the growing possibilities for those with mental illness, inequity in the justice system, and the need to love one another, while shining a light on the black lives matter movement to find equity for ALL OF US. I want people to feel empowered, loved, and know they are not alone when facing these topics." |
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"HUMAN!"
AYDEN POL
11TH GRADE ELYRIA HIGH SCHOOL Visit this mural at: Lorain County Community College (College Center) "This piece of art shows an understanding of what racial equity looks like. On this mural, there are humans on it but with no faces. I made this mural to include people with no faces so that people looking at this piece can see themselves in the art no matter what color skin, gender, medical conditions, and religion you are." |
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"COVID-19 AWARENESS SIGN"
CHLOE TORRES
9TH GRADE LORAIN HIGH SCHOOL Visit this mural at: TBD "I chose to display the effects of COVID-19 is to bring awareness to the reality of the coronavirus. There has been many deaths, school closings, and loss of jobs. There are many things that are not in our control, but we can still have a positive influence on others by doing our part to be safe." |
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"ELYRIA"
EMESE TOTH
12TH GRADE ELYRIA HIGH SCHOOL Visit this mural at: TBD "There's a certain rhythm and beat to living in this part of Lorain County - the bustle, birdsong, and river stream. It's a certain prosody I recognized as a unifying force. This piece is a simple expression of connecting through these local commonalities and proceeding forward after its realization." |
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"WHEN SURROUNDED BY DARKNESS REACH FOR THE LIGHT!"
JACOB ROBINSON
AMHERST STEELE HIGH SCHOOL Visit this mural at: TBD "This artwork represents hope, courage, mental, and emotional health. People must know that the battle of life isn’t over for them and that they still have a lot of life and excitement left to live and find. What my mural means to me is that even though it feels like your surrounded by darkness all day everyday, just keep reaching for the light that's ahead of you." |
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"THE HOOD"JARAYIA WARNER
LORAIN HIGH SCHOOL Visit this mural at: TBD "This mural portrays my experience of life growing up as a young African American female with very little, in a dangerous area. It shows that no matter how much I change or whatever my escape is, I can never run away from the image or the dangers that come along with my skin color. My art gives me hope that there is a chance out there for girls who look like me. It makes me believe that I'm more than what people portrayed me to be." |
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"RISE"
PRISCILLA YRAD
ELYRIA HIGH SCHOOL Visit this mural at: Lorain County Community College (College Center) "RISE represents solidarity and empowerment between two marginalized communities rising up together. The artwork includes a Black Lives Matter fist overlapping the sun taken from the Filipino flag. Embedded in the fist is the Tagalog word 'bangon' meaning 'to rise up', empowering both cultures. While creating this piece the world has seen a rise in asian hate crimes and attacks, my message of solidarity expands the conversation about racial justice. This piece is an opportunity for me to rise up for myself and my community as an Asian American." |
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"206 BONES"
SYLVIA LYONS
12TH GRADE ELYRIA HIGH SCHOOL Visit this mural at: TBD "This mural is a visual representation of a poem I wrote titled, 206 Bones. My mural encourages racial equality and non-violence. My piece features a skeleton of many different skin tones and a few lines from my poem. I strive to make people hear my voice, but with my mural, it allows them to see it." |