I am a Community School Director for United Community Schools at P.S. 4 Duke Ellington in the Upper Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights.
We were able to contract Creative Art Works for a 12 week in-school visual arts residency program for six of our classes in grades Kindergarten, 2, 4, and 5 and it quickly became among the most popular program in our schools.
Students were very excited to to engage in art instruction and quickly grew attached to their Creative Art Works instructor. Additionally, teachers and administrators were extremely grateful for how the program applies themes from the school's curriculum, to their students art projects in a matter that reinforces what the students are learning in the classroom.
I would highly recommend Creative Artworks to any school seeking to implement arts programming in their school.
For many of us, art is more than just a hobby; it's a way to express ourselves, to process emotions, and to connect with our inner world. The Creative Art Workshop provides the perfect environment for this kind of exploration.
I’ve known C.A.W. as a member of the community for years, watching them lead youth apprentices make murals throughout Harlem. Every mural I’ve seen of theirs always amazes me. Speaking with the staff members during the unveilings, I’ve learned that they serve other students and participants of other ages through the arts! That’s awesome!
The experience Is what you make of it, you'd be surprised at how easily you find yourself fitting in with some of the peers you'd have never imagined being so close to as time goes on. Down the line you may also find yourself absorbing information you never knew you wanted/needed from some really talented people
Amazing program, I gained a a lot of knowledge of the workforce with still having a hold of my passion of art. I gained new skills within art and outside of art. Creative Art Works provided me such a welcoming environment that made everyday a day to look forward. With this non profit I gained many friends I still talk to today and created new bonds, connections, and memories. This was an unforgettable summer and I am very grateful to have been apart of Creative Art Works.
My son attended the creative art works program at school last year and was very happy. Excellent teachers and the atmosphere of classes allowed the child to fully immerse himself in the process with pleasure. . A really significant influence on the perception and process of creating art. It's great to see that we have such creative programs in public schools.
Also I’ve been a photographer at the Annual benefits for kids last year, I was impressed of scale of Creative Art Woks' work and their huge contribution to the lives of the children who were so lucky to be a part of this incredible program.
As a relatively new Board member of Creative Art Works, I continue to be inspired by the high quality work we do in schools and out of school, with young children and with teens. Giving kids the opportunity to get their creative juices flowing, learning to work together and learning how to better communicate their ideas and take pride in their work, all while having fun, that is what we are all about and I am privileged to get to be a part of it.
As Principal of Innovation Diploma Plus High School, I’ve had the privilege of working with Creative Art Works (CAW) for over seven years, and each year I am increasingly impressed with the exceptional level of expertise and passion their Teaching Artists bring to our school community. CAW’s collaborative approach with my teachers has resulted in truly magical, discipline-specific art projects that are intricately connected to our curriculum. These projects not only foster creativity and academic engagement but also provide therapeutic and trauma-informed support, offering our students a unique outlet for self-expression and healing.
One of the standout elements of every CAW partnership is the culminating event, where students have the opportunity to showcase and celebrate their artwork in a manner that mirrors a professional gallery opening. This experience is invaluable in building their confidence and sense of pride in their work. The impact of CAW’s work on our students’ social-emotional growth and academic engagement cannot be overstated. I look forward to continuing our partnership with Creative Art Works for many more years to come.
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Our school community, Innovation Diploma Plus, has had the privilege of partnering with Creative Art Works (CAW) for the past three years. Through that time, CAW has made a tremendous impact on growing our school's culture and ultimately impacting student achievement on a positive trajectory. The CAW model is simple -- yet highly effective: pair a talented and committed teaching artist with a teacher of any discipline, build a plan, and then work side-by-side with the teacher to implement and engage students in hands on project based learning experiences that result in discipline specific works of art. I am so grateful to this organization, as they truly understand how students learn best and the powerful impact art has on changing the lives of young people.
We have been blessed to have CREATIVE ARTWORKS as our partner for the past three years. Our students have greatly benefited from the Character Design Workplace Challenge (a 60-hour school-based paid internship creating an industry project) and the opportunity to create murals during their SYEP internships. The instructors are industry professionals who are very knowledgeable, excellent teachers, and serve as incredible role models. The coursework is tailored to meet students' abilities but maintains high expectations and teaches students about becoming creative professionals. It is hard to find organizations that can provide this creative career training! Our students are always excited to go to their afterschool workplace challenge! We love CREATIVE ARTWORKS.
I recently had the privilege of attending a student project unveiling at the Manhattan Family Court building. The artists' work, their passion for the creative process, and the impact this experience had on them (collaboration, self-advocacy, public speaking, skill development, and friendship) was truly inspirational. This program undeniably has a positive impact that creates lasting change.
I have been partnering with Creative Art Works since 2019 to provide art and digital art focused internships to student interns at Liberty High School. CAW is an excellent organization to partner with because they perfectly align the goals I have for my students with their mission of teaching employability skills (in fine arts, and digital art design, collaboration and team work, with research and independent work) to create a new and exciting work-based learning plan each year. I continue to be impressed by their innovative ideas and teaching artists' skills and humility to work with diverse students.
As a donor (and event supporter) of more than 10+ years, I have always been impressed with the strong leadership of this organization and how CAW has contributed to so many young students and the NY community over the years. The murals that have been created around the city bring a smile to my face every time I see them! Keep up the great work!!!
Incredible organization, had the opportunity to see first hand a culminating event. Met the youth artists and teaching artists, all conveyed their passion for both finished product and the process!!
The Bronx Family Court has commissioned CAW to create art work for our courthouse over the past decade. Our walls are adorned with their beautiful artistic work that provides imagery that portrays our values of justice, equality, respect, and hope. The student artists, their mentors, and program leaders have been a pleasure to work with. They are responsive and reliable visionaries . The artwork has transformed our sterile courthouse into a more welcoming and beautiful space. We are grateful and proud to partner with CAW.
This is such a great program and We are so happy that this program exists. My son has benefited from this program and helped him grow as an artist and encouraged him to volunteer his time. It's wonderful to see the positive impact it has on the students and their skills.
The coworkers I was assigned with are friends I'll cherish forever and the TA's were always super helpful and respectful. Overall it was really fun working with them.
We had a great group that developed a clear vision of what the project would be fairly early and we were able to execute it, Albeit with a deadline that was rapidly approaching.
The process let me express my creative art side but balanced it with the more community outreach activities.
We met alot of interesting people who were passionate about the neighborhood and its history. In turn it made me feel more connected to it too.
All in all it was a great experience, and I would happily do it again.
I had an awesome experience working with creative artworks, Ive met so many people who ive become close with and seeing what we’ve accomplished was amazing
While working with creative art works i was only met with an amazing experience being able to utilize my creative skills on a collaborative project with other creative people. I always tell there about CAW and how it is an amazing experience and a great opportunity for those to learn and utilize their creative skills on a project. We were thiught how to use paint, mix colors, applying paint onto the surface, composition and a plethora of art/creative skills i
I worked under Creative Artworks for a summer and had a fantastic experience. I immersed myself within the community conducting an oral histories product. I got the opportunity work hands on a wide set of new skills. I learned about art and making and crafting, I learned how to edit video, audio, and photo as we put together a documentary. I learned how to work in a group and take leadership as I participated in the art direction of the gallery overall. Putting the museum together was an extremely fulfilling experience and I delved into my passions in a way I never had before. I loved the experience and hope to get a position again for next summer!
Working with Creative Art Works over the summer was a great experience. It was a lot of fun and I met some great people. The staff was very nice and helpful. Making a gallery space about East Harlem connected me more with my community and was overall an amazing experience.
Creative Art Works has helped to promote the school’s shared vision and mission by engaging our students with real world project based curriculum. As such, our students have demonstrated an appreciation of the arts. Thank you creative art works for your continued commitment to educating the whole child.
As a science teacher I am able to incorporate more project oriented summative tasks as a result of what I have learned partnering Creative Art Works. The organization understands the importance of providing students multiple ways to express their learning. This year our students had the opportunity to learn to use Photoshop from an expert visiting artist. Students who preferred to continue to create by hand were scaffolded to try the technology by scanning hand drawn work and experimenting with Photoshop. The experience has been inspirational for me and I will be taking art classes this summer. I am grateful for Creative Art Works.
Creative artworks has been an amazing partner at APRCHS. We have been collaborating with them with multiple departments, but our Foundations Elective Course has had wonderful experiences. The CAW team worked diligently alongside the our teachers to align the art tasks with our curriculum. The program blended seamlessly into our every day instruction. The students shared their own personal experiences and growth from this program and we were thrilled. We look forward to our partnership next year!
Creative Art Works provides art programming for 9th graders in an elective course in our school (which all 9th graders have to take). The program is AMAZING. It allows students to express themselves in different ways, explore their artistic selves, and learn about who they are as people. Abby and Johanna were able to connect with our students, making them ALL look forward to art every week. Every student continues to talk about the program and see their work displayed throughout the school. I cannot begin to express my gratitude for programs like this!
Working for CAW was a really fun experience and helped bring so many smiles to the people of the surrounding area. It feels like we were really able to capture the energy around and I hope to do so even more in the future.
My experiences at Creative Art Works have been greatly rewarding and eye-opening. Through, the program, I have been able to learn more about my community, make friends, and realize my love for admiring art as well as creating it. The people I've met there, the teaching artists in particular including, Ryan, Farah and Amari have inspired me greatly not only as an artist but as a person. I am so happy that a program like this exists. It's crucial nonprofits like this are accessible to the youth, they provide a much-needed creative outlet and learning experience for those coming of age in such a difficult place to navigate such as NY.
What an AMAZING experience for our PS 155 scholars!!! During the 2021-22 school year, we partnered with Creative Art Works to give our scholars more exposure to arts with the purpose of cultivating a sense of joy in their lives.
In the midst of our post pandemic season, we wanted our scholars to find peace and joy on their academic journey. Creative Art Works truly exceeded our expectations on every level. They served our students with love, joy, care and most importantly excellence. The end of the year showcase was truly a beautiful sight to see. We are beyond grateful to be partnering with them this school year again.
Ms. Mendez-Torres, MSW
Assistant Principal PS 155/ 04M155
Over the summer of 2022, I was a youth apprentice and I had an amazing, fun, and an eye opening experience. Working as a group painting a mural to help promote a healthy community will be memorable.
My first job ever was as a Youth apprentice for Creative Art works, and after working for such organization, I’m glad to say that it’s not only the coolest first job anyone could have, but it is also an opportunity. While on the job, for 6 weeks you get to meet teaching artists and other youth apprentices, develop art skills, and create art/murals that have an impact on many people and their community. The teaching artists were very kind and caring towards me and everyone I worked with. It was an incredible experience seeing the art we created become meaningful to other people. I am looking forward to applying for the job again next summer!
As an active donor of over 20+ years, I have always been impressed with the strong leadership of this organization and how much CAW has contributed to thousands of young individuals and the broader community over the years. The programs truly provide a safe haven and nourishing environment for children who are struggling in their daily lives by utilizing the strengthening and empowering nature of art.
Over the years, CAW has continuously expanded the program to encompass new thoughtful areas of education and learning, incorporated technology and digital arts, and through these additions, extended their reach to many, many new families. I love to meet the young artists each year at the event and see and hear personally what they are up to and how much their lives have opened up because of this program.
I am so pleased to be part of such an impactful program.
I had the most wonderful experience at Creative Art Works. It is an experience I will never forget because I had the amazing opportunity to work with a group of people that became a close-knit community where we created something beautiful together! I also had the opportunity to grow my creative skills and social skills along the way
This place was very fun I loved everything about it. You definitely should work here at CAW!! Even though it was hard work the people I worked with made it super fun!
Creative Art Works is an incredible organization. The CAW team has partnered with our school community for over 7 years, through remote instruction and back again as we worked together to welcome students back to a meaningful, joyful, and enriching school experience. CAW is able to support the administration team in both developing a vision aligned to students’ in-school learning and the operational planning to bring the vision to life. And the CAW teaching artists work magic with our students and staff, bringing an enriching arts experience to support creativity and critical thinking through the arts. Culminating events then bring our community of students, staff, and families together to celebrate our students’ experiences, learning, and final projects. The fruits of their labor live on in our students’ hearts, minds, confidence, and our beautiful hallway murals!
Hi! My name is Alecia. I joined the Creative Art Works Mural Apprentice summer position in the summer of 2022. Out of all the opportunities offered in the SYEP 2022 list, Creative Art Works stood out to me given the fact that I can combine my love for art, and work to gain the art-related experience I need when I have to graduate college. Through the 6-week summer program, I left Creative Art Works with more than I could have ever aspired to gain. I got to meet, and be surrounded by kind, like-minded individuals who all share a passion for art as well as for helping the community. It was also through the awesome and loving Teaching Artists that we allowed ourselves to surrender our boundaries, and grow as one collective. We were taught art development skills, and skills to help us get our professional practices more polished. Even after the program, I consider the friends I made, as well as our Teaching Artists like family. I hope to have more opportunities to work for Creative Art Works in the future and inspire others to become a part of the CAW family.
I was in a grim NYC Family Court waiting room in 2008, sitting opposite a giant blank wall, and thought to myself, there should be art on that wall, to cheer the place up. My daughter's friend volunteered at Creative Art Works, that's how I learned about this nonprofit that puts murals in public spaces. I asked them to put a mural on that wall.
And they did.
CAW even had teenagers and young people who had been in the court system help make the art. After that, Creative Art works continued putting bright, gorgeous murals in court waiting rooms and children's detention centers and they still do. They transform young people's lives, giving them the opportunity to be part of a team, working creatively together for the common good.
CAW also puts art classes in public schools that otherwise couldn't have art classes.
I love Creative Art Works. Their work is essential, impactful and marvelous.
Creative Art Works programming was a lifeline for my daughter during the height of pandemic when all school work was fully remote. Having a safe, supportive, creative place to come to (albeit virtual) on a regular basis really helped her express herself, experience community and laughter, and stay connected to an important part of herself as well as stay connected to others. She is excited to be participating in another Creative Art Works program this fall! This is a special program with dedicated teaching artists and administrators. Thank you for all you have done for my daughter and so many other children!
Hello my name is Natajha Graham. Creative artworks have helped a lot of youths including myself throughout high school, and even during my first year of college. My first opportunity to work with them was during my time working as a youth leader in my high school A. Philip Randolph Campus High school. Creative artworks allowed the student success center to create a mural in our office that allowed the students of the school to understand and feel welcomed by the message that we wanted to send out to them. We were able to create a space theme mural that demonstrates the limitlessness of their dreams and accomplishments.
I had the opportunity to work with creative artworks a second time over the summer as a youth apprentice. At this point in time, I was very new to art, photography, and collages. However, that made no difference in what I and other students were able to accomplish. We were able to take so many social justice issues that occurred and affected us every day and use them to create art that would speak to our communities and to the world. A lot of the time I felt helpless in a lot of issues that people like me face in this world and speaking this my art helped me so much with that.
Lastly, I was given the chance to also make a change in other youths’ lives while working with creative artworks. I was able to do a lot of the behind-the-scenes work that allowed other youths to have the same experiences that I did. I loved being able to see these students with so many different backgrounds and life stories come together and be passionate about their creations no matter their previous experiences.
Creative Art Works is such a great nonprofit that serves art based programs for children, adolescence, and young adults from ages 4-24, with programs that run in school, afternoon, community events and even weekends! Their most famous program is focused on creative youth development, the Summer Mural program where they hire youth apprentices through SYEP and make murals throughout NYC.
I absolutely adore Creative Art Works! I am a former youth apprentice with C.A.W. and I am so grateful for the tools, skills and opportunities. C.A.W. has helped me blossom and turn into a more confident artist and eventually I got hired as a teaching artist assistant! I'm eternally grateful.
The middle school at which I am an Assistant Principal has partnered with CAW for several years. Every year, CAW's Teaching Artists provide Art as a consistent class for all of our students as well as after-school workshops (which participating students love), and in addition to that they work with groups of students to envision, plan, and create beautiful murals. Our campus is now bursting with color and beauty - most recently, over the last few months, these murals around our front doors - which directly came from the brilliance, creativity, and hard work of our students. I am very thankful for our partnership with CAW and its impact on our students!
My daughters love art. Having this awesome program at her school makes her happy. If she is happy it is a huge satisfaction. I wish this program keeps giving so much to our children. Thank you.
As a NYC school administrator, I understand well that budget constraints and other restrictions can limit the availability of robust arts programs in some NYC public schools. As a NYC public school parent, I am thrilled that CAW exists to fill gaps and provide opportunities that students may not be able to experience in the school day. CAW afterschool programming was a true light during the darkest days of the pandemic and both of my children enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to connect with their peers and art when it was most difficult to do so. The programs, provided materials, and end of program showcase offered multiple opportunities for them to grow and develop as artists and to celebrate their creativity and final pieces. My son (8th grade) is thoroughly enjoying in the Stop-Motion afterschool program this fall. I would highly recommend CAW to any school community looking to enhance their extracurricular programming for students in meaningful, fulfilling ways which celebrate student creation and amplify joy.
A. Philip Randolph Campus High School (APRCHS) has had the pleasure of partnering with Creative Art Works (CAW) for the last seven years. If you check our website at www.aprandolph.com you will see several beautiful pieces of artwork that the CAW teaching artists have empowered our children to create.
Creative Art Works supports our students in two ways. Firstly they interject the discipline of creating works of physical art into the curriculum. This is crucial as art programs have been cut from public schools over the years in favor of math and science courses.
Secondly, Creative Art Works helps our students see themselves as leaders. They put the students in the driver's seats of all of their programs. Students are not merely painting. Students are designing works of art as part of collaborative teams. Students are meeting with stakeholders from CAW and the "clients" to review the proposed artwork. Students are often paid as professional artists to complete these projects. Finally, students are invited to present their artwork at professional art shows during the year that are attended by the school community and supporters of CAW.
David Fanning
Principal
A. Philip Randolph Campus High School
dfannin@schools.nyc.gov
Creative Art Works has been a true gem in our school community. The teaching artists have brought innovative art projects to our school and have instilled a genuine love of art for our students. The program directors are responsive and accommodating, which makes partnering with the program feel like a breeze. Thank you Creative Art Works for all that you do!
During the pandemic, my daughter participated in an online Creative Art Work after school program. She loved it and looked forward to this class every week. Honestly it was one of the few things that got her excited during those peak days of remote school and social distancing. I am so grateful to Creative Art Work. It does great work.
Our relationship with CAW can be traced back to the day our school opened in 2014. In the past 8 school years our collaboration has provided school-day art instruction to nearly 1000 students, as well as opportunites for more deeply exploring caricature design, graphic design, animation, and a variety of other genres in the visual arts. Each summer, we've partnered with CAW and through the Summer Youth Employment Program, created public art works in and around our school with youth from our community. Our success is inextricably linked with our partnership with CAW.
Creative Art Works uses the arts to provide youth development to deserving young people in NYC. I am proud to serve on the board but even more proud of our staff, teaching artists and students and apprentices who deliver and benefit from the top notch programs of Creative Art Works. Check us out at www.creativeartworks.org
Creative Art Works exemplifies creativity and enables the youth to immerse themselves in their communities. The work being done here is second to none and I am proud to be able to work with them annually and see the positive changes being done through their service.
CAW is one of the best nonprofits I have collaborated with during my twenty-one years with NYCDOE. They are outstanding at supporting school administrators with the logistical planning for program implementation, resulting in an unbelievably strong enrichment component for all students to explore creativity and critical thinking through the visual arts.
My children have participated in several art classes after school with creative artworks and have come home so happy and inspired to make art. I’m continually thankful for organizations such as this one. CAW fills a gap left in public school education where children can explore their creativity and learn about different art media. The projects that they come home with are so beautiful.
My kids (both in 4th grade) participated in the Creative Art Woks workshop at PS 278 and it was a fantastic experience!
They benefitted so much from the experience. The staff is amazing and the program is well run. I hope that the program continues.
Dedicated and committed team who really cares about the population they serve in a field that is so important but often overlooked.
Creative Art Works is an invaluable organization. The level of professionalism in their engagement with students at our school consistently demonstrates the vital function of nurturing the creative process in youth. The look pride on students' faces as they displayed their work at the end of the program revealed that the process of working with CAW artists was something that opened up a vision they had not yet known they had. I witnessed the dedication these artists had to the school and community as they worked with students designing and then spent several weekends in the heat to create a beautifully imaginative and colorful painted play space. The murals indoors created with the students have energized the spaces and elevates sense of belonging and pride. I am grateful to Creative Art Works for their dedication, professionalism, and bringing out the spirit of possibility, vision and hope in student's lives and the community.
Creative Art Works is a remarkable organization. Dedicated to visual arts and creative youth development, CAW truly makes a difference in the lives of young people they serve and the communities they live in. Nimble and responsive, CAW created a self-funded employment program for 50 NYC youth this summer when SYEP was canceled. For 6 weeks, youth learned graphic design skills, took photographs, practiced public speaking and created posters envisioning a better world post Covid. Youth walked away with real skills, a sense of agency and all the more ready to enter the workforce. That's just the tip of the iceberg. A great organization!
I have been an avid supporter of CAW for many years and recently have had the privilege of joining their board of directors. What convinced me to get more involved was doing a site visit and seeing the unbelievable impact CAW was having on kids. I visited a mural being painted and watched kids light up as they described to me the research they did to come up with the concept of the mural and all of the skills they were learning in working on it from inception to unveiling. CAW teaches more than art (which is wonderful in and of itself) - it teaches life skills and a love of learning.
My agency partnered with Creative Art Works for six consecutive summers with outstanding results each time. We would supply the outdoor wall space for the murals and, of course, the teenage participants who would work alongside the CAW teaching artists.
Each summer the CAW staff would work closely with our teenagers to ensure the mural was not only pleasing to the eye, but more important, conveyed a message that was important to both the teens and to the community in which the mural was being created.
Every summer I was amazed at how artistically different the various murals were from each other over the years but the common denominator was always that they were murals that touched your heart and always made you smile.
The teenagers completed their projects with such a proud sense of accomplishment that many continue to bring family and friends by to view their work, sometimes years after it was unveiled. Added to that the new skill sets that were learned and the experience was always a win-win for everyone involved.
What I have to say meant the most to me about our partnership over the years is CAW's willingness to work with some of our most vulnerable youth, even those with behavioral issues. This showed that their commitment truly was for the betterment of all our youth. We even worked inside one of NYC's detention centers one summer to help high-risk teens develop skills that would help them succeed once they went home.
Again, I wholeheartedly believe in the work that Creative Art Works does with NYC youth and look forward to collaborating for years to come.
_Bobby, Non-profit Director
My law firm is honored to provide pro bono legal services to CAW, which has been doing amazing programs with inner city kids and art, including in NYC public schools and local communities. A much needed organization that fosters confidence and life skills in young people, giving back to local communities. And the art these kids create is just fabulous!
Creative Arts Workshop has developed and delivered programs to students in our school for several years. As an arts organization, I think they do a great job in helping early adolescents communicate their interests and concerns using the art medium. Students also learn the technique and skills of art forms like photography, video production, and 3D design.
Creative Arts Workshop's role in our school is deepening and expanding in our school which I think is a testament to their commitment to arts education where it is needed the most: high need schools working in economically disadvantaged commuities.
CAW4Kids worked with our students in East Harlem during a weekend intervention program we call Saturday Academy. This program served children from grades 3-5. Each grade level received an hour long of art instruction from very engaging, professional and caring teaching artists.
In years prior, our Saturday Academy suffered due to attendance. Our data showed that these students were not growing as much as expected. Our board chair attended a CAW fundraiser and was enamored by the program and what it had to offer. They responded to our emails and set up a meeting immediately.
From January to April, our students were delighted to work on their projects. They were still in shock that they were able to use their creativity through the meaningful projects CAW provided.
As a school, we were excited to see that our student attendance grew dramatically! Children wanted to learn, but they also looked forward to completing their art projects.
When our state scores were released, we compared our cohort of Saturday Academy students with their grade levels. The CAW/Saturday Academy student outscored their peers. This is a first for us.
We are truly grateful for the work CAW4Kids has done with our students and look forward to partnering with them once again.