Photos: 鈥楰ids want to help鈥� 鈥� a few small hands bring a mural to life in New Haven

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Photos: 鈥楰ids want to help鈥� 鈥� a few small hands bring a mural to life in New Haven

黑料吃瓜网 Radio | By Ryan Caron King

Published August 11, 2022 at 9:49 AM EDT

A group of children work with New Haven artist Kwadwo Adae on the last part of a mural he鈥檚 been painting on the shelter in the Hill neighborhood where they鈥檙e staying. Adae said he wrote the grant for the mural under the premise that 鈥渆veryone deserves to go home to flowers.鈥� 鈥淭he fact that sometimes you鈥檙e in a shelter even though you don鈥檛 plan on it, that turns your life upside-down,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ven though your life is upside-down, those flowers are for you.鈥� — A group of children work with artist Kwadwo Adae on the last part of a mural he鈥檚 been painting on a family shelter in the Hill neighborhood of New Haven.

When New Haven artist Kwadwo Adae proposed painting a three-story mural of orchids on the side of a family shelter in New Haven, he wanted his art to be a part of the community that surrounded it.

During the final stages of painting, he measured out where he could reach and then left everything under that area blank.

Last Friday, kids staying at the shelter helped him finish the mural.

鈥淥ur society doesn鈥檛 allow kids to do a lot of things 鈥� kids want to help,鈥� Adae said. 鈥淭hey want to have control over their environments. They want to be able to change their communities just as much as we do.鈥�

Six-year-old Logan Parker (center) concentrates on his contribution to the mural. Adae said he planned out the last parts of the mural to factor in the heights of the kids working on it and left parts blank just for them to paint. 鈥淜ids want to help. They want to have control over their environments. They want to be able to change their communities just as much as we do. But the opportunities aren鈥檛 always presenting themselves,鈥� Adae said. — Sox-year-old Logan Parker (center) concentrates on his contribution to the mural. His aunt, Lyvelis Jusino, took him to paint with his cousins because for her, 鈥減ainting is therapy,鈥� she says.

Aasiah Jusino-Baez, 4, gets covered in lavender-colored paint as he puts his personal touch on the mural. This is one of several murals Adae has created around town, in an effort to paint murals in Black and brown communities that have been historically targeted by redlineding. 鈥淭hose are places that have been starved of resources, underdeveloped economically, places where things like thing can brighten people鈥檚 dispositions, brighten their day.鈥� Boilerplate caption: New Haven artist Kwadwo Adae puts the finishing touches on a mural he鈥檚 been working on in the Hill neighborhood of New Haven - with the help of several kids living in the shelter the mural is painted on. When Adae was writing the grant that would eventually fund the project, he said it was under the premise that 鈥渆veryone deserves to go home to flowers.鈥� 鈥淭he fact that sometimes you鈥檙e in a shelter even though you don鈥檛 plan on it, that turns your life upside-down,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ven though your life is upside-down, those flowers are for you.鈥� This is one of several murals Adae has created around town - in an effort to paint murals in Black and brown communities that have been redlined. 鈥淭hose are places that have been starved of resources, underdeveloped economically, places where things like thing can brighten people鈥檚 dispositions, brighten their day.鈥� — Aasiah Jusino-Baez, 4, got covered in paint while working on filling in a lavender background surrounding the orchids that Adae painted. Adae said he wrote the grant for the mural under the premise that 鈥渆veryone deserves to go home to flowers.鈥�

鈥淭he fact that sometimes you鈥檙e in a shelter even though you don鈥檛 plan on it 鈥� that turns your life upside down,鈥� Adae said as he looked up at the mural. 鈥淓ven though your life is upside down, those flowers are for you.鈥�

Adae and seven-year-old Josiah Baez compare their paint-covered hands. Adae said he wanted to work with kids from the neighborhood and the shelter to share ownership of the art and the creation process. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just my artwork. It鈥檚 our artwork,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e the community and we did this together鈥he collaborative aspect of it is a really beautiful way to speak visually.鈥� — Adae and 7-year-old Josiah Baez compare their paint-covered hands. Adae said he wanted to work with kids from the neighborhood and the shelter to share ownership of the art and the creation process. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just my artwork. It鈥檚 our artwork,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e the community and we did this together 鈥� the collaborative aspect of it is a really beautiful way to speak visually.鈥�

Jaylin Greene, 6, wipes his eye after finishing up a section of the mural. His aunt, Lyvelis Jusino, has been taking care of him and his cousins at the shelter. She said she took the family out to help with the mural because painting is therapeutic for her. She even got her 7-month-year-old baby to add a few paint strokes to it so she can tell him when he鈥檚 older that he helped make the mural. — Jaylin Greene, 6, wipes his eye after putting in some time painting the wall of the shelter, located in New Haven鈥檚 Hill neighborhood. It鈥檚 one of several murals Adae has created around the city. He said he鈥檚 focused his efforts to create public art in Black and brown communities that have been impacted by redlining. 鈥淭hose are places that have been starved of resources, underdeveloped economically 鈥� places where things like this can brighten people鈥檚 dispositions, brighten their day,鈥� Adae said.

Adae said he had a great experience in the neighborhood 鈥� people had been leaving bottles of water and ginger ales when he was on the lift and he鈥檚 gotten to know all the kids in the neighborhoods. 鈥淲hat happens is whenever you鈥檙e in a new place you鈥檙e not sure of - people are like 鈥榦h, you鈥檙e going there? oh be careful鈥ou might get mugged.鈥� all these rumors and hearsay happen. and it鈥檚 just always the opposite. it鈥檚 always just lovely wonderful people who are living there lives, and happy you鈥檙e there consistently to create something for them.鈥� Boilerplate caption: New Haven artist Kwadwo Adae puts the finishing touches on a mural he鈥檚 been working on in the Hill neighborhood of New Haven - with the help of several kids living in the shelter the mural is painted on. When Adae was writing the grant that would eventually fund the project, he said it was under the premise that 鈥渆veryone deserves to go home to flowers.鈥� 鈥淭he fact that sometimes you鈥檙e in a shelter even though you don鈥檛 plan on it, that turns your life upside-down,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ven though your life is upside-down, those flowers are for you.鈥� This is one of several murals Adae has created around town - in an effort to paint murals in Black and brown communities that have been redlined. 鈥淭hose are places that have been starved of resources, underdeveloped economically, places where things like thing can brighten people鈥檚 dispositions, brighten their day.鈥� — Adae has been working on the mural during the summer鈥檚 heat wave 鈥� and he said people in the neighborhood have been watching out for him and leaving bottles of water and ginger ale. Passersby will frequently compliment his work, and he鈥檚 gotten to know many of the kids who live in the area.

鈥淲hat happens is whenever you鈥檙e in a new place you鈥檙e not sure of 鈥� people are like, 鈥極h, you鈥檙e going there? Oh, be careful 鈥� you might get mugged.鈥� All these rumors and hearsay happen, and it鈥檚 just always the opposite,鈥� Adae said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always just lovely, wonderful people who are living their lives and happy you鈥檙e there consistently to create something for them.鈥�

Adae and filmmaker Travis Carbonella, who鈥檚 documenting the project, admire the mural nearing completion. Adae said he worked with a local nonprofit that provides free trees to have two new trees planted near the mural. 鈥淪o after this mural fades,鈥� he said, 鈥渢here still is an element of beauty here.鈥� — Adae and filmmaker Travis Carbonella, who鈥檚 documenting the project, admire the nearly completed mural. Adae said he worked with a local nonprofit that provides free trees to have two trees planted near the mural. 鈥淪o after this mural fades,鈥� he said, 鈥渢here still is an element of beauty here.鈥�

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