Express Yourself! (2024)

Keely O'Brien

7700 Minoru Gate

Area: City Centre
Location: Inside Richmond Public Library Brighouse Branch

This Artwork is no longer on display

Materials: drawing, printmaking, collage, storytelling, and zine creation

Program: Community
Ownership: Civic
Sponsored By: City of Richmond

Description of Work

A year-long community-engaged artist project in partnership with Aspire Richmond and Richmond Public Library.

Artist Statement

The objectives of "Express Yourself!" included: creating a safe and welcoming space for youth to express their identity through art, sparking reflection and conversation on the differences and similarities among us, and creating opportunities for youth to connect socially in a unique and meaningful way. We started out with a series of drop-in workshops at Seedlings geared specifically for youth who participate in Aspire’s Youth Connections program, with the intention of beginning to build relationships and trust in a familiar setting.

At these workshops, we introduced themes of identity through zine and mask making. We then moved our programming over to Richmond Public Library Brighouse Branch for a bi-weekly registered workshop series from April-June, two drop-in workshops in May and June, a week-long intensive in July, and a four part workshop series and final celebration in September. In our spring workshops, we took a broader approach to the topic of identity, trying out a wide variety of mediums including collage, drawing, clay, comics, and mono-printmaking. During our summer and fall workshops we began to focus on our Prize Ribbons legacy project, working together to brainstorm, plan, create, and write an artist statement.

At all workshops, we had a mix of participants from Aspire and the broader community. Many youth consistently participated throughout the year, while others joined for parts of the project. Some challenges we faced included: finding continuity in our work together and facilitating lasting social connection with an always changing group of participants. Some successes include: increased confidence and skill as artists in many participants, in-depth reflection and expression of personal identity, and an overall atmosphere of creativity, community, and enthusiasm.