2016

Year in Review Featuring the journeys of our 2015-2016 Picasso Project Grantees

Public Citizens for Children and Youth is incredibly grateful to

all of the schools, artists, and funders who support the Picasso

Project in 2015-16. In all 3,250 students and 52 teachers worked

with 39 teaching artists to successfully complete 13 original Picasso

Projects in public schools across the city. We also leveraged 1,018 volunteer hours and

resources from six community partners to support teachers and artists in the classroom in

these schools across the city.

Grantees Alexander McClure Elementary School

Paul L. Dunbar School

Eugenio Maria de Hostos Charter

School

Edwin Fitler Academics Plus

George W. Childs Elementary

Henry H. Houston School

James Russell Lowell Elementary

Murrell Dobbins CTE

High School

Pan American Academy Charter School

Parkway Northwest High School for Peace & Social

Justice

Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center

South Philadelphia High School

Wissahickon Charter School Awbury

The students at Henry Houston Elementary School used their grant from the Picasso Project

to create a CD entitled, “A Day in My Life.” Ezechial Thurman, music teacher, and Live

Connections, a non-profit organization that inspires community building through music

making, assisted students in composing music for their original poems that focus on the

school’s anti-bullying initiative.

“We’re all alike, don’t you forget.

We come from opposite sides,

But we can find a way to collide.

Making music in the studio,

There’s no telling where we can

go.”

-Similarities, Track 8 on “A Day in

the Life”

**Lyrics by Lyrical Productions and HOME, the

student band of Andrew Jackson Elementary

(Brandon Emigdio; Gino Giansante; Chelsea Lui;

Maria Moreno; Skye Rosario; Julia Yedra)

Above: Murrell Dobbins High Schooler recording

audio for their project, “The Sounds of Dobbins.”

After a tragic homicide in 2012, McClure Elementary

wanted to change the way the community viewed their

playground. With help from the Picasso Project,

community partner, CosaCosa, and other partners, the

playground has been restored to new heights. McClure

Elementary has received a Picasso Project grant for the

past three years and during that time the playground has

had a dramatic change in appearance.

CosaCosa worked with students to design and create a

mosaic reading garden. The garden, which is maintained

and cared for by students, is surrounded by mosaic

butterflies. The result has been transformative for the

school and community. This year birdhouses with books

were installed in the reading garden to complete the

project. Students recorded narrating children’s books

placed in the birdhouses. McClure Principal, Sharon

Marino, hopes the area will be a place for students to

come together and read.

What was once metal grates is now mosaic tile

work and beautiful paintings done by students,

teaching artists, and community members. On

June 10, 2016, McClure Elementary held a

dedication ceremony to celebrate the

completion of their garden.

Below: Carolyn Adams, PCCY

Board Member, speaking at the

Nov. 1 Recital.

We had some great events this past year

showcasing students from schools that were

awarded Picasso Project grants. On November 1,

2015, Mary and Bill Hangley graciously hosted an

afternoon recital featuring music played by

Philadelphia public school students.

A collaboration between the Barnes Foundation

and Picasso Project resulted in a wonderful

performance by Picasso Project grantees on May 1,

2016. Students from Houston Elementary School,

Edwin Fitler Academics Plus and South Philadelphia

High School sang and danced for a packed

audience.

Above: Community artist, Mark Wong, breakdancing with

students from Fitler Academics Plus at the Barnes.

.

Students from South

Philadelphia High School

met with Councilman Mark

Squilla to promote arts

education and invite him to

their performance of

“Dream Girls,” which was

sponsored by the Picasso

Project.

Students from Southwark Elementary at City Hall on

May 17, 2016, PA Arts Advocacy Day.

Lowell Elementary School students

worked together to create a quilt of

a magic garden in which the

students were the flowers.

Students at Fitler Academics Plus hosted an, “Emerging Artist Youth Café.” The students

channeled their voices for social change through hip hop dance, Brazilian percussion, original

spoken word poetry and Latin dance.

Left: Students

from Parkway

Northwest High

School

experiment with

African

drumming

technique.

Right:

Wissahickon

Charter School

students

working on

their mural.

“If art was taken away from

our schools, I’d be living in a

world full of darkness. If

life doesn’t give you color,

what do you have?”

-Ciara, 8th grade student

Donna Cooper, PCCY Executive Director

Linda Fernandez, Picasso Project Director

Committee Members

Bonnie Raines, Co-Chair

Leslie Winder, Co-Chair

Dennis Barnebey

Vicki Ellis

Evelyn Eskin

Nancy Francis

Danielle Gallagher

Bonnie Gevurtz

Julie Hawkins

Germaine Ingram

Sue Kettell

Virginia Lam

Bill Madeira

Joyce Millman

Donyale Reavis

Linda Roth

Ellie Seif

Lynne Strieb

Tessie Varthas

Gretchen Walker

Shelly Yanoff

The Picasso Project was made possible by

The ACE Group

Chubb

Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation

Joanne Harmelin

Hess Foundation

Lenfest Foundation

Christian R. & Mary F. Lindback Foundation

The Christopher Ludwick Foundation

Philadelphia Cultural Fund

PNC Bank

Rosenlund Family Foundation

Elizabeth B. & Arthur E. Roswell Foundation

Patty & Stephen Segal

Weinberg Family Internship Fund

Wyncote Foundation