Lower East Side Girls Club and YAYA Partnership

From April 19th-22nd YAYA and the Lower East Side Girls Club from New York City worked together to paint an anti-violence mural in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. YAYA Art Speaks program coordinator Tamar Toledano has been working with the Faubourg Delassize neighborhood association in deciding what kind of anti-violence sentiments the residents of the neighborhood wanted to expressed in an anti-violence mural. Using the neighborhood association's feedback, YAYA senior guild artist Monica Tyran designed a mural depicting a community moving forward together into peaceful times. YAYA also arranged to have the newly formed organization Solutions Not Shootings give a presentation on the contributing factors in high rates of localized violence in New Orleans. The week wrapped up with a conversation about what kinds of grassroots efforts are being taken to prevent and address violence and killings in New Orleans.