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Everyone’s an Artist, Like Pilar

Shout out to an extraordinary artist and teacher, Pilar Batista, who, together with Naomi Kuo, has been holding down our work at PS 310 and IS 117 in the Bronx this year. She started volunteering with us in 2014 as a high school junior, then became an intern and an apprentice artist, and last spring emerged as our youngest art director ever. A…

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Two Summer Intensives in Harlem

“Summer Camp for Art Kids.” Thrive Collective’s Summer Intensives allow concentrated time for some of our most passionate and skilled students to work directly with world class artists to produce public art murals. Following the tradition of past summers at the Coney Art Walls and Mexico the last two years, our third annual season revolves…

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“Be the Change,” Like Nico

One of our greatest joys at Thrive Collective is empowering local artists to live their dreams while they create beauty collaboratively with the world around them. Consider Nico Collazo, teaching artist and art director for “Dream Walls 2.0” at PS/MS 34 this year (2017), and his fiancee Cynthia Dunston. In 2014, Nico was a student…

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Captain Jack’s Wonder Voyage

What a privilege to be trusted with “Captain Jack’s Wonder Voyage” at PS/MS 282 this year. This mural celebrates the life and creative energy of Jack Roberts, a pre-K student at the school whose life was tragically cut short in 2016. On Father’s Day 2017, we had the honor of dedicating the mural with Mr.…

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Father’s Day Gratitude

Shout out to all the incredible dads fathering their children well, and to all the uncles, grandfathers, brothers, cousins, neighbors, godfathers, mentors, coaches, teachers, clergy, youth workers, volunteers, single mothers, and all the rest who step up when dads are absent. Happy Fathers Day! This photo is of Jeremy Del Rio’s father Pastor Rick Del…

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The Biggest Project Ever

The “I Am NYC” collaboration with the High School of Telecommunications, Arts, and Technology is a case study in why we love collaborating with teachers and NYC high school students. This, from first year art teacher Veronica Giurdanella: “This will be the view for every student attending HSTAT in Bay Ridge from now on. The…

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Celebrating Multiethnic Immigrant Roots

Mayor Bill de Blasio marches in the Puerto Rican Day Parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on Sunday, June 11, 2017. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office Jeremy Del Rio proudly represented Thrive Collective marching with Mayor Bill de Blasio at the 60th Anniversary National Puerto Rican Day Parade on June 12, 2017. The festivities rounded out…

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El Diario: Create an Immigrant Sanctuary

The June 11, 2017 issue of El Diario newspaper includes a photo essay from the production of La Lucha Continua: “’La Lucha Continúa’ se renueva en Manhattan como ‘santuario’ inmigrante,” by Marielis Acevedo, El Diario (June 06, 2017). Las manos de un niño de apenas dos años dejan su huella de color en el espacio como símbolo…

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Touch the World

In 2011, a Brooklyn elementary school embarked on a great adventure to proclaim through collaborative public art that all families are welcome in Bay Ridge regardless of immigration status, and all children could thrive at PS 102. In 2015, Rez and Rupsha — originally from Bangladesh — confirmed that the strategy worked. This spring, eight…

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