Jeremy Del Rio (CAS ’95, LAW ’99) Brings Art Back to New York City’s Students and Spaces
A native New Yorker, Jeremy Del Rio (CAS ’95, LAW ’99) (he/him) grew up near the NYU campus and had his heart set on attending college close to home. While an undergrad student at NYU’s College of Arts & Science, a trip to Italy during his freshman year exposed him to a world of art that would leave a lasting impression. After earning his JD from NYU School of Law, Del Rio was working in corporate law when 9/11—like it did for so many New Yorkers—changed his life. Working alongside his father, a pastor, at Ground Zero, Del Rio ultimately resigned from his legal career at the age of 26 and committed full-time to the youth center he founded. That evolved into Thrive Collective, a nonprofit that brings arts education and mentorship to public schools across the nation.
Since its founding, Thrive Collective has created over 600 murals in NYC, including “A Better Tomorrow” in the Bronx, “Peace and Unity” in Staten Island, “Be Your Own Superhero” in Brooklyn, and “We are OP,” a mural created in collaboration with NYU’s Opportunity Project and its students. The nonprofit organization connects artists and youth workers with local schools with a mission to “bring art back” to some of the city’s most underserved communities. Beginning with New York City schools, Thrive has expanded to schools in cities including Dallas, Texas; San Diego and Oakland California; and Baltimore, Maryland.
“Our fundamental approach to this work is that every community is filled with masterpiece lives, and our job is not to create masterpieces in neighborhoods, but rather to celebrate and accelerate the beauty that already exists,” says Del Rio. Read on to discover how his unexpected journey from litigation law to arts advocate has empowered young people to reimagine their communities and themselves.
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