On Wednesday, September 19 youth from the East Point-based nonprofit Future Foundation pitched in to decorate the Atlanta Hawks’ newly renovated $192.5 million home, which hosts its first home game Oct. 24.
They were led by Atlanta artist Lillian Blades, who counts honors from the consulate in her native Bahamas and from the National Black Arts Festival among her awards.
“Art is a way that people express themselves when they may not have the words or platform to convey their feelings. I think that it is really important that children are allowed to have that ‘voice,’” she said in a statement after the Sept. 19 event. “Working with the youth provides a chance to connect with and encourage those that are invigorated by art.”
Blades, students and festival artists Charly Palmer, Okeeba Jubalo and Tracy Murrel worked on what a news release called a “massive collage” during a session at the city’s Jefferson Park Recreation Center.
As in Blades’ other work, like “Quilted Passages” commissioned by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the sixth- through 12th-grade students assembled mixed media materials.
The piece is part of a “True to Atlanta” series conceived by art consultant Amy Parry.
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About the Future Foundation
Our mission is to level the playing field for metro Atlanta youth by providing quality education, health, and life skills programs. We call ourselves the Future Foundation because we encourage kids to dream about, invest in, and prepare for their futures. We prepare students and parents to have the self-confidence to envision a better life, and stand out from the cycle of negativity and hopelessness, and affect change in their lives and communities. Whether it’s tutoring, college prep, guidance toward healthy choices, or providing a safe space to make those choices, our programs help our students draw on their resilience and thrive in the face of their challenges. We offer programs to help parents build stronger families, and encourage community members to invest in our youths’ future. In this way, we build a foundation for a better future for all of us.
To learn more about the Future Foundation, click here.
