DC Charity Spotlight: City Arts

WISH LIST $100: 1 gallon of mural paint that lasts 100 years; $500: stipend for 1 student apprentice for 1 semester; $1000: 8 concrete panels that serve as backing for a 250 square-foot mural

Perhaps you've seen the portrait of Duke Ellington on U Street, or the breathtaking Metro Center mural on the way to work. City Arts' twenty murals and mosaics - which beautify neighborhoods and introduce thousands of people to the diversity and history of our nation's capital - are created by local, inner-city youth under the direction of award-winning muralist and founder G. Byron Peck and his team of professional artists. A year-long Urban Arts Mentoring Program gives students an in-depth experience in creating public art. They work on several high-profile projects during their paid apprenticeships, researching, designing, and finally constructing their murals, gaining marketable skills and career insights, improving their organizational habits, and dramatically increasing their self-confidence. The vibrant community art works that they create evoke the unique architecture of their neighborhoods; honor the men and women who shaped the city; and allow the District to share its story with residents and visitors alike. City Arts is all about beautification - of the city and of the young people it serves. You can be part of the picture.

Danna M Reynolds,

Managing Director 1857 Lamont Street NW Washington, DC 20010 202-331-1966 www.cityartsdc.org