"POPArt!" Program fosters creative energy of Providence youth!

The POPArt! program has historically popped up during summer in public spaces throughout PVD. It focuses on activating public spaces across Providence with art that inspires, sparks imagination, honors cultures, and ultimately strengthens and creates community. POPArt! typically employs a cadre of young artists who are passionate about the process of creating and living with art. The program offers public art-making experiences and the tools needed for the people of Providence to discover the artist within themselves. However, this year the program had to find a way to adapt in the face of challenging public health obstacles.

During the COVID-19 shutdown, the POPArtist staff have partnered with P3 to find creative ways of shifting this art-focused community engagement program to fit the new guidelines of social distancing. After many conversations with the Meals Program supervisor, recreation staff who distribute meals, and youth who come to these sites, PopArt! and P3 have researched, developed, and curated take-home art kits, also known as “POPArt! Kits”. For extra creative fun, POPArt! Kits each have an info card for youth to upload their creations to #EatPlayLearnPVD, which will be featured on the online Galleria via Instagram. This platform will encourage youth to showcase their handmade works of art in windows and outside on doors, stoops, railings, fences, etc. This City-As-Canvas will showcase our local ArtMakers and provide delightful sights for neighbors who are on foot, bikes, skateboards and in cars everywhere throughout PVD.

In this trying time for our community, the value of art and other enrichment tools as an escape from some of the anxiety and worry of the pandemic, and as a way of healing minds and souls, merits further discussion. In particular, throughout history, art has been used as an outlet for feelings, whether positive or negative. Inspiration often comes from times of intense feelings, big changes, and self-reflecting. During this time of social distancing due to COVID-19, the tools within each kit foster self-expression, and art-making takes on new meaning. The City-As-Canvas display of works produced from the ArtKits! will link the feelings and viewpoints of PVD youth, home to home, park to park, meal site to meal site, and neighborhood to neighborhood. We love these POPArt! Kits because the art created from them will be a salve for PVD youth and, more than that, a bridge connecting them to each other and to a world beyond their homes during COVID-19.

Since our first round of distribution, we have heard from many Providence Recreation Staff that meal sites have been busy with youth artists hard at work creating masterpieces in the parks while stopping by for lunch! A special thanks to Arts Culture +Tourism, The Providence Recreation Department, The Providence Parks Department, Otraway, City Arts, and The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence for making these POPArt! Kits possible!