Creative Art Works

09/30/2026

Start spreading the news! Yesterday morning, members of the Board of Directors and Executive Director Karen Jolicoeur gathered to check out the Creative Art Works billboards wrapping around BXP, Inc.'s 7 Times Square. Many thanks to BXP for coordinating this visit and to OUTFRONT Media USA for putting our name front and center at the “Crossroads of the World” and shining a light on our work with youth.

09/30/2026

As an arts and culture organization, Creative Art Works knows firsthand how vital cultural institutions are to human and community development.

That’s why last week, our CAW team stepped out of the office for a staff retreat focused on organizational planning and team building! To fuel our creativity and reconnect with the arts that shape NYC, we took an inspiring trip to see the "Another Wonderland: Abram Champanier’s Alice Mural" exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York. 🗽🐰

By supporting local cultural institutions and giving our team space to recharge and learn, we ensure that CAW remains a strong, creative, and impactful force for arts education across NYC.

Have you seen the mural? Let us know what you think below👇


New York City, Arts & Culture, creative art works, nyc museums, arts institutions, the Museum of the City of New York, youth development, staff development, youth empowerment

09/24/2026

Creative Art Works invites you to WEAR YOUR FLAIR at the upcoming CSD4 Welcome Back to School Festival for a fun, free community art-making session!

You'll get to design your very own custom wooden pinback buttons using vibrant acrylic markers. Whether you want to share a positive message or draw a cool design, turn a blank button into wearable art that shows off your unique personality.

join us:
📅 When: Saturday, September 26, 2026
🕙 Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
📍 Where: PS/MS 007 Samuel Stern School (160 E 120th Street, New York, NY 10035)
🚶 Entrance: Enter at 120th St. between Lexington Ave. & 3rd Ave.

All materials provided for free. No art experience required, just bring your creativity!

Perfect for all ages, so bring your family and friends. Drop by, create something amazing, and take home a custom badge you can wear anywhere. We can't wait to see what you create! 🎒🖌

09/22/2026

In honor of National Arts in Education week last week our very own Senior Program Manager Donna Manganello and Executive Director Karen Jolicoeur joined community members to envision the future and investigate the question, “What do arts education workers need to work and live with dignity in NYC?”

Thank you to NYC Arts in Education Roundtable and members of the Department of Cultural Affairs team for putting together this listening tour in conversations about the arts in education workforce.

09/14/2026

It’s National Arts in Education Week — tell Congress arts education can't wait!

Through our programs we have seen how arts education is a driver of student achievement, creativity, and workforce readiness. That's why this week, we’re calling on Congress to fully fund arts education's five federal funding streams, maintain funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and protect access to the arts for every student in every community, from preK-12 through higher education. 🎨

At CAW, we know arts education shapes creative thinkers, strengthens communities, and opens doors for the next generation. Join us in urging lawmakers to invest in the future of the arts.✊

📣Take action: www.artsactionfund.org/arts-action-center

09/05/2026

September 5 is International Day of Charity, a day to celebrate generosity in all its forms!

At Creative Art Works, we are immensely grateful for our supporters who help make our programs possible. From supply donations to financial gifts, every contribution directly empowers NYC youth.

Help us continue to equip, connect, and inspire the next generation of creative minds. Make an impact today! ✨

09/05/2026

A few weeks ago, we told you how we were making an investment in the future this summer. Today, we are proud to show you some of the dividends. How did we do it? Our 40 years of experience has shown us that when you put your faith in young people and provide them with tools and guidance, they will rise to the challenge.

This summer, through our Public Art Youth Employment program, Creative Art Works connected nearly 130 NYC teens and young adults with six institutions with creative needs and entrusted them to deliver real results. Of course, we set our youth apprentices up for success – they are guided by our talented teaching artists, supported by our dedicated staff, and equipped with professional tools and materials – but ultimately, our young people did the hard work.

Our clients this season included the Real Estate Board of New York; the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council; The League of Women Voters of the City of New York; Sherman Creek Park, a joint project between New York Restoration Project and NYC Parks; Kings County Family Court; and P.S. 153 – Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Elementary School in Harlem.

Each project had its own challenges and successes. We invite you to read about some of them by following the link below:

🔗👉 https://mailchi.mp/creativeartworks/end-of-summer-wrap-up?e=[UNIQID]

09/01/2026

https://www.creativeartworks.org/blogpreview/2026/colorful-connections-the-art-of-transport

What do you get when you take twenty-two young people, three teaching artists, six weeks, 40 gallons of paint, one blank wall, and one high-profile client with high expectations?

You get results.

This summer, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) asked our Creative Art Works Youth Apprentices to capture the chaotic, beautiful pulse of how millions of New Yorkers travel every day. Our client wanted a mural for its conference room that tells a sweeping geographic story, traveling from the Montauk Lighthouse through all five boroughs and up the lower Hudson River Valley to the Governor Mario Cuomo Bridge. They wanted to see the myriad modes of transportation people in the region use to get to work, school, and recreation.

See more photos and read more about this project in our latest blog!

What do you get when you take twenty-two young people, three teaching artists, six weeks, 40 gallons of paint, one blank wall, and one high-profile client with high expectations?  You get results. This summer, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council asked our Creative Art Works You

08/26/2026

Thanks to our amazing supporters, Creative Art Works Youth Apprentices were able to accomplish so much across NYC this summer:

4 vibrant public murals painted 🎨

2 completed multimedia projects 📹

6 worksites impacted across the city 🏙️

None of this would be possible without the generous contributions of our program supporters who help empower our NYC youth. A HUGE thank you to:

Celtic Building Supply
Structure Tone
Empire Architectural Metal & Glass Corp
Newport Painting & Restoration
Sherwin-Williams
Vornado Realty Trust
Rockhill Management

✨Thank you for equipping our youth, our arts, and our mission!

08/20/2026

Congratulations to our Creative Art Works Youth Apprentices (YAs) on the unveiling of a new mural at reception entrance, turning it into a celebration of
the built environment of NYC and the shared spaces that connect New
Yorkers across every neighborhood.

This 32 ft mural was designed by ya's to instill civic pride and celebrate the rich diversity of New York City by highlighting quiet everyday moments alongside iconic landmarks from every borough.

Huge shout out to Teaching Artists Becky Schuman and Farah Mohammad and Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training Micaela Jimenez.