In this Issue:

OOP! and New Urban Arts celebrate new partnership

While you are at Providence Place in the afternoon this Saturday, August 26th, stop by OOP! for an opening reception to celebrate new artwork produced by New Urban Arts' students that will be adorning the walls of the store this Fall.

OOP! and the students are offering their 2 foot by 3 foot murals for sale to the public. All proceeds to go to the benefit the free after school programs they attend at New Urban Arts in Providence. The original student produced artworks are being sold for $149 each. The opening reception on the 26th will be at 3:30.

OOP! is a contemporary American gift gallery with an established reputation for supporting emerging local artists. For more information about OOP!, visit www.oopstuff.com.

The artworks are also available for sale online.

For more information, visit the web www.newurbanarts.org, www.oopstuff.com or call either organization: OOP! 401-455-0844, New Urban Arts 401-751-4556.

Thank you to John Tabor Jacobsen for his leadership on this project and our wonderful friends at OOP! for their support.

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New Urban Arts submits a design for the City of Providence's Waterfront Park Project competition.

Students, staff, and friends of New Urban Arts spent several months creating a concept for the new city park, which will be made possible by the relocation of Route 195. We submitted a design, which included some great ideas like the dog park, the Ernestina Pond, and the von Allsburg statuary. Though we didn't win, we had a great time and learned a lot about parks. And we're hoping some of our ideas wind up in the park after all.

Check out our park design by visiting www.newurbanarts.org and look under "What's New."

Many thanks to Mary Adewusi, the unofficial project leader! Also thanks to Karen Joy Castillo for her paintings, and to Jason Pontius and Virginia Branch for their contributions and input.

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Creative Cartography

This summer, students at New Urban Arts have been investigating map making with artists and thinkers Jean Cozzens, Michael Wojcicki, and Peter Hocking. They have created multi-disciplinary works that communicate "personal geographies, internal locations, along with creative interpretations" of Providence.

The exhibit of these new works opens September 29th at New Urban Arts.

Students participated in collaborative projects such as treating traditional US and world maps through collage, text, and drawings. They layered them with personal interpretations, stereotypes, and memories.

The show will also feature the "Map of Awesome," on which students have plotted out where youth spend their time in Providence, a map of intersections which plots out points of no return in their lives, and maps which articulate street directions that people in Providence gave to students through on-the-street interviews.

Students also designed and created independent projects. Some of the great examples include a map of dreams, a map of misconceptions that people have of one student, the social network of New Urban Arts through a reinterpretation of tarot cards, one student's point of conception, and gender expectations.

Mark your calendars and don't miss it!!!

The Creative Cartography project is generously supported by the Rhode Island Committee on the Humanities.

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A Call for Artist Mentors!

New Urban Arts is currently looking for artists to mentor youth next year
from October through May. Artist Mentors are college students, emerging artists, and professional artists volunteering 6-8 hours of time per week to work with 4-8 Providence High school students in our interdisciplinary art studio on Westminster Street, across from Classical and Central High schools.

This year, New Urban Arts is looking for artist mentors in the following disciplines: fashion design, printmaking, screenprinting, textiles, mixed media, sculpture, film/animation, graphic design, music, painting/drawing, poetry and photography. We are not limited to these media and are open to accommodate other media in our studio.

Artist mentors must commit two days a week during the after-school time, 3-5 or 5-7 pm, Monday thru Friday. All artist mentors participate in our yearlong professional development program (commitment: three hour meeting a month) and are required to attend two weekend retreats, in Fall and Winter. A small stipend is included with this position. Local college students who are work-study eligible are encouraged to apply.

Artist Mentors are nurturing, risk taking, resourceful, flexible under pressure, and committed to their work, their students, and the organization.

To apply, download an application online or visit our studio at 743 Westminster Street to find out more information about this opportunity to work with a nationally recognized community based arts organization for high school students and artists in Providence, Rhode Island.

APPLICATION DEADLINE:    SEPTEMBER   8,   2006


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Check out our friends at Tiny Showcase.

Also, students and families at New Urban Arts are thankful for College Visions.

Special thanks to White Whale Web Services, designers of www.newurbanarts.org.

Thank you to Citizens Bank and NBC10 for naming us a Champion in Action!

Also, proudly supported by:

New Roots Providence at the Providence Plan
The Providence Shelter for Colored Children
The Dexter Commission
The Providence After-School Alliance
The City of Providence, Department of Art, Culture, and Tourism
The Honorable Mayor David N. Cicilline
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts
The Rhode Island Foundation

And many generous individuals like you.

Feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends. 

About New Urban Arts
New Urban Arts is a nationally recognized arts studio for high school students and emerging artists in Providence, Rhode Island.  Our mission is to build a vital learning community that empowers young people, developing creative practices they can sustain throughout their lives.  We serve 125 high school students and 15 emerging artists through after-school and summer programs each year.