By CAROL LEE CHASE and MARY ELLEN KALUZA
Over the summer a group of Youth Leaders ages 11-15, working with Semilla Center for Healing and the Arts, painted a mural on the doors and the steps of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church sanctuary at 2742 15th Avenue South in the Phillips neighborhood. Lynda Grafito, an active Twin Cities community artist and printmaker from Colombia, guided this project which wrapped up at the end of August. We asked Lynda what excited her most about this project:
I am very excited about how much the youth have been involved in this project. I feel that they have learned a lot, have become familiar with the materials, painting, creating and installing mosaics, and memorizing each step to follow. But the most important thing about this whole experience is that they are making new friends and having fun!
The alley spoke to a few of the talented and enthusiastic Youth Leaders (Allison, Alexia, Byran, Cristian, Theo, and Esteban). We learned that this is their first time painting a mural and that it has been a “cool experience”. They echoed Lynda about learning a lot – collaborating on design, handling materials and tools, the importance of the process. Many of the youth are interested in art and all of them especially enjoyed the group design process for the mural. Alexia said her favorite aspect to the project was “planning it out and bringing it to life”.
Lynda also added, “Almost all the youth leaders are Latinxs and speak Spanish. They learned about the different cultures of Latin America from each other. Some of the places where they or their families come from are Guatemala, Ecuador, Mexico and Honduras.” She wanted to be sure to highlight all the youth involved: Alan, Alexia, Allison, Austin, Bryan, Cristian, Emmanuel, Esteban, Eric, Iñaki, Jonathan, Jorge, Jhostin, Kevin, Theo, and Victor.
Additionally, Lynda feels that it is super important to preserve the Youth Leaders program at Semilla Center. The youth and the community benefit greatly! She wants to thank volunteer Ellie, assistants Eric and Eh Soe, and Semilla co-directors Sofia and Heather who managed the project. Special gratitude to Pastor Hierald and the Church Council for maintaining a place where youth can play, have fun, learn, and feel like themselves!
Carol Lee Chase is a recently retired Professor of Art and a big fan of the alley.
Mary Ellen Kaluza lives, works, and gardens in Phillips. Her love of the alley goes back 45+ years.
