DC NORTH
March 2005 issue

MOUNT PLEASANT
Youth Unveil Graffiti Mural

On Wed., Feb. 2, local teens unveiled a graffiti mural at 3125 Mount Pleasant St., NW espousing the importance of improving education, ending poverty and providing affordable housing.

A number of nonprofit partners joined to carry out the project.  Manna community Development Corporation owns the building, which suffered a fire and is currently empty.  The graffiti replaces what formerly was a barren street front.

The idea to seek a legal site for graffiti art came from students with the Youth Action Research Group (Y.A.R.G.), a non-profit that encourages middle and high school students to engage in public policy.

Two of the main artists, 16-year-old Bell Multicultural High School students bearing the monikers “Ocho” and Clowney” (who prefer not to use their real names) sharpened their skills in classes at Midnight Forum, a center providing free classes to youth in art – including graffiti art, rapping and DJ skills – as well as leadership tools and business strategy.

“Hip-Hop is our lock to get youth to learn more business and art skills,” said Dominic “DJ Tru” Painter, a local DJ and entertainment promoter who teaches at the center.  As students improve their artistic or musical skills of choice, they also learn the basics of business, entrepreneurship, community organization and identification, or mapping, of resources.

“Our goal [for students] is at the very least to take their talent and make it into something profitable.” Said Painter.  Classes at Midnight Forum, now in operation for about five years, run 12-16 weeks every spring, summer and fall at Stead Park, on P Street between 16^th and 17^th Sts., NW.

“I’m very proud of what they came up with,” said Painter.

Written by Jonathan O’Connell