More about the Graffiti Art Workshop

We were so thrilled to get on the front page of the Alameda Sun last week but that picture caused concern amongst some Alamedans. Here is what Eustinove Smith had to say about his Graffiti Art workshop at the Hip Hop Forum.

From: Eustinove P. Smith, HOME Project Adult Coach, Alternatives in Action

Re: Respond to Alameda Sun Graffiti Art Workshop “Feed Back”

Dear Editor,

Let me start off by saying that it is always good to get feed back on the work we are doing with our youth. I also would like acknowledge the Alameda Sun for what I consider great publicity for Alternatives In Action (AIA). It seems to me that both responses to the article in the Alameda Sun are from understandably concerned citizens looking for assurance that we at AIA are holding our youth to being constructive and positive people. On the same token, it seems that they are also greatly misinformed on the purpose of HOME Project’s Hip Hop Forum, in particular the Graffiti Art Workshop. This workshop was designed to educate our youth attending the Hip-Hop Forum on how to be constructive artists and to educate them on the cultural and artistic expression of Hip Hop culture. In my two after-school program project groups, both called Expressions, I teach youth leadership skills using visual art, particularly mural art, airbrush art, and graffiti art. I send my youth through an extensive process of conceiving, developing, and producing socially conscious murals that address community needs and issues. My 25 years experience as a muralist experimenting with the cross section of how graffiti art, traditional mural art, and architecture meet reflects the focus of my project groups from a curriculum and project standpoint. Expressions is currently working on three murals and developing an airbrush shop at Encinal High School. Teaching the Graffiti Art Workshop was an effort by HOME Project, specifically, the Sound Recording Studio’s Hip Hop Forum, to expand the knowledge and skills that we address and teach in Expressions to the middle school students at Chipman Middle school students. I currently teach an airbrush class at Chipman as well. Over 90% of the students that attended the Graffiti Art Workshop are in my airbrush class at Chipman. Given this, the Graffiti Art Workshop at the Hip Hop Forum was full of very informed and educated students that understood the context of how we were dealing with Graffiti Art as an artistic expression, not a form of vandalism often confused by the general public when the term “graffiti art” is thrown around. As a parent and teacher, the last thing I would encourage youth to do is destroy and vandalize property whether public or private. Teaching mural art in these classes allows me an opportunity to demonstrate to my youth how committed I am to being a responsible and constructive artist and how we as a class can collectively create public art that positively serves their community and reflects constructive artistic expression. At least 25% of my students are graffiti artists who, before taking my class (and workshop), did not understand the artistic and culturally significant history of graffiti art. My classes (as well as the Graffiti Art Workshop at HOME Project’s Hip Hop Forum) support the positive aspects of Hip Hop and graffiti art. Many of our youth are infatuated with Hip Hop….we at Alternatives in Action provide them with a platform to make their experience with Hip Hop positive and an opportunity to become leaders in the process. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions feel free to contact me at esmith@alternativesinaction.org.

Thanks,

Eustinove P. Smith

Adult Coach, HOME Project