Richmond, BC – Youth ages 12 to 19 are invited to take part in a unique five-month project, allowing them to hone their artistic expression and techniques with local artist, Keely O’Brien.
Express Yourself is a community-engaged art project led by O’Brien that will bring Richmond youth together to explore their sense of identity through creative expression. This project, launching on April 10 and running through September 25, is part of the 2024 Engaging Artists in Community Program and is commissioned by Richmond Public Art in partnership with Aspire Richmond and Richmond Public Library.
O’Brien will engage youth through a variety of artistic mediums while providing an inclusive and accessible space for youth of all abilities to create and learn. Participants can look forward to developing their techniques in collage, drawing, printmaking, mask-making, storytelling and zine creation.
“Art can be a tool for youth to build, create, imagine, and learn; to understand who they are and who they will be as they navigate the world,” says Jason Liu, Manager, Youth Connections at Aspire Richmond.
Bi-weekly workshops will run on Wednesday afternoons at the Brighouse Library from April to June. In July, there will be a week-long “summer camp”, and bi-weekly workshops will resume in September. In addition, two Saturday drop-in pop-up workshops will be offered in May and June. The series will conclude in October with a community celebration and the presentation of legacy artwork as part of Culture Days, which runs from September 20 to October 13.
To register for the bi-weekly series of project workshops and/or summer camp, visit the library website.
About the Artist
Keely O’Brien (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Richmond. Her art practice includes both visual arts and theatre creation. She loves to work with her hands and collaborate with community members of all ages. Her work aims to celebrate the creativity and community in the place and people around her. O’Brien holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts, BFA from Simon Fraser University (2016).