School Murals

Teaching Artists Training Day

Our Spring 2017 Teaching Artists are trained and ready to start the new semester. The team gathered on January 27 for a full day orientation and interactive training for our accredited curriculum, built around our core values of creativity, collaboration, knowledge, excellence, transformation, and justice. We can’t wait for the new semester to begin! ‹ ›…

read more

Holidays Thrive

On December 12, 2016, Thrive Collective participated in the kickoff event of Thrive NYC’s Week of Action with First Lady Chirlane McCray, Deputy Mayor Buery, and actor Dennis O’Hare in Union Square Park. As part of the event, the Mayor’s Community Assistance Unit invited passersby to collaborate with Thrive artists to create the custom “Holidays…

read more

Arise and Give Thanks

Thrive Collective presents “Give Thanks” to The Clemente Cultural Arts Center. Happy Thanksgiving! We at Thrive Collective have so much to be thankful for this year, most especially 2,800 arts and mentoring students at 23 of the 100 schools we served with 120 school partners — and the 800 volunteers, 40 artists, musicians, and filmmakers,…

read more

How Should We Love and Serve Our Cities?

Thrive Collective joined NY CityServe at the Movement Day Global Cities conference at the Jacob Javits Center on October 25-27, 2016. Friends from all over the world helped us create a collaborative mural by answering a simple question: “How should we love and serve our cities?” When the art installation was completed, it served as…

read more

Fuel the Sound

Together with apprentice artists Pilar Batista and Nico Collazo, Thrive’s Creative Director Sam Wisneski led a live, interactive art demonstration at the 2016 Fuel Student Conference on Saturday, October 8, 2016. Five hundred students from the greater New York City area attended the event, and dozens participated in the production of the Art Redemption mural…

read more

“I Am Longwood” Collaborators

On June 4, 2016, a dozen Bronx based artists and arts organizations gathered to celebrate the rich cultural legacy of the Longwood neighborhood at the first I Am Longwood Arts Fest. Meet some of the collaborators. About the Arts Fest Partner Profile: YUCA Arts Artist Profile: Kim Andino Partner Profile: Elevate NY Artist Profile: Anthony…

read more

More Coney Art Walls Buzz

Thank you to the amazing response from the media last week celebrating the great work by NYC public school students and dedicated artists beautifying West 15th Street in Coney Island as part of the Coney Art Walls initiative. Here are a few of the reports. 1. “Brush with Fame: Kids paint mural with acclaimed artist” by…

read more

Fox 5 NY Celebrates Thrive Collective at Coney Art Walls

Coney Island Art Walls, an outdoor museum of art, is hosting a student arts program called Thrive Collective. New York City has 419 schools with no arts program at all. The collective is working to change that. In the end, the art also changes the students who get involved. – Christal Young, Fox 5 NY

read more

Cycloptic Merman: Coney Art Walls 2016

Our first (of two) Summer Intensive 2016 featured a second consecutive Coney Art Walls mural project art directed by Chris Daze Ellis. Daze’s “Cycloptic Merman” concept revolves around a central figure that blends two iconic Coney Island characters, surrounded by vignettes depicting Coney Island traditions and culture. Daze invited our students, interns, and teaching artists to design…

read more

Cultural Affairs Agency Invests in Art Education

Thrive Collective proudly welcomed the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) as a partner this year thanks to the advocacy of NY City Council Members Vincent Gentile, Fernando Cabrera, and Donovan Richards. Through DCA initiatives including the Immigrants Cultural Fund, the Art as Catalyst for Change Anti-Gun Violence program, and Cultural After School Adventures (CASA), DCA…

read more