Kickstarter

What is Guardians of the City?

Guardians of the City is a collaborative street art project created by schoolchildren in the urban landscape of New York City.  The goal of the project is to empower children to take ownership of their community and raise awareness for positive change.  We want to establish and encourage community public arts through a repeatable artistic educational experience, to identify and understand what needs to be protected.

So…how does this work?

Our project is realized through Guardians of the City workshops that aim to establish a creative platform for social research on what kids consider heroic qualities and places needing protection. The children will see that they can create art about issues that they care about, while integrating their imagination with the physical environment.  

Then what?

Then… we install the Guardians throughout the city!  Installing the Guardians in public space allows children to bring awareness to community needs while urging the public to take action. Since children have a fresh and imaginative insight that is not always visible, Guardians of the City helps bridge a generational gap in understanding our community needs. Giving children the power to create their own cultural narratives enriches our collective urban landscape.

Children will address social issues and express them by drawing fictional characters, bringing to life superheroes, or Guardians, that use their powers to protect the parts of NYC that need them the most. Because many communities lack agency in the visual aspect of their environment, this gives them the opportunity to affect their environment and the meaning imbued in it. 

What will the funds be used for?

Funding will be used primarily for art supplies and installation materials.  We want to give the children a variety of supplies to work with in order for them to fully express their creativity, and we want to display their artwork with the best materials possible.  We also want to focus on taking Guardians to another level: creating Guardian stickers, trading cards, comic strips, and other fun materials to really bring our Guardians to life!

Your donation will be greatly appreciated and will also help our Guardians to continue patrolling the city, and hopefully expand their powers to use throughout the world!

*** If you are a teacher or are simply interested in having a workshop for your group, please contact us at info@guardiansofthecity.com ! ***

Also, please check out our Guardians of the City links:

Our website: http://guardiansofthecity.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GuardiansoftheCity

Twitter: http://twitter.com/GuardiansNYC

and please support our project in The New Challenge: http://tnsnewchallenge.com/projects/guardians-of-the-city.html (don't forget to click "Support This Project" !)

Also, check out this article on us in the Atlantic Cities: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2012/03/city-superheros-minds-babes/1419/