Youth-Led Public Art with Free Arts NW

At Fairview Oaks Apartments, a Home Forward community,  I partnered with Free Arts NW to lead a youth-powered mural rooted in collaboration, paid creative labor, and resident voice.

This wasn’t just about painting a wall. It was about building ownership, leadership, and pride within the community.

Youth-Led Mural Design with Paid Stipends

Through Free Arts NW, I worked alongside Ori, Hannah, and an incredible group of youth who live at Fairview Oaks. One of the most important components of this community mural project was that the youth earned a stipend for their work.

Creative labor is real labor. By compensating them, we reinforced that their ideas, time, and leadership mattered. 

Community Engagement: Polling Residents for Ideas

Strong community murals begin with listening.

We polled Fairview Oaks residents to ask:

• What do you want to see on this wall?
• What represents your community?
• What makes this place feel like home?

 

To deepen engagement, we set out paper and art supplies in the community room and started drawing. Residents of all ages stopped by to sketch, write ideas, and share imagery they felt connected to. This was a collaborative design process that resulted in something reflective of all of us.

As an artist focused on community-centered mural projects, Roxanne (from Poprox), facilitated brainstorming sessions with the youth. Together, they explored how to blend the collected ideas into a cohesive visual narrative. From there, Roxanne developed a polished mockup that reflected both resident feedback and youth creativity.

 

From Concept to Wall: Youth Ownership in Action

Once the design was finalized:

• The group traced the mockup onto the site using Roxanne's projector
• Then we outlined the linework together.
• They learned about scaling designs, transferring drawings, and collaborative execution.

This hands-on process built technical skills in mural design while reinforcing creative confidence. After the underpainting was prepped we were ready for the community paint day.

 

 

Community Paint Day at Fairview Oaks Apartments

The final phase was a community paint day.

We invited residents to step outside, grab a brush, and physically contribute to the mural. Families painted alongside youth artists. Neighbors who had submitted ideas  could now see those concepts come to life.

Moments like this transform public art into shared memory.

When residents help paint a mural, they protect it.

When youth help design it, they lead it.

When an organization like Free Arts NW supports it, it sustains it.

 

Why Community-Engaged Murals Matter

 

This project at Fairview Oaks Apartments demonstrates what’s possible when:

• Housing communities are treated as cultural spaces.
• Youth are paid and positioned as creative leaders.
• Resident feedback shapes public art.

• Artists facilitate rather than dictate.

 

If you’re searching for:

• Community engagement mural artist
• Youth mural programs in affordable housing
• Collaborative public art facilitation
• Artist-led resident design workshops

This is the model Art Social Club brings to the table, and the natural way Roxanne Castaño operates as a muralist.

Roxanne specializes in transforming walls into collaborative storytelling spaces.  From brainstorming and polling residents to mockups, working with nonprofits to build or grow programming, and facilitating community paint days.

At Fairview Oaks, the result wasn’t just a mural.

It was shared ownership.

It was visibility.

It was youth leadership in action.

And that’s the kind of community-centered creative work we're committed to helping  build.