Thrive Collective’s Bring Art Back Movement Hits Milestone

Press release from Thrive Collective:

Jan. 22, 2023

“A Better Tomorrow” in the Bronx. “Peace and Unity” in Staten Island. “Be Your Own Superhero” in Brooklyn. These were just a few of almost 100 public art murals completed at New York City schools in 2022 by Thrive Collective.

With a full slate of projects in the works for the new year, Thrive Collective teaching artists will continue to collaborate with administrators, mentor students with priceless on-the-job instruction, and use their talents to beautify and impact public schools and communities. In 2022, Thrive achieved a significant milestone when it completed its 300th mural. In the last nine years, the non-profit organization has served over 25,000 students as it seeks to #BringArtBack to public schools that have suffered funding cuts.

“I can’t imagine a world without visual or performing arts, music or film, or any expression at all—yet New York City sentences a quarter of a million of our most vulnerable New Yorkers to an artless education every day in over 400 public schools,” says Jeremy Del Rio, founder and executive director of Thrive Collective.

Endorsed by NYC council members, community leaders, and principals, Thrive collective employs a project-based learning model to provide students with accredited curriculum programs that integrate life and art skills. Its core programs – Murals, Music, Media, and
Mentors – connect artists, youth workers, and volunteers with public schools as teaching artists, art directors, and mentors.

Eradicating artless education in New York City and beyond is a monumental challenge, but Thrive Collective continues to be an agent of community-focused justice. One of its first murals, “Resilience,” proved to be a harbinger of things to come. Completed in the spring of 2013, the mural helped revive spirits during the rebuilding process at PS 329 (The Surfside School), which suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Sandy.

In the last couple of years, that kind of resilience was apparent through the determination and will of teaching artists and students who did not let a pandemic, racial strife, or any other obstacles interrupt their desire to “thrive.” Projects like “Kindness Beats the Virus” helped bring vibrancy and color to a dreary landscape in New York and beyond.

For Thrive and the students it serves, the future is bright indeed. This fall, the organization completed a record number of murals, including two projects in partnership with the Brooklyn Nets. Looking forward to 2023, Thrive will continue to build on its legacy and mission to inspire, mentor, and #BringArtBack.

This press release was produced by Thrive Collective. The views expressed here are the author's own.