Nia Blue - Education

K-12 Education

Voyages + CITYArts Mural Collaboration.

Student designed and painted mural alongside project muralist, Nia Blue.

Completed June 2024 in Queens, NY. Voyages Senior Project.

In the Fall of 2023, students and staff at Voyages Prep High School in Elmhurst, Queens gathered in an English course to talk next steps. Next steps being their contribution to their community as seniors and as young leaders looking to make a mark on their peers. This course focused on skill based learning and fundraising for nonprofits, specifically CITYarts, a nonprofit that the school had fundraised for previously.

In collaboration, students and staff brainstormed tactics to fundraise including throwing a school dance, which was the first in 15 years for the high school. Through raffles, ticket sales, sponsors, and community donations, we raised $1,698 for the materials and mural related costs for the culminating project. A mural on the exterior of the school on the back of the handball court. 15 ft tall and 24 ft wide, it stands at the gates of the building which holds four high schools in total and serves approximately 1,000 students, ages 13-22.

Teachers at the school, Yael Glick (English Teacher) and Nia Blue (Resident Teaching Artist) were the main points of contact for organizing workshops for students to contribute their ideas to designing the mural and preparing to begin the project. They worked with CITYarts, who partnered with Voyages to create public art engaging youth and the theme of peace in students' lives was a focal point. Students from the entire student body were invited to participate and student drawings, ideas, and colors were all integrated into a maquette by Artist, Nia Blue.

Queens, NY, a hub for creativity and the use of paint as a medium for making walls a beautifying part of the neighborhood. The outdoor courtyard was an addition to the building facilities a few years ago and it is a common space for the community and surrounding area during late evenings and the weekend. We envisioned a wall space for the mural that would capture the attention of all who walk by and highlight the student experience. The Class of 2024 is one unlike many others, they have witnessed a pandemic and the age of online school and then partaken in the transition of community regathering in new spaces.

In May 2024, students and lead artist, Nia Blue began work by filling holes on our rough surface and priming it to begin painting. Six painting student leaders in the Hire Cause course dedicated to assisting in this project were the main source of support in laying down the initial layers that become the background and sky of the mural. Staff, their children, and other students in the building came to paint throughout the six weeks that we worked in and out of school. We stayed after school many days and students volunteered their time and efforts to contribute towards the project with their ideas and hands to paint. This was in effort to complete the project in time for a ribbon cutting that students organized on the last day of classes for the academic year.

On June 13th, 2024, we celebrated the translation of thought, color, and a maquette to a wall space we all share in our community. This was preceded by an intra-school basketball game that allowed our more sports-inclined students to bask in community-building. Guests from HireCause, CITYarts, Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz’s office, and our community that came to support all bore witness to a ribbon cutting and a curtain fall for the mural. This project serves as a culminating service to their community for the senior students and Nia during her time with Voyages Prep High School. We are thrilled at our accomplishment and sharing it with the world!

Nia Blue 2024

12-week painting course. Focus on contemporary student painting using mixed media. Themes: still life, portraiture, collaborative painting, and more!

Acrylic, paint pen, gloss medium, and cold wax

Acrylic and cold wax

Acrylic

Collab. painting. Tyleah and Nia. 2024.

Acrylic and Oil

Acrylic, paint pen, and colored pencil

Acrylic

Graphite

Oil

Oil pastels

Acrylic

Graphite

Acrylic

Soft pastels

Paint pen on wooden panel

Acrylic on wooden panel

Graphite and Acrylic

Acrylic on wooden panel

Acrylic

Acrylic on wooden panel

Acrylic

Spray paint

Oil pastels

Acrylic

Student Artist Statements

This piece is called ‘Elevated’. For this piece, I used acrylic paint and acrylic paint markers. This image is of a woman floating on a cloud above an ocean in front of a sunset. Under the sunset is a city, representing my home, New York. This is a visual representation of how my soul feels sometimes. I just want to float above the chaos and sit in peace. ‘Elevated’ was completed in 2024. This piece is similar to one I created around 2020, from there I used the inspiration of the mediation position on a cloud and created this serene piece. The woman in the painting is blank because the world is so colorful you don’t even notice, she doesn’t have color. Maybe she doesn’t need it, it might be peaceful that way or maybe you should notice it and wonder why?

- Tyleah

Untitled. Collaborative painting. Four students. 2024.

Cardozo and his team made a heart shaped island with one battle ship heading towards it. Cardozo and his team used acrylic paint, gloss medium, paint marker, and cold wax. Our inspiration was so much hate devastating love and only one remains from the love sea. Only one old battleship is defending it, against a whole fleet of hate heading towards it. I enjoy de-stressing and creating art to express myself. I hope it brings awareness to all the hate destroying love.

I am Carmen and I took part in creating this masterpiece by using acrylic paint, paint marker, and cold wax. I created this masterpiece because I wanted a pink heart island surrounded by water so we got inspired by pinterest pictures. In 2024, I created this masterpiece because I wanted pink and my classmates created a ship going towards the island. Making art is my passion because it brings me peace.

- Cardozo & Carmen

Alexandra is a mixed media artist that incorporated vivid colors throughout her work. Alexandra uses watercolor, acrylic, oil paint, oil pastels, and much more! Alexandra captures many sunsets, flowers, and contrast with colors.

I started my work in 2024 and completed my oil pastel within 2-4 class days. I created this piece because I wanted to visualize relaxation and growth within a person. I create art because I wanted to try a new technique using oil paint.

- Alexa

More Examples:

Mixed media materials: Cyanotype t-shirts, spray paint, salt painting, pour painting.