Voices Her’d
I Deal, I Dream, I Do
Park Slope, Brooklyn New York. 2004
Created by young women participating in Groundswell’s Voices Her’d Visionaries program, I Deal, I Dream, I Do was designed for the side of CHIPS, a transitional housing center for homeless women and children in Gowanus, Brooklyn.
I Deal, I Dream, I Do seeks to honestly represent the struggles, hard work, and accomplishments of young women today.
Although too often women encounter many obstacles in their paths to success, the mural sends a clear message to young women in the community that through study, the arts, community support, and sheer dedication, they can fulfill their dreams. And through a commitment to themselves and their community, women can far exceed their own expectations, just as the participants in this project did.
Located in a neighborhood in Brooklyn still suffering from entrenched economic problems, the mural serves as a testimony to the empowering and revitalizing impact t that young people with artistic skills can make on the community.
Learn more at groundswellmural.org
Groundswell Community Mural Project: Voices Her’d
Yamasaki was lead artist for this series for about eight years. Voices Her’d creates a space for young women, in particular young women of color, to be the creators of the visual media about them. The girls in the group, ages 14-20 selected the topic they wanted to address and in many years, spent the year researching the topic and meeting with experts in the field. Then, for seven weeks in the summer, the created a large public mural that communicates their message about that topic.
2004 – I Deal, I Dream, I Do. Park Slope, Brooklyn
2005 – A New Day. Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
2006 – Feels Like Home: An Immigrant Journey. Sunset Park, Brooklyn
2007 – Art Builds Community, Community Creates Social Change. Park Slope, Brooklyn
2008 – Informed, Empowered. Sunset Park, Brooklyn
2009 – Woman Rise. Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
2010 – Truth be Sold. 2836 Fulton Street. Cypress Hills, Brooklyn