Exhibit of Local Youths’ Empowering Artwork from Graffiti Stories Project Opens at Springfield City Hall
SPHHS summer enrichment program amplifies youth voices as they explore health inequities
Content
Powerful, personal artwork in the form of graffiti stories, created by a group of Springfield youth, went on exhibit April 22 with an opening celebration at Springfield City Hall.
The Graffiti Stories Project engaged middle and high school students attending the UMass Amherst Public Health Equity Young Scholars Summer Enrichment Program to explore health inequities through body mapping. This arts-based method allows people to express how their social and physical environments shape their daily life and well-being.
The youths’ work was unveiled at a press conference at Springfield City Hall. Some of the youth participants spoke alongside Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and staff from the UMass Amherst Center for Community Health Equity Research (CCHER), which sponsors the annual summer public health careers awareness program for rising seventh- through 10th-graders. The art will remain on display at City Hall through May 6.
UMass doctoral students Damien Leach and Geraldine Puerto facilitated the graffiti story activity with guidance from faculty members Aline Gubrium and Linnea Evans.
The team used a Youth Participatory Action Research approach that recognizes young people as experts in their own health and environments, equipping them with creative tools to express themselves. The youth began by making life-size outlines of their body, then adding visual symbols to represent their feelings and experiences.
“This project underscores the urgency of addressing structural inequities while empowering youth to envision and advocate for healthier, more equitable communities,” says Leach, whose research uses culturally sustaining, arts-based approaches to engage youth in addressing the inequities that matter most to them within their communities.
Susan Shaw, professor of community health education and director of CCHER, adds that “insights from youth have the power to inform public health promotion and policy initiatives in Springfield and beyond, demonstrating that transformative change begins by amplifying the voices of those often silenced and most impacted.”
In the graffiti stories, youth share their experiences with peers, family and local stakeholders, inspiring discussions on health, identity and the sense of place. Participants identified key themes such as a need for youth-centric community spaces and an appreciation for their support networks. The graffiti stories exhibit was organized with the help of parent volunteers including Shenell Ford, Dianna Chung-Edwards, Arria Coburn and Latisha Williams.
The Public Health Equity Summer Enrichment Program aims to encourage interest in public health sciences by offering a career exploration program for rising seventh- through 10th-graders from historically underrepresented backgrounds.
“I have spent my career building pathway programs for future leaders in public health practice, policy and research,” says Brenda Evans, community research liaison for CCHER. “As professionals and practitioners, we must invest, engage and expose our future workforce and ensure that we reflect the diverse communities of Western Massachusetts.”