Last Friday, May 20th, members of Visual Resistance and the Teenage Lobotomy zine project facilitated a stencil making workshop at the Renaissance Charter School in Jackson Heights, Queens.
Our workshop was just one among many great activities offered at the first Annual NYC Youth Activist Conference. The conference was organized by a local student group called Young Eclectic Liberation Leaders (YELL!) and included workshops by other youth based groups such as the Youth Activist Youth Allies Network (YAYA), the League of Young Voters and Teens for Racial and Ethnic Awakening.

We made sure to supply a large table’s worth of inspiration. These flyers, posters, books and comics got our imaginations going and sparked an interesting discussion on style, and the difference between “high” and “low” art.

After a brief talk about the radical history of stencils, students and facilitators all got to work and made some really great pieces.

At first, we were a little nervous with the idea of promoting street art in a public school. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the level of openness, understanding and sensitivity that administrators and faculty demonstrated by allowing students to create a safe and supportive environment for self-expression.
Later, we walked out to the school’s garden to try out our stencils on some pieces of cardboard. Students were able to practice their spray can techniques and discuss health precautions such as respirators to avoid overexposure to harmful fumes.
More pictures: