Guardians of the City is a collaborative street art project created by schoolchildren in the urban landscape of New York City. The goal of the project is to empower children to take ownership of their community and raise awareness for positive change. We want to establish and encourage community public arts through a repeatable artistic educational experience, to identify and understand what needs to be protected.

Children will address social issues and express them by drawing fictional characters, bringing to life superheroes, or Guardians, that use their powers to protect the parts of NYC that need them the most. Because many communities lack agency in the visual aspect of their environment, this gives them the opportunity to affect their environment and the meaning imbued in it.

Our project is realized through a series of workshops that aim to establish a creative platform for social research on what kids consider heroic qualities and places needing protection. The children will see that they can create art about issues that they care about, while integrating their imagination with the physical environment.

Installing the Guardians in public space allows children to bring awareness to community needs while urging the public to take action. Since children have a fresh and imaginative insight that is not always visible, Guardians of the City helps bridge a generational gap in understanding our community needs. Giving children the power to create their own cultural narratives enriches our collective urban landscape.

info@guardiansofthecity.com