Art Force Atlanta in development
Alfred, NY – A traveling team of creativity superheroes continue to serve communities by building art that educates and unites. Alfred University’s Art Force 5 program has announced plans to travel to Atlanta to raise awareness about the first African-American police force, which included eight officers sworn into service in 1948. The program will invite community members to paint one ceramic tile each in a mosaic portrait featuring the eight officers. The team hopes to engage youth, current police officers, and potentially NFL players as the city prepares to host the 2019 Super Bowl. The team is currently seeking host locations for January 15-17 and January 30-February 1.
The program will select significant locations within the Atlanta community with hopes of connecting with a diverse array of residents and visitors. At each site, participants will be invited to choose a pre-designed color pattern on a paper square which they will replicate using paint and a tile. While sitting and painting, the Art Force 5 team engages participants in a short conversation about the history tribute. The entire process takes less than ten minutes while many participants ask to remain and continue painting more tiles. From past experiences, the quick interactions are ideal for police officers, often taking a break from their duties to sit beside youth and residents for a time-efficient yet meaningful interaction. The final mosaics will be placed on display at a location yet to be decided. The Art Force 5 was founded in 2006 at Alfred University and has been supported by Marvel Comics, MTV-U, and most recently the State University of New York through a generous grant to expand their impact. The program has partnered with the City of Rochester Police Department and the Trust for Governors Island, the latter granting the team a superhero headquarters on Governors Island directly off the southern tip of Manhattan. The team has created and personally presented mosaic tributes to civil rights icon Angela Davis and comic book pioneer Stan Lee, while posthumously paying tribute to dozens of other influential figures including artist Augusta Savage, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, poet Joyce Kilmer, and numerous members of Harlem’s 369th Infantry. In summer 2019, the team will partner with New York State’s Office of General Services to pay further tribute to Harlem’s history through a series of community-built mosaics.
Questions or requests can be directed to Dan Napolitano, founder of the Art Force 5 and Alfred University’s Chief Diversity Officer, at napolitano@alfred.edu.