By Lisa Dotson

JPYMP’s 2004 crew deep into the work.

For
Boston-area artist Alex Cook, public art is more than a worthy
fundraising cause; art is his life. He described art as, " the natural
voice of us people" and said that " art is the banner of hope for the
world."

" I love public art because
it is so out there," said Alex. " It is so fun to be interacting with
everyone all at once, to be putting ideas of beauty and honesty right
there in public spaces" .

It is with
this mindset that he created the Jamaica Plain Youth Mural Program in
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. With the creation of this program, Alex
has successfully found a way to use his talent and passion for art to
help the greater community.

Fiscal partners with
Spontaneous Celebrations, the Jamaica Plain Youth Mural Program is a
non-profit arts organization that works to connect the community
through both the creation and the display of public artwork. Every
summer five teenagers are employed to paint murals around the Boston
area. These teens are paid to bring color and life back to the city
streets.

The program aims to employ a diverse group
consisting of various racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. The
group of artists works toward a common goal of creating a public
display of art. Alex explained, " In a situation in which lifestyles
and understanding of the world differ greatly, unity can be found
through artistic wonder and desire."

With the help of Firstgiving [http://www.firstgiving.comjpymp],
enough money has been raised to pay these aspiring artists in their
worthy cause. Thanks to the Jamaica Plain Youth Mural Program, these
teens will never know the term starving artist.

The
money raised through Firstgiving and various other sources is used to
fund student and teacher salaries, art supplies, and general
administrative services.

As of July 20, 2005, the
Jamaica Plain Youth Mural Program had raised more than $12,000 and
hopes to meet their goal of $14,000.

Alex found
online fundraising to be simpler and less time consuming than his
original fundraising methods. In their first month using Firstgiving,
the program raised more than $1,300 through their online fundraising
page.

In the future, Alex hopes to expand the
program and involve more teens and community members. He wants to
continue to connect people through art. Alex explaied, " I feel
strongly that art can act as a heeler in society, helping people
connect and also letting people know that the deep feelings of the
heart are being felt by others."