Out Now connects community through art

Sept. 22, 2021 | Matt Conway
mconway@thereminder.com

Out Now members bring artist Mimi Ditkoff’s design work to life.
Photo Credit: Holly Richardson and Mimi Ditkoff

SPRINGFIELD – The LGBTQ youth organization Out Now has teamed up with local artist Mimi Ditkoff to create a collaborative mural on the corner of Gridiron and Main streets.

To kick off the project, the organization hosted a paint party session on Sept 11. The local community, Out Now members and Ditkoff worked on the collective mural piece that implemented ideas from the youth group’s brainstorm sessions. Ditkoff is an experienced voice in the art world, completing the Community Mural Apprentice Program during Fresh Paint Springfield 2021 while also teaching art classes through the years.

According to Director of Out Now Holly Richardson, the piece serves as an important platform for communicating the group’s inclusive spirit. “A lot of [past meetings] haven’t been face to face, so it was great to see everyone smiling in person,” said Richardson. Out Now serves as an organization for youths 22 years of age and younger, that promotes anti-oppression and self-determination for marginalized queer youths, according to Richardson.

Even before the paint party, Ditkoff maintained that the mural’s central focus was representing the youth. She said she met with Out Now members to construct the concept of the mural, utilizing the group’s vast array of ideas to create a collective representation of the youth. Out Now Youth Worker Elithia Vazquez-Crescentini said she enjoyed the personal experience. “I loved the whole process so much. The workshop with Mimi was powerful and helped us all think deeply about our school experiences. She then made this into art, telling our ‘true’ stories of pain and hope,” said Vazquez-Crescentini in Out Now’s press release.

For Ditkoff, she said the joint collaboration was a meaningful experience. “This mural represents a dichotomy between the reality of education today, and a radical imagination of where it could be. We need to start centering, amplifying and supporting the voices and needs of our young people. They are the future,” said Ditkoff in their press release. Ditkoff and Richardson said the event embraced all patrons, allowing artists and non-artists alike a chance to express themselves.

Out Now has embraced a variety of platforms to empower their youth. The group also participates in Student Speak; a project organized by the Education Law Clinic of Harvard Law School that uplifts members by allowing members to shape the future of schooling from their personal experiences. Through these different projects, Richardson hopes the organization can continue to strengthen the queer community.

The final version of the mural was revealed during a public celebration on Sept 19. Readers can learn more about the mural project and Out Now’s inclusive platform at http://outnowyouth.org/.

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