Show ran from 4/1/2011 to 4/23/2011

Granite Amit collaborates with 10 young artists -  performance and installationOpening Reception:  Friday, April 1, 6-9PM

See Information below about Panel Discussion on Saturday, April 16thRecurrent Dreams project is a collaboration between Granite Amit, an artist and therapist working with ten youth participants from the Southwest Youth Collaborative (SWYC) within the vibrant University of Hip Hop. As these ten youths embraced their identities, histories and powerful narratives, Amit and SWYC witnessed their powerful transformation into young talented artists. At times struggling with issues of absent parents, incarcerated parents, and semi- homelessness to homelessness; using urban dance and visual art forms including break-dance, footwork, graffiti and mural art, they communicated their narratives with resiliency, vitality, brilliance, courage, integrity and talent. In a process led by Amit, they developed artistic pieces printed on lenticular lenses, articulating their changing self-perceptions and their role in society. Recurrent Dreams are psychological substances, routed in the past, which are forced to surface, to be decoded and recognized by the waking mind as a reality. And from this emerge the dreams these youth communicate for their future - to be recognized and realized as artists.

The young artists participating:

Brandon Reynolds · Chris Mitchell    Darios McGraw · Keith Redmond  Lethaniel Barajas · Robert AlonzoStewart Redmond · Trinidad Castillo  Xavier Marrero · Yessica Gallardo     

Visualizing Change   Saturday, April 16, 4-6pm  ARC Gallery

Join us for a roundtable discussion with the Southwest Youth Collaborative about the dreams of youth. The discussion is centered around the Recurrent Dreams Exhibit.

Speakers include:

• Tousaint Losier--Professor at University of Chicago (Moderator)
• Lavie Raven--Community Arts Educator
• Charity Tolliver-- Community organizer - Center of Change/ Southwest Youth
• Granite Amit-Artist and therapist
• Mervin Mendez--Community Arts Educator
• And a performance by the Youth Artists

_{The Southwest Youth Collaborative (SWYC) is a community-based organization that works with children, youth and families on the southwest side of Chicago. Their mission is to inspire youth, families, and community members from diverse economic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds to become leaders in their communities. Through a?self-transformation approach, youth are engaged in innovative programs and services that focus on positive youth development, grassroots organizing, advocacy and social change initiatives. University of Hip Hop; citywide collective, founded at SWYC, embodies and promotes HIP HOP as "Healthy Independent People Helping Other People". The goal of University of Hip Hop programming is to build a movement for positive personal & social change through technical instruction in urban art forms as well as creative cultural engagement.}