By Heather Graves
Correspondent

GREEN BAY – A handful of young artists are putting their mark on the city, one silhouette at a time.

Artists from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Green Bay unveiled “The Shadows,” a silhouette mural project Thursday, Aug. 22, wrapping up a summer-long program.

Alex Zacarias, digital video arts director for the club, said the piece is part of the Youth Arts Initiative in the local Boys & Girls Club.

“It was a whole summer program with approximately 10 youths participating,” Zacarias said. “There was a whole process to it. There was the actual photography, they photographed themselves then they learned about Photoshop to create the silhouettes, and 3D printing. Then we brought in a mural artist to mentor them and share with them the challenges of different things of painting and surfaces. And then the painting itself.”

A city-owned building at 801 S. Broadway is serving as the temporary canvas for the mural.

Zacarias said the theme of the piece is the arts and why it’s important to the participants.

“We have everything from computers to reading to music to dance to pets,” Zacarias said. “It’s their voice.”

Zacarias said the mural is designed to demonstrate youth’s passion for the arts using silhouettes of the artists who created it.

Both of Green Bay resident Kahreem Spencer’s daughters participated in the project, and he said he was amazed with the final product.

Spencer said his daughters told him about the project, but he had no idea it was as big as it was.

“I think they did a really good job, and I’m really proud of everybody that participated in this, it’s really great,” Spencer said. “It looks amazing. If my daughters wanted to pursue a career in art I would tell them to follow their dreams and that anything is possible.”

Kaira and Kalis Spencer said they both have a passion for art and enjoyed every aspect of the project.

“I enjoyed being involved in the painting and being a part of everything,” said Kalis Spencer.

For more information on the Boy’s &Girl’s Club visit bgcgb.org.