During a week-long residency over Spring Break 2019, Wisconsin artist, Audifax, worked with students at Dane County Juvenile Detention Center to transform the giant wall in the corridor which all residents walk through on their way to and from juvenile court appearances.
After leading design workshops with students the week before, Audifax came back to the facility on Monday to engage them over the next 5 days of Spring Break to trace the projected designs and paint the entire wall in shifts of 2 or 3 students at a time. To the sounds of countless meaningful conversations and various choices of music, the students took on the pieces that most excited them or best fit their skill sets.
Due to the nature of the facility, students only stay on a temporary basis so there were some kids that took part in every session, but other students jumped in at different stages and Audifax onboarded them through individual design projects to both recreate the mural on canvas and to create an original shoe design concept.
Audifax shared that, "where this mural sits in the building, being the last and first thing the teens see before and after court, I wanted to bring a peaceful and powerful image - a reminder to reflect and find peace and clarity within. The central faces are split down the middle and show regardless of who you are (gender, race, background), change and a desire to create a better life for yourself begin with you. First get to know and respect yourself and positivity can be shown to and shared with others. The surrounding mandala image was chosen because of their representation of inner peace throughout the ages. Waves at the center stand for the ripple effect in the power in being authentic with yourself, radiating to those around you."
See and read more about the project in this CAP TIMES article and on Audifax's webpage!
Made possible with the financial support from:
