Mosaic Project enriches afterschool experience for HYC kids

The Heights Youth Club (HYC), located across from Heights High School at 2065 Lee Road, is the place to be after school for more than 75 children, aged 6 to 18. Homework is the first priority. After that's completed, the club provides an array of fun activities, ranging from sports to art. This fall, Heights Arts is bringing a special opportunity to the club—an artist in residence, for five weeks.

Cuban-born artist and educator Augusto Bordelois, who lives in Cleveland, specializes  in mosaic murals when working with children. These murals are seen throughout Northeast Ohio and beyond, and many are the result of his residencies at the Ohio Arts Council and Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio.

During his residency at HYC, Bordelois will work with a core group of students to design a mural. Some or all of the club members will then help fabricate the mosaic, which will be installed on the building’s Lee Road exterior. This project is intended to both enrich students’ after school experience and enliven the Lee Road streetscape, while reflecting the vision of Heights Arts—that art is part of every day life.

Projects like this come to fruition through teamwork and a shared vision. With support from the City of Cleveland Heights, the team that is working to bring the Mosaic Project to the community includes Peggy Spaeth, executive director of Heights Arts; Andrea Joki, program director for Heights Arts; Roscoe Morgan, executive director of HYC; and Jackalyn Fehrenbach, assistant director of HYC.

The $11,500 residency and project are funded, in part, through a grant from the Ohio Arts Council. Additional support has been provided by The Cyrus Eaton Foundation, Jack and Blanche Valancy, and the MLG Philanthropic Fund. 

To fully fund the project, tax deductible contributions can be made to Heights Arts, 2175 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118.