Community Center
Boynton Beach, Florida

At a community center in Boynton Beach, Florida, Tape Art experienced it's first full foray into the world of art education. Through a grant approved by the West Palm Beach Cultural Council, Michael Townsend was given the green light to work for several months in a notably underserved community center as well as create a series of murals in Downtown Boynton Beach.

The center was located in an area that was notorious for gangs. This particular center offered the only consistent refuge from the ruggedness of the surrounding neighborhoods and was home to the casual hanging out of at least three distinct gangs. It goes without saying that tensions often ran high and that the community center itself was not free from the resulting violence.

For three months Michael conducted collaborative Tape Art exercises in the center and slowly developed a rapport with all the participating members that helped create a higher level of understanding amongst themselves. The sessions became an oasis where gang members drew with each other freely and openly enjoyed each other's company. This time period marks the beginning of trying to chase down the answer to how acts of drawing together can be used for greater social good.