Global Communities Project

Workshop 2 with the Summer Youth Leadership Academy (SYLA) 2025

at Warwick Valley Community Center

July 25, 2025 | 10:30am - 12:00pm

SYLA - the Summer Youth Leadership Academy - a much anticipated Student Program at the Warwick Valley Community Center is back! SYLA is an incredible opportunity for young people to develop leadership skills, connect with peers and make a lasting impact in our community. Graduates of the Academy are invited to join the Youth Advisory Board, where they'll continue to lead, inspire and create real change year-round!

For the third year in a row, AGRISCULPTURE Amy is leading SYLA 2025 in creating their very own permanent public art project on the grounds of the Community Center. Focusing on wood as the main material this year (metal was the 2023 material and stone was the 2024 material), Students will be making a "Global Communities Sign" similar to a "destinations sign" out of recycled pallet wood, a steel post and a solar light cap.

Each of Amy's Public Art Projects with SYLA begin with a presentation on the works and story behind Amy's design practice - AGRISCULPTURE - called DO YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO? - designed to inspire Students to think BIG and from their HEART! Connecting this lecture about Amy's passion for travel and creating around the world to the Students' personal experiences, the Students each get to pick their favorite place on Earth (anywhere that's not imaginary) and paint each of the 30 wooden signs. Cut into arrow shapes, the pallet wood pieces will display a destination and its mileage from the WVCC.  There will also be two sets of signs saying: "YOU ARE HERE - Warwick Valley - Community Center" in the center of the multifaceted sided post.

Today's Workshop was all about confirming our master list of destinations for our Global Communities Sign, obtaining correct spellings and mileage counts and then painting this information onto each sign's façade. Workshop 3 follows!