Episode 19 - Janel Young

Janel Young is a Pittsburgh native, painter, muralist and community leader on a mission to inspire through creativity and play. Her work has been recognized locally and internationally, from New York City – where she resided for 6 years – to the coast of Sydney, Australia. Prior to pursuing art full-time, Janel attended Schenley High School as an International Baccalaureate student athlete, and went on to study Business Marketing and International Studies at Penn State University as a Bunton-Waller Fellow. She relocated to NYC in 2013 to work in public relations as a Digital Content Strategist for industries, including healthcare, tech and non-profits for 5 years. 

A year after taking the leap to practice art full-time in NYC, Janel’s passions came full circle in 2019 as her love for visual arts brought her back to Beltzhoover (her old neighborhood) to install the city’s first art basketball court, cleverly coined: The Home Court Advantage Project. The City of Pittsburgh awarded Janel a proclamation for her community-centered effort to wrap the city in color, making October 23, 2019 “JANEL YOUNG DAY” in the City of Pittsburgh. On the anniversary the following year, Janel established the JY Originals Scholarship for Creatives – a $1,000 award for a young adult pursuing the arts. 

Now serving as the Community Artist in Residence at UrbanKind Institute in Pittsburgh, Janel utilizes visual arts as a communication tool to connect people to equity and justice values and initiatives. She continues to use both Pittsburgh and New York networks for public art projects, youth workshops and speaking opportunities. Janel’s latest public works in Pittsburgh include the “Pathway to Joy” asphalt mural at Allegheny Overlook, her first curated project, “New Space Spheres” (both commissioned by Pittsburgh Downtown Partnerships), and “Heroes on the Horizon” at Bakery Square, which is the first three-dimensional mural under her belt. Pathway to Joy is now Young’s largest led mural and it kicked off the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival serving as the backdrop for the summer 2021 pop-up park experience. For New Space Spheres she led the creation of social distance artwork from four additional Pittsburgh artists for a total of 10 designs that express physical distancing and the new societal space we are in, with a colorful twist. Heroes on the Horizon was completed alongside a residency program with students from local schools, Lincoln and Urban Academy. 

In New York, Young was selected to exhibit in the “Black Lives to the Front” art showcase during the 2020 U.S. Open tennis tournament. Her canvas titled “Be Open To…” was displayed in the front row of the Arthur Ashe Stadium behind the likes of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka. Additionally, Janel was chosen to execute the “Gates of Atlantic” security gate mural in East New York, Brooklyn (on Atlantic Avenue). She was paired with a local small business, Gardenia Flower Shop, for a floral design that inspires passersby to keep blooming. Furthermore, Janel teamed up with youth-focused organizations to host in-person and virtual coloring events, where her self-illustrated Color Your Crown natural hair coloring book was donated to kids. She worked with sponsors and supporters from New York non-profit KaleidoQueens, Pittsburgh-based Learning Loft, YMCA, Neighborhood Allies and the Women & Girls Foundation.

 https://www.janel-young.com/home

https://www.janel-young.com/the-arts

https://jyoriginals.bigcartel.com/

IG: @jy.originals