M.I.M.I.C. Workshop @ Congresso

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Eric Okdeh

The following clips were recorded during an inspirational visit to the men from M.I.M.I.C. one night in August. The talk was held in Congresso in North Philadelphia. The following is a bio excerpt from M.I.M.I.C.’s website http://mimicphilly.org/

MIMICs mission is, “To build bridges of community support and social bonds for Philadelphia’s high risk youth, young adults and previously incarcerated men, through mentoring, community engagement and educational enrichment.” MIMIC is primarily based in the Kensington/Fairhill area of Philadelphia, is a community based and youth development organization that is uniquely prepared to engage the hardest to reach young males. The members of MIMIC are members of the same communities they serve, sharing similarities in culture, language and background. Additionally, some members of MIMIC are ex-offenders that have returned to their community as productive, upstanding citizens, modeling for young people the steps necessary to create profound change and the value of second chances.

Instilling in them what I know now

Listen to 2

The institutionalized family

Listen to 3

Everyone is lying

Listen to 4

About Eric Okdeh

Eric Okdeh is a Philadelphia based muralist, who has been creating public art since 1998. After receiving his BFA in painting from Tyler School of Art, Eric chose to focus on mural work exclusively. Since 2002, in addition to his commissioned work, Eric has taught mural making classes to children and teens throughout the city as well as inmates at SCI Graterford Prison. The classes exist as leadership, teamwork, and skill building exercises which culminate in major mural projects. In an attempt to capture these significant community collaborations and interactions, Eric has developed this website and mural blog. The projects are journalized and documented in photographs and video clips to lend outside observers insight into the processes by which his murals come about. Eric has over 65 commissions throughout the city of Philadelphia and one in Seville, Spain. He has participated in mural projects in Tucson, Arizona and Los Angeles. His work is featured in four books about public and Mural art.
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