Young female artists, working in partnership with Groundswell and Food Bazaar Supermarket, created “Guided Gateways,” a monumental mural designed to spark dialogue about reproductive health in Bushwick. The public artwork presents a new perspective on supporting young womens growth and development through self-love and affirmative decisions. Teen artists, participants in Groundswell’s Voices Her’d Visionaries leadership development program, hope to extend the conversation about positive reproductive health to the care networks of local young women. The mural was created through an intensive research, design, and fabrication process, which began in spring 2014 during an afterschool research session and continued through Groundswells flagship Summer Leadership Institute. The mural is rich in allegorical symbolism related to fertility and reproduction. The dominant central image is a pair of goddess-like figures. Connected to one another in Warrior Pose, the elder figure guides the younger safely through the gateway of womanhood. Inspired by the collaborative dynamism of the project team, the figures remind viewers of our shared responsibility to mentor and support young women within our own communities.
