BALTIMORE — Art at work. That's the name of the program that allows kids enrolled in Youth Works to create murals in their communities.
They're at work creating a mural on the side of the P. Flanigan & Sons asphalt plant in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood.
The kids aren't alone, two local artists, Insanely Dope Designs and Kid Balloon, helped mentor the kids along the way.
"The biggest thing out of this opportunity is just to really show students that you can really do whatever you want in life. I don't have any formal training, but just through hard-work, consistency, you can really make your dreams come true," Reginald Lewis, also known as Insanely Dope Designs, said.
The artwork features input from residents in the area, so you'll see things specific to the Sandtown-Winchester community.
You'll see images of tomatoes because of the garden nearby, a pair hands to represent giving back to the community, and the letters "Sandtown" in big letters at the bottom.
"During our process of working on this mural, the community has poured into us to make sure that this mural process was successful," Bishear Allen, also known as Kid Balloon, said.
The mural also features images of people and all of their heads are detached balloons, Allen's calling card.
Before you ask, yes, that's why he goes by Kid Balloon.
"I came up in the inner city of West Baltimore and it was a rough neighborhood, and I kind of took that roughness and decided to make something positive out of it. I wanted to use my art to celebrate the city that I'm from, the people that are in it and the things that we've been through, and what makes our city great," Allen explained.
As for why the heads aren't attached, "the sky's the limit."
"Always keep your heads in the clouds in a positive sense, like they say the sky's the limit. Always reach for your full potential, always keep dreaming and rising above it," Allen said.
Both artists said one of the most rewarding parts of the project wasn't even the art itself, it was the kids.
"Some were interested in art, some weren't, but just to see them develop over time, I think it's been a wonderful experience working with the team to see them grow, build relationships and I think ultimately, just impacting the community for a very long time," Lewis said.
Jordin Benitez, one of the students, said he's having "the best time."
"It feels nice to do something good for the community because it's something that stands out. Seeing how this looks right now, it's something positive," Benitez said.
So if you're ever driving in Sandtown and ride past the P. Flanigan & Sons Monroe Plant, take a second to look at this mural.
To see more work from the artists, click their Instagrams below.