9.08.2026
ArtCube “GOOD IN THE HOOD” Showcases Parramore’s Young Artists
By Susan Moynihan
ArtCube’s latest show “Good in the Hood” showcases Parramore through the eyes of young artists from New Image Youth Center, in conjunction with artist Njeri Kinuthia and United Arts Central Florida.
A New Kind of Installation
Since its launch in 2023, ArtCube has showcased 15 art installations — but never one quite like this. The “Good in the Hood” installation is the brainchild of artist Njeri Kinuthia, a multimedia artist and assistant professor of studio art at University of Central Florida. In 2025, she secured a grant from United Arts Central Florida that would support art-making for Parramore youth, culminating in an exhibition.
“Initially I wanted to have the project in a completely different place,” she says. But everything changed when a colleague invited her to an event at ArtCube.
“The moment I went there, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I love this place!’ It’s very welcoming.” The colleague encouraged her to connect with Interstruct CEO Ryan Young, who founded Parramore Arts as a way to promote public art as a vehicle for positive connection in the surrounding community. “I told him, ‘I got this grant and I would love to work with you right here in Paramore. I would love to host workshops and then possibly install the art here,’ she recalls. “And he said yes.”
Kunithia reached out to Jennifer Desir Hilaire of the Desire Foundation for a list of possible organizations to approach to find youth artists. Hilaire suggested New Image Youth Center, located just a few blocks away from Interstruct’s HQ.
A NEIGHBORHOOD CHAMPION
Dr. Shanta Barton-Stubbs is the founder and director of the center, which has been hosting after-school and summer programs in Parramore for 22 years. She immediately saw the potential in the opportunity. “I said, “Well, I’m not sure if we have what you’re thinking as an art studio, but how about you come by to see who we are and how we operate and see if there’s space that you can use?,” Barton-Stubbs says. “So she did, and knew it could work. We actually created a summer program around the grant project. The kids dove in—they were excited to be a part of it.”
While Kinuthia was working on getting things together for the grant project, Young offered her chance to exhibit her own work in the ArtCube. The experience of creating her own show RECONSTRUCTION gave her a better understanding of what was needed for a multimedia installation utilizing three sides of the cube, a projector and sound as well as the negative space. “Working in the cube, spending time in it installing, gave me ideas on how it would end up being.”
THE POWER OF THE PROMPT
For the Good in the Hood project, she led art-making sessions with students at NIYC, separated into younger and older groups. The sessions were an hour each, so the materials needed to work fast and dry quickly. She turned to acrylic markers, which she uses in her own work, and also brought in collage paper, beads and fabric scraps, including some used in her ArtCube installation. Then she let the young artists loose. “Just seeing their excitement and the freedom of to use as much as they want or need to was very inspiring for me,” she says.
The artistic prompt and title for the show came from an original song created by Kym Walker, a parent whose grandchildren had attended NIYC; specifically, the lyrics ‘We’re the good in the hood. We are rising as we should.’” Videographer and former NIYC instructor AJ Nunes created a video for the song, drawing on years of footage he had taken as a teacher there. That provided the audio/video component for the installation, to be paired with original art created for NIYC’s youth artists.
PARRAMORE THROUGH THEIR EYES
The art that was created is as unique as the young artists themselves.
“We have those that took it very literally, putting calligraphy on their canvas of ‘good in the hood, or creating an image and then writing ‘good in the hood,’” says Kunithia. “And we have those that just represented what they thought was good in their hood. It was a very pleasant thing to see just how many kids included NIYC as something good in their hood. Because they genuinely and sincerely do think that the new Image Youth Center is something really special.”
“When our children create, they don’t just make art—they put themselves in the art,” says Barton-Stubbs. “Nijeri was really great in how she facilitated their ability to do something that represented them. Most of these kids spend a majority of their after-school time at New Image Youth Center, and we’ve tried to create this family-like unit. And that’s what you saw displayed in most of the art. Their center, their youth center, some of their staff names are in it, some of their families are in it, and so forth. And it just represents who Parramore is.”
Every piece of art that was made was used in the show, which was key for Kunithia. “I told them that you didn’t need to be a professional artist to express yourself, and anyone, absolutely anyone can create art.” Knowing there were no judgements led to more creativity, and showed that everyone was worthy of being in an exhibition.
A COMMUNITY GATHERING POINT
For the installation, the video plays on repeat surrounded by art from the students. On the floor is fabric from Kunithia’s own installation, creating a full-circle moment between teacher and students.
Although the ArtCube is just two blocks from NIYC, many of the kids had never been to see it. That has all changed.
“The kids all want to go see their art, and it’s so awesome the moment they hear the song,” says Barton-Stubbs. “There’s so much pride now. The speakers are literally blasting: ‘Where we from: Parramore! What we got: Love and more! We’re the good in the hood. We’re rising like we should.’’ So this is blasting while they’re literally watching their work be displayed for hundreds and maybe even thousands of people to be able to review.”
The ArtCube takes on even more vibrancy at night. The center closes at 9 pm, but the team at NIYC is encouraging the kids to go outside of school hours. “It’s a whole different beast at night—it’s even better at night,” says Barton-Stubbs. “We are saying to the parents, ‘Hey, go take your kids over to the ArtCube at night.”
THE POWER OF STORYTELLING
Watching the young artists express themselves so freely hits deep for the facilitator. “One of the most beautiful things I learned working with these kids is just expressing myself,” says Kunithia. “I’ve been allowing myself to create things that will not necessarily make it to an exhibition, it’s just for my expression. And that’s really important.”
As is representation—not just for the kids and their afterschool program, but for the entire neighborhood. “The whole ArtCube, and seeing their art in it, is evidence that representation matters,” says Barton-Stubbs. “And it’s also reminding our children that this is their space and you belong here. You belong here so much that we want to be able to showcase you to the entire community.”
Self-expression equates self-determination, for the artists and the greater Parramore community. “We’re not just raising young artists,” says Barton-Stubbs. “We’re raising storytellers who will document our culture for the next generation. This is what we’re seeing here.”
“Good in the Hood” will stay up through October, and be a key piece of Interstruct’s anniversary party, celebrating 25 years in business, and five of those as part of Parramore.
