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It’s got to be the shoes – Creative local teens have put their best foot forward.

Creative local teens have put their best foot forward.

Participants of the Love Our Community Summer Youth Employment Program were given the chance to work with the Baton Rouge Museum of Public Art not only to help create some of the new murals that are redefining the look of Old South Baton Rouge, but also to blend fashion and art by designing their own sneakers and T-shirts. The program, now in its second year and sponsored by the Office of the Mayor-President, is a four-week camp with the goal of instilling a sense of community pride and responsibility in the youth of Baton Rouge.

“It’s a way to get young people between the ages of 14 and 17 directly involved in revitalizing the community,” says Kia Bickham, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office.

Reimagining their clothes with paint and markers allowed these young locals a new form of creative expression by asking them to think about what they wear in a radically new way.

“Because I have a passion for the arts, the designing of shoes and T-shirts allowed me to express and showcase my talent,” says Cydni Raby, a McKinley High School student who participated in the program this summer.

Out of 560 applicants, only 120 were accepted this year, though organizers hope to grow the program in the coming years—if the shoe fits. museumofpublicart.org

Know someone who alters her own clothing in a radical or artful way? Tell us about it by emailing [email protected].