From Baltimore to the Middle East, Skateboarding makes the World go round
Do art and skateboarding have the ability to transcend spoken language? Can it connect individuals to a world that they never knew they were a part of, but feels so familiar?
Eassa, an Arab-American artist, desired to build connections with his communities in the region of the world where his family came from. He was an artist in residence with 7Hills and Al-Raseef 153, an organization based in Amman, Jordan that uses art and skateboarding to connect and empower young people in their communities. Over the summer of 2021, Eassa led sculpture workshops, facilitated a large scale community designed mural, and taught skateboarding to youth in 7Hills programs.
Eassa traveled with 7Hills staff to Beirut, Lebanon to work with an international cohort of volunteers to help construct the country’s first public skatepark, Horsh Beirut, in conjunction with NGO Make Life Skate Life.
Since returning to the States, Eassa has worked with 7Hills leadership to envision what sustained global partnership can be, leading fundraising campaigns and artistic collaborations in support of 7Hills programming.
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