The Young Artist Movement presents “Light Bearers”, a Mardi Gras themed mural created by lead artist Journey Allen and 24 youth artists. “Light Bearers” mural instillation pays homage to the Flambeaux Carriers who were the first African Americans to participate in the mainstream New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration. Flambeaux participants consisted of both enslaved Africans and freed men of color who would earn tips tossed from the crowd as wages for their service of illuminating the path for nighttime parades by way of hand-held torches during the once segregated celebration. This physical mural was created by our 2023 summer cohort and further developed in early 2024 through our augmented reality (AR) program.
This AR project, led and created by our youth artists, provided them the space to explored the possibilities of the intersection of art and tech. YAM artists used mural documentation and the power of augmented reality (AR) to highlight the project’s theme and share the mural making process with parade goers. Our young artists aimed for audiences to gain a deeper understanding of the tradition of African American traditions through this enhancement of the “Light Bearers” mural. Augmented Reality was used as a tool to enhance the mural’s viewing experience for those unable to attend parades in person. Our team’s online exhibition provides the same embedded documentation of this history and creation process as the in-person AR experience.
