A New Dawn

There were smiles all around as 23 Y STARS, five representatives from People’s Association, 17 parents and YMCA staff gathered at YMCA of Singapore on 20 February 2016 to celebrate the completion of the Y STARS’ new canvas painting series named ‘A New Dawn’. The arts project was a joint collaboration between YMCA of Singapore and PAssionArts Buona Vista to promote community arts in Singapore. The programme aims to make arts and culture more accessible to the community by bringing it right to the heart of every constituency. PAssionArts is established by People’s Association with support of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.

To congratulate the Y STARS, Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office and Deputy Chairman of People’s Association graced the occasion as Guest-of-Honour where he viewed the paintings and interacted with the artists. He also presented Certificates of Appreciation and goodie bags to all 23 YSTARS, and even joined in for a “Lo-Hei” session.

The Y STARS (YMCA Special Talents, Arts & Recreation Society) is a group of young adults with Down’s Syndrome who are gifted in visual and performing arts. Inspired by the beauty of the morning sky, the Y STARS took four months to complete the paintings. With three sessions per month, and each session spanning one and a half hours long, they painted on canvas in stages, blending different colours with either strokes or lines. Each artist added a unique skyline that held a special meaning for them here in Singapore: one can spot their HDB apartment blocks, family members’ office buildings or even iconic local structures among the silhouettes of their paintings.

The colours of dawn used in each painting represent a delightful swirl of the different hues that mirror the diverse makeup of Singapore’s society. It is an expression of hope that, in this new chapter of our nation’s history, every individual will have the equal opportunity to shine for Singapore.

All 23 paintings are currently on display at Holland Village’s MRT ventilation panels (located at Exit A) from 1 March 2016. The paintings will be on display for a period of at least 6 months.

To view more photos from the event and of the paintings, please click here:
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