Just For Kicks: Teen Artists Paint Sneakers!

Join the Arlington Arts Center on Saturday, March 26 from 12pm-5pm for a special free, community open house where teen artists from around the metropolitan DC region will customize sneakers! Bring a pair of your own sneakers or a pair to donate to the Wanda Alston Foundation, an organization serving homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth ages 18 to 24.

While you’re here, enjoy the last day of our current exhibitions and explore the Arlington Arts Center!

This event is presented by the Arlington Arts Center and generously supported by JBG Smith.

About the Artist Coaches

David Amoroso

David shares his “Pop Art” aesthetic through painting, photography, and block and screen-printing. Although the majority of his work is dedicated to painting portraits of cultural icons, he also represents everyday people and addresses social justice through his art. The influence of Mexico and Central America are apparent in his bold color palette, and he upholds traditional cultural artistries such as Papel Picado, altars for Día de los Muertos and Guatemalan Alfombras de Aserrín. Amoroso has exhibited in the DC Metro area, New York, California, Mexico, and Central and South America. His work is frequently highlighted in cultural events, festivals, and Smithsonian programs.

Jay Davis

Jaleel Davis is a native Washingtonian and visual artist with over 30 years of experience. His art includes customized pieces such as murals, shoes, jackets, canvas paintings and private art lessons. Jaleel graduated from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in 1990 and later completed drawing courses at the Corcoran School of the Arts. In 1995, he became a professional firefighter in Arlington, Virginia while continuing to perfect his craft and love for art. In 2008, Jaleel was the selected artist to design the logo that is currently used on all fire apparatus in Arlington County, Virginia. He has designed and painted murals inside several businesses in the D.C. area. His most recent custom mural is located inside a new luxury apartment building in Arlington. In 2015, Davis established JaybirdsArt, a brand label that allows him to foster his versatility as an artist. He has participated in several art talks throughout Washington D.C. and consistently supports young aspiring artists and under-served children. Jaleel is among one of six artists with a private art studio in the Portico Gallery & Studios at 3807 in Brentwood, Maryland.

Adam Henry

Adam Henry is a portrait artist, muralist, sculptor, and fabricator who views art as an accessible form of communication and way to connect with others. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Adam attended the Pratt Institute of Art and has continued his art practice over the last 25 years. His appreciation of all art forms has enabled him to develop a varied practice earning him commissions from theater staging to album covers to portraits. Henry lives and works in Arlington, VA.

Lex Marie

Marie holds a BA in studio art with a concentration in painting from the University of Maryland, College Park. Marie’s first solo exhibition Remember? Remember. opened in two separate locations in Washington, DC through Arena Social Arts Club (2021). Marie’s work has been curated into group exhibitions including We Can’t Predict Tomorrow (Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA, 2021); Through the Eyes of a Museat Black Wall Street Gallery (New York, NY 2021); FRESH START by McCall Art Advisory (online, 2021); Women in the Arts on Artsy.com, curated by Latela Curatorial (2020), and a virtual art fair curated by Monochrome Collective in 2020. Marie received the Alma Thomas Scholarship from Washington Studio School in 2019. She lives and works in the metropolitan DC area.

Kelly Towles

Kelly Towles is a multi-disciplinary artist with a mural practice that spans the world, with works in major cities, such as Tokyo, Taipei, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Austin. Kelly was born in Ohio and raised in the desert of Alice Springs in Australia. He had kangaroos as pets and grew up watching BBC 1, which started his passion for anime viewing shows such as Astro Boy, Danger Mouse and Space Battleship Yamato. He returned to the US for high school and later graduated from the University of Maryland. He currently serves as the Director and Curator of DC Walls Mural Festival and continues his studio practice pushing forward with engraved tile as his canvas. He lives and works in Washington, DC.

David Dez Zambrano

David “Dez” Zambrano is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work spans media and surfaces including canvas, walls, cars, motorcycles, and footwear for which he has received great acclaim and national notoriety. Drawing influence from life experiences, his first true love of art began with graffiti when he saw ‘Beat Street’ as a young kid and while riding the DC metro from Virginia to Maryland to visit his father. He was captivated by the incredible artwork he would see sprawled on the walls as the train went by. As a “self-schooled” artist, graffiti continues to influence his versatile work. He pursues each project organically drawing on personal experiences, which results in a distinctive style reflecting his passion, pain, love, and life. Born in Los Angeles, California and raised in Arlington, Virginia, he currently lives in Washington, DC.