About Janel Young
Janel Young is a Pittsburgh native, based in Chicago. She is a painter, muralist and community leader on a mission to inspire through creativity and play.
Janel’s work has been recognized locally and internationally, from New York City – where she resided for six years – to the coast of Sydney, Australia. Prior to pursuing art full-time, Janel attended Schenley High School in Pittsburgh, PA as an International Baccalaureate student athlete, and went on to study Business Marketing and International Studies at Penn State University as a Bunton-Waller Fellow. Post-graduation, she relocated to NYC in 2013 to work in public relations as a Digital Content Strategist for industries, including healthcare, tech and non-profits for five years.
A year after taking the leap to practice art full-time in NYC, Janel’s passions came full circle in 2019 as her love for visual arts brought her back to her childhood neighborhood to install the city’s first art basketball court, cleverly coined “The Home Court Advantage Project” in Beltzhoover. The City of Pittsburgh awarded Janel a proclamation for her community-centered effort to wrap the city in color, making October 23, 2019 “JANEL YOUNG DAY” in the City of Pittsburgh. On the anniversary the following year, Janel established the JY Originals Scholarship for Creatives – an annual $1,000 award for a young adult pursuing the arts.
For three years as the Community Artist in Residence at UrbanKind Institute based in Pittsburgh, Janel utilized visual arts as a communication tool to connect people to equity and justice values and initiatives in Pittsburgh and Chicago. She continues to lead public art projects, youth workshops and speaking opportunities as she expands her art network in different cities of various sizes.
Janel’s 2021 public works in Pittsburgh included the “Pathway to Joy” asphalt mural at Allegheny Overlook, (commissioned by Pittsburgh Downtown Partnerships), and “Heroes on the Horizon” at Bakery Square, which is the first three-dimensional mural under her belt. Pathway to Joy is now Young’s largest led mural and it kicked off the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival serving as the backdrop for the summer 2021 pop-up park experience. Heroes on the Horizon was completed alongside a residency program with students from local schools, Lincoln and Urban Academy. As noted on site, “the owner and developer of Bakery Square chose to permanently install Janel’s work to preserve its inaugural public art commission, and to honor the great work and partnership with the community that inspired it.”
In New York, Young was selected to exhibit in the “Black Lives to the Front” art showcase during the 2020 U.S. Open tennis tournament. Her canvas titled “Be Open To…” was displayed in the front row of the Arthur Ashe Stadium behind the likes of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka.
In Chicago, the Safer Foundation commissioned Young for a mural paying tribute to U.S. Representative Danny K. Davis. “Second and Seven” stands as a testament to Rep. Davis’ unwavering dedication to prioritizing the successful reentry of citizens with criminal records into society. The 3,500 square foot mural, created by lead artist Janel Young and her team, celebrates Rep. Davis’ significant contributions to the rehabilitation and empowerment of individuals seeking a second chance. Janel’s brightly-colored symbolism is matched with her fellow artist Thomas “Detour” Evans’ portrait of Rep. Davis.
Additional notable accomplishments for Janel’s extraordinary work as an artist, painter and muralist include: being named 2021 Person of the Year in Visual Arts by Pittsburgh City Paper, serving on the Pittsburgh Art Commission from 2021-2022, completing a six month-Artist Residency at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Pennsylvania in 2022, joining Chicago’s pre-qualified public art list in 2022, and receiving her second Pittsburgh city-wide proclamation for “The Jungle” basketball court renovation in 2024.
Headshot photo by Studio Hayes
“What does it look like when we create from a place of joy?
That’s the goal. And it’s rebellious.”
— Janel Young | JY Originals