THE WAY UP
GREENSBURG, PA | 2022

JY Originals was commissioned through a partnership between the Westmoreland Museum of American Art to enhance the newly-renovated Laurel Highlands Workforce + Opportunity Center with a mural. The work was inspired by the students in the LHWOC program, who shared their journeys + involvement in the program. Each woman expressed gratitude for the support they found at LHWOC + reflected on the past, present + future experiences they see for themselves.

The design is a mix of geometric + color blending that is meant to evoke feelings of celebration/pride, motivation, warmth, support + upward motion. The expanding circle at the bottom resembles a night sky where it is easy to be lost amongst the stars; the top half being the sun on a new horizon, symbolic of a fresh start; + the white in between to show a blank slate. The rectangles in the center blend from dark to light colors like the "light at the end of the tunnel" — moving from being lost in a dark place to a future of clarity + light. The white lines moving throughout the piece are symbolic of this journey upward toward the future. It is intentionally a free-flowing, curving line with loops to show that success is not linear. There are also reinforced lines + details that represent LHWOC's support at every twist and turn along the way.

Filmmaker Chris Ivey documented Young’s residency + the screening was held at the museum in January 2023. You can watch it here.