Mailboxes get stamp of approval

Photos by Ron Medvescek / Staff
A sampling of the mailboxes made by local teens.

Sara Stalkfleet, 15, pays special attention to detail as tiny strokes of her yellow-tinged paint brush glide across an unusual canvas: a metal mailbox.

The mailbox is one of 27 available for sale by a Midtown neighborhood association to benefit various projects at John B. Wright Elementary School and to support the Tucson Botanical Gardens, which is in the neighborhood's boundaries.

And Sara is one of nine teens hired by Tucson Youth Development to paint mailboxes for the neighborhood.

With only a limited number available, they have become a hot commodity with neighbors at $10 each.

Some are sold before they are even completed.

How's that for job security?

The youth employment program began six weeks ago at John B. Wright Elementary School with the teens tutoring children.

The program culminated with a fund-raiser - painting and selling mailboxes for the neighborhood.

"The mailbox painting has been a lot of fun," Stalkfleet said.

"The hours are good and I think I'd like to pursue art in college now," she added.

The program, designed to beautify Midtown, also aims to teach local high school students about community service through direct experience and promote grassroots organizing.

The boundaries of the association (called Midtown: The Garden District) are Grant to the north; Speedway to the south; Swan to the east; and Alvernon to the west.

"These kids are communicating in a way they wouldn't in school," said Diane Weiner, project supervisor.

"They are from different backgrounds working collaboratively to create art."

Different ideas of what art is is displayed throughout the small makeshift studio in a Midtown business complex.

Floral designs to more elaborate tie-dye or skull and crossbones works, created by the youth ages 15-18 years, are scattered on tables and chairs.

"People in the community don't always delight in working with teen-agers and this combats this stereotype," Weiner said.

Youths are even being commissioned by local residents to add some curb appeal to their property.

Debbie Eagle, manager of Evergreen Flowers, made one such request.

"They're a nice bunch of kids and it's for a good cause," she said.

David Kha, treasurer for the neighborhood association, said making this an ongoing project isn't out of the question, provided there's funding to pay the kids.

"When people from outside ask the kids to paint their mailboxes, I love it," he said.

"When it's a beautiful thing, people come to you. They reach out."

* Contact reporter Michele Stewart at 573-4112 or mstewart@azstarnet.com.