East Liberty Busway Mural, Post Gazette Photo, July 2007
Artist Kyle Holbrook and Artist Robert Qualters in East Liberty 2007..
R-L: Edward Rawson, Elizabeth Scott and CEO Artist Kyle Holbrook at Ross Park mall Kiosk 2007 (Caricatures, air brush, clothing, paintings& more)
Jasiri X infront of MLK East Busway Mural.
L-R: Press Director Anji Corley, Education Assistant Ashley Hodder, Artist Michelle Gregio and CEO Artist Kyle Holbrook.
MLK Mural Staff pictured on the Cover of Next American City Magazine October 2007.
MLK Mural Unveiling June 7, 2007: (L-R) Anji Corley (Wamo), Judi McNeil (Port Authority), Evan Frazier (Hill House CEO), Todd Moules (CEO-National City Bank), Rev. Marcus Harvey, Mayor of Wilkinsburg John Thompson, Executive Artist Kyle Holbrook, Mayor of Pittsburgh Luke Ravenstahl, Michelle Gregio and Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato.
Homewood Mural details painted with fifteen(15) Homewood youth Summer 2007.
East Busway- Ellsworth Side, East Liberty, Pittsburgh by Kyle Holbrook and Michelle Gregio.
Homewood Bus station Mural Squad 7/14/07
Hamnet Station, Wilkinsburg, PA by Jeff katrencick, Chris Savido, Kyle Holbrook and Wilkinsburg youth artists.
Shady Side Boys & Girls Club Mural by Kyle Holbrook & Chris Savido August 2007.
Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and Executive Artist Kyle Holbrook being presented a proclamation for Kyle Holbrook day in Allegheny County 8/12/07
Black Beauty Lounge Mural by Kyle Holbrook and Chris Savido
Past. Present. Future. These time stamps represent what 29-year-old Kyle Holbrook paints on his murals.
As a Wilkinsburg native and witness to troubled teens growing up, Holbrook set out to be a mentor to troubled youth by employing them to paint murals with his company KH design. Holbrook is the CEO and executive director of his self-titled company.
Holbrook established KH design and started out selling personalized T-shirts out of the back of his van. After a lot of struggles, Holbrook began to see some progress. "Anything in life that's worthwhile is hard," said Holbrook.
He started these mural projects for artistic and social reasons. He enjoyed the "large scale of beauty" of the murals and also wanted them to have a social meaning. In addition, he decided to bring teens together from rival neighborhoods to help minimize their violence against each other.
Holbrook's desire to be a mentor to troubled and other teens stemmed from the influence of his parents. The teens he's working with will be paid a salary of $1,000 per mural. They are required to participate in mandatory painting classes prior to the mural project and must complete 30 hours of work per week.
Holbrook is not just assisted by teens. He has a staff of 46 artists who also help in several projects, including the biggest one yet: the National City Martin Luther King Busway Mural Project.
Along what is known as the East Busway, the mural stops will include Penn Station (Downtown Pittsburgh), Herron Avenue Station (Hill District), Negley Avenue Station (Shadyside), Oakland, East Liberty, Homewood, Wilkinsburg, Hamlett, Roslyn, and Swissvale Station. The busway connects these communities with what had been graffiti-marked walls. Instead of removing the graffiti, the KH design company converts the negative space into something positive.
Pictured in several murals around town is Holbrook's motivation: his daughter, Kyla. Every mural tells a different story and can be interpreted in several different ways, he said. The murals represent the past, present and future with different shapes and colors.
Holbrook continues to set and achieve goals despite the negativity that continuously hovers over his work. "Believe in yourself" is the advice Holbrook gives up-and-coming artists who may experience lots of animosity.
He also continues to expand his company with projects from Pittsburgh to Atlanta, where KH designs is completing a mural project for the Tupac Shakur museum. Holbrook's ultimate goal is to submit a curriculum to the Pennsylvania Secretary of Education that would put art back into the classroom and beautify the communities through the work of students in schools.
First Published August 3, 2007, 2:30pm
“Carnegie Mural”, Sunset Pizza, 38 E Main St, Carnegie, PA 15106 by Bill Borcick, MLK artists and 15 youth.
