About the Artist
Welcome!
Janel Young is a Pittsburgh native, now based in Chicago. She is a painter and muralist on a mission to inspire through creativity and play. In 2013, Janel received her bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Penn State University. She worked in New York as a Digital Strategist before becoming an entrepreneur. Young has led workshops and art projects to expand her network, including collaborating to host coloring events where sponsors donate her self-illustrated Color Your Crown natural hair coloring book to kids. One of many major public art projects Janel designed is visible in Beltzhoover, where Janel grew up. The Home Court Advantage Project was installed as the first basketball court mural in Pittsburgh, PA. Consequently, the City of Pittsburgh awarded Young a proclamation for her community-centered effort to wrap the city in color. Since then, Janel became the Community Artist in Residence at UrbanKind Institute where she utilizes visual arts as a communication tool to connect people to equity and justice initiatives.
Janel’s work has expanded: In New York, she was selected to exhibit in the “Black Lives to the Front” art showcase during the 2020 U.S. Open. Janel’s canvas “Be Open To…” was displayed in the front row of the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Young’s 2021 public works in Pittsburgh include her largest led mural “Pathway to Joy” an asphalt mural, “New Space Spheres” where she led the creation of social distance artwork and “Heroes on the Horizon,” which is her first three-dimensional mural and first permanent work.
Also in 2021, Janel received recognition for her extraordinary work: she was named 2021 Person of the Year in Visual Arts by Pittsburgh City Paper and selected as the Artist in Residence at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Pennsylvania beginning in March 2022.
You can find more about JY Originals creative background and art portfolio at Janel-Young.com.
For information on how to obtain custom work, please visit the Commission FAQ tab.
Happy exploring! Stay original.
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Products on this site will be rotated often based on availability and most recent projects. To view my gallery, follow @jy.originals on Instagram or visit Janel-Young.com.