We are building an art production studio. No big deal you say? Well what if I told you it was compiled from two groups of teenagers, still nothing special? Okay, they are young people who are incarcerated and those recently released from incarceration. Yes, in jail and on parole. Now what do you say? That’s what I thought.
I am an artist who is part of a team spearheading a new project - Inside Out Studios – a pilot program conceived by Stephen Canneto and Eliah Thomas of ArtSafe in Columbus, Ohio. We have embarked on a 17-week journey to guide youth - to develop skills both artistic and business, to improve focus and self-worth, to increase self-discovery and community while designing and creating art that will earn income for them.
Through it all I am learning. Learning about choices, incarceration, what makes us unique and similar, how the same circumstances can put each of us on different paths, how getting caught can be a good thing. I am reminded with every coming together that these young people, not unlike us, are smart and creative and loving and curious and passionate and opinionated and original. Check back over the next several weeks for updates and revelations and get to know them as I do. It is challenging and joyful and full of the wonderful stuff of life.
For more information about ArtSafe and its programs visit Artsafe.org
ArtSafe - Art for a Child's Safe America Foundation (ArtSafe) is a not-for-profit organization established to provide opportunities for communities to use the arts to create safe, nurturing environments for children, youth and adults. ArtSafe creates, develops, and implements programs that promote productivity, positive outlook, and a sense of community through encouraging participants to discover, value, and use their innate talents and individual interests. Creating programs and products that provide meaningful alternatives to violence is ArtSafe's highest priority.
Remember: The One Who Says It Can’t Be Done Should Not Interrupt The One Doing It
