The Arts in Juvenile Justice Working Group (Arts in JJ Working Group) is a conglomerate of organizations and stakeholders that are passionate about the Juvenile Justice system, as it relates to the integration of creative arts therapies. Americans for the Arts is a proud member of the Arts in JJ Working Group and has used its platform to bring awareness to the group’s endeavors during the National Arts Action Summit and on social media. More recently, the Arts in JJ Working Group held a meeting with Liz Ryan, administrator, Office of Delinquency and Juvenile Justice Prevention (ODJJP), Department of Justice, to discuss federal funding levels for a demonstration program created in 2021 for the FY2023 appropriations cycle. Additionally, the Arts in JJ Working Group continues to meet with Congressional members to further Arts in JJ advocacy. 

While Americans for the Arts’ engagement with the Arts in JJ Working Group is focused on advocacy, there are Arts in JJ members that provide direct services. SkyArt is a Chicago-area nonprofit that provides visual art programming to young people ages 5 to 24 by partnering with community partners and stakeholders. In collaboration with the Weinberg/Newton Gallery and Arts + Public Life, SkyArt is featuring an exhibition titled “Can You See Me?” that runs from October 14 to December 17, 2022. As part of the organization’s commitment to juvenile justice, the exhibition focuses on artwork from incarcerated youth and explores the impact that incarceration has on the youth population. Learn more from the curator’s statement on the exhibition’s website.

Pictured: “Can you See Me?” exhibition, photo by Devon VanHouten-Maldonado, Director of Programs, SkyArt, courtesy of SkyArt, Weinberg/Newton Gallery, and Arts + Public Life.