A first-of-its-kind art showcase was on display inside the Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center in St. Paul on Saturday.

Local organization Restorative Reiki Health and Wellness featured works created by teenagers enrolled in an opioid use disorder program at the Ramsey County Juvenile Detention Facility as part of a creative arts wellness program for underserved and marginalized youth, which was funded by a one-time Ramsey County Opioid Response Initiative community grant.

Over the 16 weeks of the program, it touched 112 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 who were battling substance use disorder while incarcerated, Restorative Reiki Health and Wellness Executive Director Molly Evans said.

“When we do artwork, it’s really about the process and not about the product,” Evans said as she walked through the display.

“We spent a lot of time on discovering culture and how our culture tells stories … This was the first time that a lot of the youth had had any artistic experience,” she continued.

Artist Jen Marxburke was formerly incarcerated. That was an important part of equipping her to help facilitate the program, she said.

“I was in for 65 months, and it was the hardest thing I ever did. And what saved me, what got me away from the prison, was art,” Marxburke shared.

The experience for her — working with youth now in that boat — was emotional.

“A lot of them have gun charges, and a couple of them had murder charges. And these kids are, you know, 14, 15, 16. Like, I think the oldest one we worked with was 17 going on 18, and all of them — It started with no stability, no security, no consistency,” she shared.

“And now, like, they’re looking at their life, and they’re asking me questions like, ‘What am I supposed to expect? Like, what’s coming next?’ In all honesty, I said, ‘It’s not going to be easy, but art will save you.'”

Restorative practices facilitator Raj S. has been there, too, in some ways, as he’s been on the recovery journey himself for years.

Raj took the practice of healing circles he’s been using in several community settings to this program as well.

“As soon as the young people walk into this space, we invite them to sit in a circle — or stand in a circle, and we have a bunch of cards and have a bunch of like activities that we play,” he said.

The cards are full of questions — some easier than others — that prompt sharing among those gathered together. It’s all in an attempt to take them out of what Raj described as ‘survival mode’ and bring them into a space of self-discovery.

“Like, ‘Hey, you don’t have to worry about anything. You’re safe. You’re in a safe space. Sit down. Let’s just let ourselves imagine, dream.’ Draw, yeah, be creative, right? And, a lot of our young people in the streets are not allowed to do that,” he shared.

“Teaching and working with youth to transform the pain, so you’re no longer passing it from one generation to the next.”

The display also signified the end of the program after the one-time funding dried up.

That was tough for the youth involved and the facilitators, Marxburke said.

“…It was cut off, and that’s sad. You know, kids, adults, human beings in general, they need art in their life, and people that care about them genuinely,” she said.

Evans said her organization was actively searching, as of Saturday, for alternative funding sources to keep it going.

“This is just really pivotal work,” she said.

“And some of them, as you can tell, are super talented. They had no idea that they could do any of this. And so, it really speaks to the power of that community and the ability of transformation and to support holistic wellness and substance use and opioid use recovery.”