We Are All Water

Art Reception

Art by Students from Salt Lake Valley Youth Center · Exhibit runs from Jan 5 through Feb 9

Artist Statement

The STEM Community Alliance Program (STEMCAP) is a collaborative effort between the University of Utah and the Utah State Board of Education. The program, founded in 2016, provides STEM enrichment opportunities to Youth-In-Custody. On average, 126 youth are detained in juvenile detention centers or long-term secure care facilities on any given day in Utah. An additional 128 youths receive early intervention services daily. In 2021, 5,871 youths were served. The majority of the student artists in this show reside at Salt Lake Valley Youth Center in either the detention or the residential programs, though several students commute for the Day Skills Intervention Program. STEMCAP is proud to present the artwork of these students.

Artist's Bio

YIC students worked with STEMCAP to think creatively about water as a unifying element; a finite resource that connects all living things. Students considered the water issues here in Utah and how waterways affect whole communities. STEMCAP workshops focusing on drought, climate change, pollution and the drying of the Great Salt Lake informed their artwork. This exhibition consists of a collectively tie-dyed cloth shaped like the Jordan River, individual self-portraits that express aspects of each students' identity and their connection to water.

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