Creative Justice Celebrates 10 Years of Investing in Youth Through Art and Activism

On a chilly Thursday evening during the Pioneer Square Art Walk, Creative Justice held the first of three events commemorating a decade of serving youth by addressing the systemic issues that face oppressed youth.

The anniversary festivities began Thursday, Dec. 5, with the opening of "Shut it Down" at Indigo Slate. As DJ Whodinii set the mood for the evening, attendees had the opportunity to engage with artwork created by young people who, for the past 10 years, have found a safe place for expression and healing in Creative Justice programs aimed at keeping kids out of incarnation while connected to community. Walking throughout the gallery space, community members, alumni, teaching artists, and youth stopped to admire the profound stories, emotions, and creativity of the artwork on display. One such piece was the "Community Portraits" series, a collection of portraits that is an elegy to those lost because of incarceration. For those who missed the opening, the exhibit is available to view Friday, Dec. 13; Monday, Dec. 16; and Wednesday, Dec. 18, from 2 to 6 p.m.

During the show's opening, Creative Justice invited the community to engage with the creative restoration work at the core of the organization, which seeks to foster a more equitable future.

A Grassroots Beginning: How Creative Justice Took Its First Steps in Restorative Justice

In 2014, a group of Seattle social justice activists, community organizers, and artists sat down with the folks at 4Culture to collaborate on a new project born out of the No New Youth Jail movement. The goal was to prioritize healing and self-expression over punishment by centering the experiences of those most impacted by systematic inequity, particularly Youth of Color.

"It was really a visionary collaboration between community organizers and those stewarding public funds. Instead of commissioning art for a youth jail, we decided to use those dollars to create a program that offered art as an alternative to incarceration," said Creative Justice co-founder and curricular coach Aaron Counts.

Counts says that in the beginning, Creative Justice functioned like many of the other diversion programs operating in King County, but with a key difference: Instead of doing community service, young people who might normally be locked up were able to work with creative mentors to create art out of their oppression.

Over the past decade, the organization has evolved from a first-of-its-kind pilot program to a transformative force in youth-led social justice. By continually responding to the needs of its participants, it grew from a diversion program to a place of healing.

Faisal Provincial, a Creative Justice Youth Fellow, started at the age of 16, when he was referred by his probation officer as an alternative to detention. During the next couple of years, Provincial continued to attend programming and felt he had a "clean slate," especially since his record would be sealed at age 18, easing the path to finding gainful employment. But after finding out he'd have to pay back over $2,000 in restitution, his hope was crushed, and he ended up back on the streets hustling, which led to multiple court cases and a two-year prison sentence. Though incarcerated, he says Creative Justice continued to be a resource for him.

"When I was falling off in the program and when I was going down the wrong path, Creative Justice never forgot about me. Creative Justice is a place where youth always have a home, you're always going to be reached out to, and you're always going to have a place to come back to, no matter what," Provincial said about his experience leaving the program and then returning after being incarcerated.

Provincial returned to Creative Justice as one of the organization's first Youth Fellows, a two-year program that develops leadership skills by pairing fellows alongside program directors and mentor artists.

"I went back to Creative Justice, and I got involved. I went knee-deep into the program, and what I really wanted was to help these kids," Provincial said. One way he felt he could help was showing them the similarities within their stories and his own, how he was in the streets, veered away, and came back. But another way he helps is by being part of the youth-led aspect of the organization, which means programs and services are developed to meet the direct needs of participants. For instance, the Restitution Relief Fund was established in response to Provincial's experience so that youth who owe restitution can get their records sealed so the barrier to employment is reduced.

From Art Walks to Albums: Marking Creative Justice's 10-Year Milestone

After the show at Indigo Slate, the celebration continued the next evening at historic Washington Hall with the release of its Free the Youth album featuring tracks produced by program participants and other tracks donated by local artists, like The Neighborhood Kids, who performed for those in attendance. Proceeds from the album's sales will support Creative Justice's continued work of using art as a tool to heal.

The event also included a screening of the new Creative Justice Documentary, directed by HRVST House. The film chronicles the organization's history through personal stories, like that of Provincial.

Looking Ahead to the Next 10 Years

As Creative Justice reflects on a decade of impact, its vision for the next 10 years is youth-focused. Plans include continued programming, as Creative Justice now offers participants multiple avenues for participation, including BASE, the entry-level arts program; Makerspace, which develops entrepreneurial skills through creative economy; and the Youth Consortium, which focuses on advocacy and community building. According to Creative Justice staff, one aspect of needed growth is to be able to assist more youth, especially in underserved areas, like Federal Way and further south into Tacoma.

Co-founder Counts said, "As Creative Justice is part of that larger community, we can be a place that holds space for young [people], especially young Black and Indigenous people, who are the most marginalized of us out there, and really hold their care and wellness first and foremost."

Alumni-turned-fellow Provincial dreams of one day taking a leadership role as executive director, a future he says would not be possible without support.

"The way I was moving. I would've either been in prison for a long time or I would've been killed," said Provincial. "Programs like Creative Justice are needed everywhere. My dream is to see us grow across the region, serving youth who need these spaces of care and restoration."

Creative Justice's third and final event, a Creative Justice birthday party, will take place March 1, 2025, at Indigo Slate.

Editors' Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that DJ Ish provided entertainment for the event on Dec. 5. The article was updated on Dec. 17, 2024, with the correct name of DJ Whodinii.