San Rafael Exhibit Aims To Give Voice To Youth

SAN RAFAEL, CA — A Marin art program is doing what it can to give voice to area youth, and a gallery is showcasing their work.

The works created through the Youth in Arts program will be on view at the YIA Gallery through Nov. 19.

The exhibition showcases art created during C Street: Untitled, a residency with mentor artist Orin Carpenter.

Carpenter worked with emerging high school artists to create Regeneration, a collaborative mural for San Rafael’s Arbor Park in partnership with the Terra Linda Community and the City of San Rafael.

The project focuses on the topics of racism and social justice in Marin County.

“The residency was designed to amplify the power in young artists to make important changes happen in their communities,” Program Director Kelsey Rieger said in a statement.

The show also includes work created during Youth in Arts’ Arts Unite Us residency programs, which serve students experiencing disabilities.

“Youth in Arts believes students develop creativity, confidence and compassion through the arts when they are able to work together, share ideas, express themselves and take safe risks,” Gallery Manager Morgan Schauffler said in a statement.

“It’s in the creative process that students are given the space and medium to express their opinion.”

The YIA Gallery is one of the few in the nation focused on showcasing children’s art.

It is located at 917 C St. in San Rafael.

The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.