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At the Al Lenzmeier Boys and Girls Club, students move from art station to art station. They paint with water colors, make bracelets or create eccentric designs with tie dye. It’s the vision of 16-year-old Satiza Garcia-Anderson and her peers. She wanted to give young people in St. Paul space to express themselves without pressure.

“I never grew up in a really stable home,” Satiza said. “I was enrolled in dance, and I did art on the side, and I reflected upon that, and I was like, well, some kids aren’t comfortable talking about how they feel, so why not let them show that?”

The program, ARTE: Art, Reflect, Talk and Empower, is part of the Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities’ Changemaker Challenge, started post-pandemic and after the murder of George Floyd to give younger people an opportunity to lead problem solving efforts based on a researched topic that impacts their community. This year’s topic was mental health.

“I think there’s misunderstandings for us as adults as to how much kids really understand themselves and their needs,” said BGCTC President and CEO Terryl Brumm. “We've seen this evolution and approach of young people coming together and creating solutions that really create change in their community, defining mental health, not as this overwhelming problem that can’t be solved.”

Satiza saw a particular need in communities of color where there is

 against seeking help for mental health. She said her male peers especially feel that way.

“They grew up and they were raised like, don’t show emotions, don’t cry, men don’t cry,” she said. “And so I think I’ve really seen a change within the vulnerability of the males here, and I’m really happy about that too.”

Moses Crew, 18, helped Satiza work with the young boys at the club — mainly through the art of basketball. Crew found he could improve his own mental health while helping younger kids with theirs.

“Most people feel like nobody’s gonna come save them,” Crew said. “And it does feel like that. Sometimes that’s the case, nobody's gonna come save you. So you just have to get into the mindset of, ‘I have to help myself.’”

Since September, the kids have organized and fundraised to buy art supplies. Over the last few months Satiza’s work with her younger peers created a showcase they displayed in the Boys and Girls Club gym. There’s a clay smiley face and a watercolor of a basketball. A few paintings of trees and cartoon characters. It’s not always deep stuff, but Satiza believes when kids feel good about their art, they benefit.

“Like, as far as mood, because I see a lot of the kids usually come here [and] be very quiet and not speak,” she said. “But this program helped a lot of them get out of their shell. I really, really appreciate that, and I see it and I’m so grateful that I got the opportunity to help them feel confident enough to speak out or show out whatever they want.”

As part of her own art therapy, Satiza likes to paint, dance and sing. At the showcase she performed “A Change is Gonna Come” to an audience of her peers. She said she hopes change does come for her community, one masterpiece at a time.

Kyra Miles

Author

For almost a year, teens at the Al Lenzmeier Boys and Girls Club have been helping their peers with mental health struggles and community issues through art. They’re also learning to lead.

St. Paul youth heal through art at the Boys and Girls Club

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