In June 2010 a UCLA sophomore applied to be a teacher’s assistant at Step Up on Second’s “Julie’s Room” art studio program in Santa Monica. To her surprise, the program had no facilitator and was in danger of being shut down. Instead of being asked to assist, she was asked to coordinate and revitalize the art program...

 

Kendra Knudsen looked for guidance and inspiration from her past experiences with Peggy Frank’s art studio in Livermore, CA, and the existing resources at Step Up on Second (SUOS) and UCLA to develop the SUOS studio art program at "Julie's Room." Kendra aimed to create a safe, encouraging environment through a focus on the process of self-expression, creativity, and meaningful dialogue. Like Peggy Frank, Kendra made it a rule never to touch a member’s art; each piece of was the artist's own creation.

 

That summer, “Julie’s Room” art groups were held four times a week with three hour-long sessions. After a couple weeks at SUOS, attendance increased from an average of one (and sometimes none) to an average of six members, with as many as seventeen coming in one session. By Fall 2010, the arts program began to include a growing team of dedicated SUOS arts studio peer facilitators as well.

 

Six months later, at the turn of the New Year, “Julie’s Room” was again at risk of being shut down, this time due to lack of funds.

 

Upon hearing the news, Kendra founded the Creative Minds student group at UCLA and partnered with Ping Ho from UCLArts and Healing to develop the Creative Minds Project. Their mission was to create a sustainable and vibrant program dedicated to delivering process-oriented creative arts groups for social-emotional development at community mental health and homeless agencies. UCLArts and Healing has provided the CMP with continuous support and guidance from its inception.

 

In April 2012, Kendra received the 2012 UCLA Charles E. Young Humanitarian Award and the Strauss Family Foundation Scholarship to support her work in the development of the Creative Minds Project. Listen to her speech here.

 

With this additional support, on October 8, 2012, the UCLArts and Healing and Creative Minds launched the Creative Minds Project pilot at the community mental health agencies, Step Up on Second and its sister organization for young adults, Daniel's Place.

 

Four UCLA undergraduate students from the Creative Minds student group at UCLA and six creative arts therapy interns and expressive arts interns from the UCLArts and Healing community facilitated art, dance/movement, drama, drumming, expressive poetry and art groups at SUOS “Julie’s Room” and Daniel's Place for social-emotional development. SUOS peer-facilitated open art studios were funded and supported by the CMP as well.

 

By June 2013, the CMP had 13 undergraduate assistants, eight creative arts therapy interns, and four open art studio member-facilitators delivering creative arts groups for wellness.

 

The CMP team contributed over 40 hours of wellness arts groups across the two SUOS and DP agencies for about 35 member-participants every week. The CMP also formed a MOU to help DP obtain a grant from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to expand their working hours.

 

Now in 2014, CMP has demonstrated the healing power of the arts at SUOS and DP.  SUOS and DP now have a revitalized creative arts program, which is being continued through the support of SUOS and DP peer advocates, community volunteers, staff and agency members.

 

The Creative Minds Project is grateful to Step Up on Second and Daniel’s Place for enabling CMP volunteers and interns to pilot a program that is sustainable and exportable to other places - that will ultimately serve many more people.

 

The CMP is now at PATH West LA and Safe Place for Youth (SPY), serving transitional aged youth and veterans affected by homelessness. The CMP is also in the process of expanding to Ocean Park Community Center’s (OPCC) Access Center in Santa Monica.  Stay updated on our expansion here.