“Fox” by Homer artist Torie Rhyan

Teen Skateboard Painting Project
(FULL)

Invited teens (ages 12-18 or past participants in the free teen art space) have the opportunity to participate in this FREE series to create original artwork on a skateboard deck.

In this 6 week series, students will be given a blank skateboard deck as a ‘canvas’ to paint on.  Through guided conversations, we will explore ideas about personal and cultural identity to generate inspiration for the subject matter and style of the artwork. Students will be guided through the process of brainstorming, sketching, and painting in a creatively nurturing and inclusive environment. 

Once completed, the finished skateboards will be displayed in a collaborative community art show alongside adult artists who are also painting on blank skateboard decks. Although students are welcome to keep their own skateboard art after the art show, the skateboards painted by adult community members will be auctioned off to raise funds and share information about an emerging non-profit organization, KBAYRSA (Kachemak Bay recreation service area) and the Homer Skatepark Project. This organization intends to create a new skatepark in Homer to increase alternative recreation options for youth in the community. 

This series is presented in partnership with South Peninsula Behavioral Health Services (the Center) and supported by the “Arts, Health, and Well-being in Alaska Communities” program of the Alaska State Council on the Arts and aims to be a space that fosters self-expression and builds emotional awareness, promoting mental well-being in a supportive, peer driven environment. Through the community collaboration of HCOA, ASCA, SPBHS and KBAYRSA, we hope to continue to engage youth in finding healthy and accessible creative and recreational outlets in Homer. 

Skate board decks, art supplies, and snacks provided. Space is limited to 12! RSVP is a planned commitment to all 6 sessions.

Please RSVP below for the six week series, 4-6pm each Wednesday, concluding on February 11.

Drue Smith started at The Center in the fall of 2021 as an art therapy and counseling intern. She received her Masters Degree in Art Therapy and Clinical Counseling from Southwestern College in the fall of 2022 and was hired onto our team as a Clinical Therapist. Southwestern College’s consciousness-centered and holistic educational experience led Drue to support a client-centered approach. In addition to her emphasis on using art making and creativity to help support one’s healing, she has completed coursework towards certificates in EcoTherapy, Children’s Mental Health, and Human Sexuality. She enjoys working with children, adolescents and adults.

Drue grew up outside of St. Louis, Missouri, and then moved to Arizona where she received a BFA in Art and Visual Culture Education from the University of Arizona in Tucson. After college Drue moved to Flagstaff, AZ and worked at an off-grid charter school, working primarily with Navajo students. She has called Homer ‘home’ since 2014 where she has worked in early childhood education, taught art classes to children, worked on organic farms, and tendered in Prince William Sound.

Drue hopes to merge art making and creative expression with mental wellness to help support individuals and families in their healing processes in the community she loves.