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October 08, 2025
The High Museum of Art showcased artwork from DJJ youth artist this summer. The featured artwork was part of the DJJ Student Art Contest and Exhibition, an annual event designed to showcase youth’s creative works and encourage them in the arts.
Artwork from the contest winners was on display in the High Museum’s Greene Family Learning Gallery. In all, nearly two dozen pieces of artwork including portraits, paintings, and drawings were on display.
“It feels good to see my first time doing art get displayed somewhere,” said one youth artist. “It feels good for my family to see it. It gives me inspiration to do more.”
The former DJJ youth did not realize he could draw before being given the opportunity to enter the art contest. The young artist had two drawings in the exhibit.
“This event is an inspiration to the young people because their artwork is in the High Museum,” said DJJ Commissioner Shawanda Reynolds-Cobb. “Some of them never thought they would have this opportunity. It gives them a voice, a way to be heard and tell their story. As an agency, we want to dismiss the idea that our young people are not talented individuals. They truly deserve a second chance.”
According to the Youth in Custody Practice Model (YICPM), a guide to best practices in youth corrections, adolescents need to see themselves as capable in order to succeed. They need to figure out what they are good at—whether that is academics, sports, arts, music, cooking, or puzzles. Youth need exposure to a wide range of experiences and opportunities to practice new skills.
Recreational activities can take many forms but should be offered based on an intentional targeting of developmental tasks according to the YICPM. Activities must be structured, led by an adult (e.g., volunteer, mentor, contractor, or facility staff), and offer opportunities for youth to develop skills across a broad spectrum of interests such as the arts.
DJJ Art Instructor Andre Thompson was thrilled to see the students’ artwork on the walls of the High. “I have been a curator for 20-plus years, and to see our youth’s art in the High is very powerful and meaningful,” said Thompson.
Although he joined DJJ only a month before the exhibition, Thompson was able to give his insight on technique for some of the pieces. “I see how their art becomes a storytelling piece,” said Thompson. “These students are able to draw from Monet to Basquiat. I think it is only going to get better.”
The High Museum has partnered with DJJ for a decade, with the agency’s first students’ artwork being displayed in 2015.
“We started with one goal, which was to provide access to all students across the state of Georgia, including our 181st school district (DJJ),” said Kate McLeod, High Museum’s Head of School and Teacher Services. “The impact that the students’ art has had on staff and visitors is really invaluable. Thousands of people come through the education center almost daily. We hear back from visitors that it just means the world to them to see the creativity on display at the museum.”
DJJ and the High also held a ceremony to celebrate the youth’s accomplishments at the museum. DJJ staff, contest winners, and their families were able to view all the artwork and take a tour of the museum’s other exhibits. During the ceremony, students were presented with certificates and art supplies to commemorate their achievements.
“Youth get the opportunity to put that their artwork was displayed in a gallery on their resume,” said Kelly Lewis, a Certified Humane Education Specialist with DJJ. She played an integral part in the DJJ’s art program and the celebration of the students.
Lewis is happy to report that former DJJ Student Art Contest and Exhibition winners have gone on to intern at the High Museum and are now working artists doing what they love.