Opioid intervention program showcases art by incarcerated Ramsey County youth [Video]

A first-of-its-kind art showcase was on display inside the Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center in St. Paul on Saturday.

Local organization Restorative Reiki Health and Wellness featured works created by teenagers enrolled in an opioid use disorder program at the Ramsey County Juvenile Detention Facility as part of a creative arts wellness program for underserved and marginalized youth, which was funded by a one-time Ramsey County Opioid Response Initiative community grant.

Over the 16 weeks of the program, it touched 112 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 who were battling substance use disorder while incarcerated, Restorative Reiki Health and Wellness Executive Director Molly Evans said.

“When we do artwork, it’s really about the process and not about the product,” Evans said as she walked through the display.

“We spent a lot of time on discovering culture and how …