Locked Achievements Opening Night at Little Village Library
- Elgin Smith
- Sep 22
- 4 min read
I have been teaching in juvenile centers for over 15 years and have been to countless gallery openings, but few moments have touched me like the opening of Locked Achievements at the Little Village Library.
This exhibition has traveled a journey—from its beginnings at the Beautiful Cat Gallery, to Curt’s Café, to being displayed inside the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center—and now, a residency at Little Village Library. For the first time, the public has the chance to see what I have the honor of seeing every day: magnificent, creative, intelligent young people expressing themselves through visual art, writing, and performance.
What made this opening especially powerful was that two of my students, though still incarcerated, were able to attend in person. I expected one, but was told the other would be on home visitation. To my surprise, Serenity walked in with Dahlia. When I asked what she was doing there, she said: “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.” She rescheduled her family time just to experience the exhibition live. That level of care and dedication says everything about what this work means to them.
The gallery itself looked incredible. We reconfigured the racks to make everything fit, with videos from past galleries at Beautiful Cat Gallery and Curt’s Café, and new artwork created in classes with Nate Olison of Optimist Comics. The library provided food, sound equipment, and a projector—making the experience seamless. Our newest audiovisual technician, Cassius, even arrived early, escorted by his PO, who also got to witness the show.
During the workshop, Cassius stepped into a leadership role alongside Dahlia and Serenity. They led the audience through activities ranging from lighthearted questions to deeper discussions on forgiveness and the prison industrial complex, even touching on “Know Your Rights” basics. Dahlia performed her piece 40 Days and 40 Nights from the Locked Achievements catalog to resounding applause, followed by Serenity performing one of her original songs. The audience also read poems written by currently incarcerated youth—entries to the Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Festival—and wrote heartfelt responses of their own.
Artist Jeneca Onikoyi described the resonance of the work beautifully:
“Although these words are coming from young people, they capture feelings that resonate far beyond adolescence. One piece about a father’s absence struck a chord with me, while another had the undeniable confidence of ‘main character energy’—it was infectious. The digital portraits, too, were drawn with hands pregnant with ideas, filled with detail and imagination. Not only did I enjoy the exhibition, I appreciated the care with which it was presented. Kudos to the young artists and the team who helped bring this work to light.”
Throughout the evening, voices of affirmation poured in:
Cassius: “I really enjoyed myself—nice peers, food was there, and just an overall good time was had. Definitely looking forward to the next event!!”
Mari Miller (Beautiful Cat Gallery): “The best art is about humanity… What’s so special about this artwork is that these young people’s humanity shines so brightly, it shows that they’re more than the system makes them out to be. They’re brilliant and talented human beings deserving of dignity.”
Karlyn: “Locked Achievements was a powerful reminder that youth have voices, stories, and truths that must be heard. I was deeply moved by the poems and music shared by Stomping Grounds and I hope spaces like this continue to cultivate and uplift the collective responsibility we have to listen to and honor youth voices.”
Lucy Park, Executive Director of Sejong Society: “I was so moved by the poems and drawings—these works show hidden talent expressed with honesty and beauty… To the youth who shared their work: thank you for your courage. Keep writing, keep creating—your art matters and inspires us all.”
And perhaps most moving of all was Dahlia’s own reflection after receiving her printed poetry booklet:
“Elgin, you filled the first page of my notebook with gratitude. Thank you for the amazing experience today. I never would have imagined something like this—it truly touches my heart and gives me a glimmer of hope for my future. All of this really means something to me. If we didn’t cross paths, I would’ve never been pushed out of my comfort zone and learned about the potential that I had… You are changing lives. Your friends are changing lives. You are bringing hope to a world full of hopelessness.”
To close the evening, Cassius performed his song Undertaker before being honored with letters of support and a certificate of creativity from the Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Festival. Dahlia was also recognized and surprised with a poetry collection created by Mari of Cat Gallery, along with a new notebook to continue her writing journey.
As Sara, the head librarian, and Ms. Park noted at the end of the night, the opening day was deeply moving—and it’s only the beginning. Over the next three months, the gallery will continue to be a living, activated space, amplifying youth voices and reshaping the narrative around incarceration, creativity, and hope.
Words can’t fully express the joy and honor I feel to do this work. But I know one thing for sure: Locked Achievements is not just an exhibition. It is proof of resilience, community, and transformation. It is living evidence that these young people’s voices matter—and the world is better for hearing them.
If you’d like to support the work of Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative, please visit our 3Arts campaign below. We’re working to raise $6,000 to bring on a new teaching artist.
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