SGLAI: Spring 2026 Newsletter (April–May Edition)
- Elgin Smith
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
Spring 2026 Newsletter (April–May Edition)
A Season of Growth, Creativity, and Community
The last two months have been incredibly transformative for Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative (SGLAI). From our first official board meeting and the conclusion of spring programming, to statewide leadership opportunities, youth accomplishments, new music releases, and expanded partnerships, our community continues to grow in powerful ways.
As always, we remain committed to providing incarcerated and criminalized youth with meaningful opportunities in creative writing, visual arts, music production, performance, and mentorship.
Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Festival: Continuing a Growing Legacy
The Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards continues to be one of the most meaningful opportunities for young people in our programs.
In 2024, SGLAI submitted 26 poems, and we proudly celebrated youth poet Azreya, who received an Honorable Mention award. This spring, our marketing consultant Nitya Mehrotra transformed Azreya’s poem into an animated video, bringing her words to life in an entirely new way.
In 2025, we increased our participation to 36 submissions. Every young person who submitted a poem received a personal letter from Illinois Humanities Executive Director Gabrielle Lyon recognizing their contribution to the literary arts. These letters were later submitted as mitigating evidence to demonstrate the positive impact youth were making through creative expression.
This year, SGLAI submitted an incredible 75 poems to the 2026 Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards, the largest submission effort in our organization’s history. We are proud of every young person who shared their voice and look forward to celebrating the results.
In April, we returned to Haibayo Café in Uptown for another unforgettable Stomping Grounds Open Stage.
Haibayo was home to our Haibayo Cares youth arts initiative in 2025 and also hosted one of the first Open Stage events in the space. Returning this year felt like coming home.
The evening featured writer, poet, recording artist, and men’s mental health advocate DXTR Spits, whose work explores vulnerability, healing, and personal growth. Audience members enjoyed powerful performances, community connection, and an inspiring night of creativity.
Thank you to everyone who joined us.
Program Highlights
Visual Arts with Marci Okeke
Teaching Artist Marci Okeke recently completed her winter and spring visual arts residency with girls at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC). Throughout the residency, students explored portraiture, painting techniques, color theory, and personal storytelling through visual art. The young artists created meaningful works that reflected their experiences, creativity, and personal growth. Marci’s commitment to nurturing confidence and artistic voice continues to have a lasting impact on the youth she serves.
Paint The Light Poetry Campaign
This spring also marked the launch of Paint The Light, a new poetry initiative for girls at JTDC led by Teaching Artist Johnetta Anderson (Awthentik).
The program encourages participants to explore themes of self-discovery, resilience, community, and possibility through spoken word poetry and creative writing.
The work emerging from the program has already been powerful, honest, and inspiring. We look forward to sharing more from these young poets in the months ahead.
New Music Alert: Autumn D Releases “Pretty Pain”
One of the most significant milestones in SGLAI history took place this spring with the completion of “Pretty Pain,” the debut album by recording artist Autumn D.
After more than a year of writing, recording, editing, and revising, Autumn completed a full-length album through SGLAI’s Audio Production Program.
This achievement is historic.
Autumn is the first female student in my fifteen years of teaching to complete a full album and receive professionally produced physical CDs with full-color artwork. She is also the first student in SGLAI history to complete a full album while participating in programming at JTDC.
Her accomplishment establishes a new standard and legacy for future students.
The inspiration for the project came after seeing another SGLAI student, Byron “Buka Man,” complete and receive a physical copy of his own album through programming at IYC Chicago. Seeing what was possible motivated Autumn to begin her own journey.
During her recent Student Spotlight interview, Autumn reflected on what she learned through the process:
“I feel like I have a hard time expressing myself sometimes. Through my music, I’m able to do that.”
When asked what she would tell other young artists, she shared:
“Don’t worry about what anybody got to say about you. Your song might go up and blow up.”
Her project explores themes of loss, trust, resilience, relationships, and healing while demonstrating tremendous artistic growth and maturity.
The full Student Spotlight interview and album feature are available on our website.
Illinois Youth Center Programming Expands
This spring, SGLAI returned to the Illinois Youth Center (IYC) Chicago and launched programming at IYC Warrenville. Executive Director Elgin Smith is currently teaching Audio Production at IYC Chicago while Damon Williams leads Creative Writing instruction.
Students have already begun producing original music, writing poetry, and exploring self-expression through the arts.
IYC Chicago Poetry Slam
One highlight was IYC Chicago’s first annual Poetry Slam.
SGLAI provided sound production and DJ services, with DJ L O Kari (Elgin Smith) providing music throughout the day.
The event was hosted by SGLAI alumnus Mason, who completed his first album, Street Fashion, through SGLAI programming.
Over five hours, youth from multiple housing units participated in spoken word performances and open mic presentations. Several students performed songs they originally created through SGLAI workshops in various facilities.
Watching young people return to perform music they created months and even years earlier was a powerful reminder of the lasting impact creative opportunities can have inside carceral spaces.
Envisioning Justice Statewide Convening
In May, Executive Director Elgin Bokari Smith returned for his second consecutive year as host and emcee of the Illinois Humanities Envisioning Justice Statewide Convening in Springfield, Illinois.
This year’s convening, Beyond the Wall: Transcending Confinement, brought together artists, educators, organizers, advocates, policymakers, and directly impacted community members from across Illinois.
Throughout the two-day event, Elgin served as lead host, guiding conversations, introducing presenters, facilitating audience engagement, and helping create an environment centered on healing, reflection, creativity, and justice.
He also served as DJ L O Kari for the opening evening reception.
In addition to hosting, Elgin facilitated a hands-on zine-making workshop exploring storytelling, personal narrative, and creative resistance as tools for community transformation.
The convening concluded with participants writing letters to incarcerated poets currently participating in SGLAI workshops, creating meaningful connections between statewide justice advocates and young people directly impacted by the carceral system.
We are deeply grateful to Illinois Humanities and the Envisioning Justice team for their continued partnership and support.
Board Development Update
On May 18, SGLAI held its first official Board of Directors meeting as we continue our transition toward independent nonprofit status.
The board unanimously approved the following leadership structure:
Executive Officers
President: Ian McGill
Co-President: Sam Thousand
Secretary: Jean Meister
Committee Leadership
Governance Committee
Chair: Kendra Mealy Wilk
Jean Meister
Fundraising & Finance Committee
Chair: Mariah Balaban
All board members will participate in fundraising efforts.
This meeting represents a major milestone in the continued growth and sustainability of our
organization.
Summer Programs & Upcoming Events
June 21, 2026 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
JTDC Open Stage featuring Jamila Woods
July 15, 2026 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Marquette Park Open Stage at The Anchor
July 23, 2026
Garfield Park Open Stage
August 20, 2026
IYC Chicago Summer Kickoff BBQ
June 18, 2026
IYC Chicago End-of-Summer BBQ
August 20, 2026
Every poem, painting, song, performance, workshop, and opportunity described in this newsletter is made possible through the support of our community. Thank you for helping us ensure that incarcerated and criminalized youth have access to arts education, mentorship, creative expression, and opportunities to share their voices with the world.
Together, we continue to prove that every voice matters.
