Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative – March Newsletter
- Elgin Smith
- 19 hours ago
- 4 min read
March has been a transformative, challenging, and reawakening month for SGLAI. From welcoming new leadership and teaching artists to expanding our creative programming and community events, this month has been full of growth, reflection, and momentum.
Welcoming Our New Board
We are proud to officially welcome five new board members to SGLAI: Mariah Balaban, Jean Meisner, Ian McGill, Kendra Mealy Wilk, and Sam Thousand.
We gathered for our first meeting at the Chicago Art Department, huge thanks to Carlos Flores and the entire team for hosting us. Each member received a welcome packet including an updated organizational overview, a copy of Locked Achievements (our first exhibition catalog), and a look into the impact of our youth programs.
We’re especially grateful that each board member has committed to a $2,000 give/get, helping us collectively bring in $10,000 to support our work this year. This is a powerful foundation, and we’re excited to build alongside this dedicated team.
Celebrating New Partnerships
This month, we hosted our first Open Stage at the Garfield Park Conservatory in partnership with Grace Urrutia, Nature Education Manager.
Our featured artist, Paige Ellis, led a powerful workshop centered on identity, vulnerability, and relationships. Participants explored the question: How long does it take to put your guard down? through her song “You Got It.”
14 artists signed up in advance
~40 attendees joined us in the space
Full performances and workshop highlights are now available online
Our next Open Stage will take place on April 16,
6–9 PM at HAIBAYO Café, featuring Dxtr Spitz.
Sign up to perform or attend at the link below:
Arts Programming Spotlight
We want to begin by recognizing Marci Okeke, who has completed her first full month as a teaching artist inside the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center.
Through her portrait painting classes, youth explored:
Facial mapping and proportions
Grisaille painting techniques
Emotional expression through color
Her classroom has quickly become a space of focus, creativity, and confidence-building. Even students who were initially hesitant became deeply engaged, producing detailed portraits and taking pride in their work.
“Students were creating with smiles on their faces.” – Marci Okeke
Building on that energy, we welcomed Jeanetta “Awthentik” Anderson, who recently shadowed Marci’s class.
“It was my first time working with the girls, so I was a bit nervous,but I felt welcomed right away. Marci and Elgin created a space that felt truly community-centered. The girls opened up through poetry, music, and conversation, we even bonded over zodiac signs. Seeing their focus and creativity firsthand left me feeling inspired and excited to come back and lead.”
Awthentik is currently developing Paint The Light, a literary arts campaign for girls at JTDC that uses poetry to explore identity, healing, and inner light. The program will support teaching artists, materials, and a youth-created poetry ebook.
The campaign has already raised over $3,500 toward its $5,700 goal.
👉 Support the campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/f/Paint-The-Light/cl/s
Student Highlights
This month’s standout student is Autumn D.
Autumn continues to show incredible growth across disciplines, excelling in Marci’s portrait classes while also making major strides in music production. She has now completed three original songs, moving closer to her first project.
Her featured track, “Clear My Name,” highlights her voice, vulnerability, and commitment to growth. We are incredibly proud of her continued dedication.
Creative Writing & Music Production
Executive Director Elgin Bokari continues to lead mixed media, creative writing, and music sessions with the boys’ units.
This month’s work centered around reflections inspired by “No More Old Men” by Chance the Rapper. Youth explored themes of mentorship, absence, and the impact of male figures in their lives—writing powerful responses and odes to both positive and negative influences.
In addition to writing, several original songs were created, including:
“Thoughts” by Kimble
“Free Wick” by Lenarius P.
Lenarius, reflected on his creative process during a recent interview:
“The hardest part was just memories… thinking about what to put in the song.”
Despite that challenge, he expressed pride in his work and the validation he received from his peers:
“When my whole pod said it was raw.”
He ultimately shared a simple but powerful message he wants listeners to understand:
“I’m a good person in real life, in reality.”
These pieces continue to show the depth, honesty, and emotional courage of our young artists.
Continued Partnerships
On March 5, Elgin Bokari led a workshop alongside James Sturm, founder of Center for Cartoon Studies, as part of a comics workshop hosted by Illinois Humanities titled Beyond Punishment: Applied Cartooning for a Liberatory Future.
The event brought together artists, educators, and community members for an evening of conversation, creation, and collective imagining, exploring how comics and storytelling can challenge systems of mass incarceration and envision new possibilities.
Participants created their own mini-comics while reflecting on personal narrative, justice, and social change—demonstrating how accessible, creative tools can spark deeper dialogue and understanding.
“It was so powerful to see you and James weave your stories together and encourage people to create… you bring out the best in people.”— Jane Beachy, Senior Director of Public Engagement, Illinois Humanities
This partnership continues to reflect SGLAI’s broader mission: connecting youth and communities to tools that not only build artistic skill, but also deepen awareness, critical thinking, and imagination for a more just future.
What’s Next
Free Comic Book Day @ First Aid Comics (Hyde Park) – May 2
Pocket Con 2026 @ Chicago History Museum – December 19 (12–6 PM)
We’re excited to continue building spaces where young people can create, perform, and be heard.
Thank You
Thank you to all of our supporters, partners, teaching artists, and community members who continue to believe in this work. Whether you’ve attended an event, shared our story, or supported us online, your presence helps make this possible.
To support this work, visit sglai.org, follow us on social media, attend an Open Stage, or donate here: https://donate.mazloweb.com/donate/support-the-work
