Opening Reception
March 14 | 5-7pm

The Metamorphosis Exhibition showcases 15 murals created by students in JSC and the juvenile diversion program as part of the Just Us Mural Project (JUMP). Supported by a U.S. Department of Justice grant, this initiative empowers justice-involved youth through culturally relevant arts education.
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With the freedom of expression, youth from Rapid City have been collaborating on murals both on canvas and in Art Alley. These students have been building artistic skills, processing trauma, and developing compassion for their past to dream of their future. On display from March 7 through May 31, the exhibition highlights the transformative power of art in creating resilience and fostering positive change.

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Impacting Justice-Involved Youth with Art

The Just Us Mural Project (JUMP) is leading the charge in empowering at-risk youth. This initiative, fueled by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, leverages the transformative power of art education to ignite positive change in the lives of justice-involved youth. Rapid City is one of five communities in the country to receive the grant for this transformative initiative.

The vision for JUMP is justice-involved youth will benefit from culturally relevant arts education, resulting in fewer disciplinary infractions and greater compassion for themselves and others. If justice-involved youth have opportunities to engage in group-based projects to create public murals, the participants will participate less often in damaging behavior, gain critical self-management and social skills, develop new social bonds, and heal from traumas that lead to involvement in the justice system. These students will be transformed.

How the Murals Come About

Youth at the Juvenile Services Center pull from their tougher then average life experience to design a concept of a mural with a counselor and artist. The 3-day workshop at JSC culminates in a sketch which gets passed to students in Juvenile Diversion (JD).

Through placement by the Pennington County State's Attorney's Juvenile Diversion program, Juvenile Diversion participants attend a 10-day class at the Dahl where they bring that sketch to life. They paint the mural while bringing in their own stories and add elements from their own personal experiences to this artwork. By the end of each mural it has been transformed by 23 justice-involved youth in Rapid City.

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The murals center on the theme of Metamorphosis, symbolizing transformation, self-discovery, and personal growth. Participants reflected on the change they want to see in their lives and communities, as well as the values they wish to embody—resilience, kindness, strength, and creativity. Through this lens, the murals stand as powerful expressions of hope, potential, and the beauty of change.

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Mural #1

Completed January 26, 2024

Mural #2

Completed February 16, 2024

Mural #3

Completed March 8, 2024

Mural #4

Completed April 19, 2024

Mural #5

Completed May 25, 2024

Mural #6

Completed June 14, 2024
​Located in Art Alley

Mural #7

Completed July 19, 2024
​Located in Art Alley

Mural #8

Completed August 30, 2024
​Located in Art Alley

Mural #9

Completed October 11, 2024

Mural #10

Completed November 1, 2024

Mural #11

Completed November 22, 2024

Mural #12

Completed December 13, 2024

Mural #13

Completed December 20, 2024

Mural #14

Completed January 17, 2025

Mural #15

Completed January 31, 2025