Art belongs in every space. In creative work, there are no wrong answers. Just choices, experiments, and what you make. Everyone deserves access to that freedom. And when they get it, powerful things can happen.
For example, a woman recently walked into the Seward Community Support Program (CSP) & Drop-In Center, unhoused, visibly struggling, and tearful about her circumstances. While chatting with staff, she noticed people decorating ceramic dishes with colorful markers. “Wait, what’s going on here?” she asked. Soon, she was creating her own beautifully decorated plate.
In spaces like these, art becomes a gentle pause in the day, a chance to breathe without having to be anything more than present, and an opening to more connections.
Quiet, yet powerful moments like this occurred during recent residencies by COMPAS Teaching Artists Emmett Ramstad and Jen Scott. Through a Minnesota State Arts Board Arts Education grant, COMPAS partnered with two organizations where adults gather for support and connection. Emmett led sculpture residencies at Seward CSP, a mental health drop-in center in South Minneapolis. Jen led improv and puppetry programs at MSS St. Paul, which provides community and support services to individuals with a wide range of disabilities.
Photo: Participant of Seward CSP workshop sharing the ceramic plate she decorated. Photo credit: Jes Reyes.
The Power of Showing Up
At MSS St. Paul, Jen became a Tuesday fixture. Over the course of the residency, she collaborated with staff to work with more than 60 participants aged 18-86.
During the first weeks, she led improv games and activities and, along the way, got to know everyone: who loved to play, who preferred to listen, who was nonverbal, and who had mobility challenges. By fall, when the puppet-making residency began, they were ready to dive into the next creative work.
The Seward CSP drop-in center serves 40 to 50 community members each day who are living with severe, persistent mental illness. Into this environment, Emmett arrived weekly. “I am always humbled and pleased when folks decide to come and make art with me,” he shared. “One significant takeaway from my residencies at Seward CSP is the importance of showing up regularly. Being a familiar face opens space for trust and normalcy that I think is conducive to the creative process.”
Photo: Two MSS St. Paul participants creating original works of art. Photo credit: Jes Reyes
Yes, And…
Matt Heuer, MSS program supervisor, describes Jen’s “superpower” as the improv principle of “yes, and,” which is accepting what someone offers and building on it.
“There’s not a single time I’ve ever heard her say, ‘No, let’s try something different.’ It’s always yes, and how do we build on top of that? Everything is a correct answer.”
Photo: Jen Scott working with participants from MSS St. Paul. Photo credit: Jes Reyes.
Emmett brought the same energy to sculpture, with the central belief that there are many different ways to make art. “I want to be surprised by what people make,” he said, “because it means they are experimenting and exploring the materials.”
Tara Inveen, Seward CSP program manager, witnessed this talent in action: “Emmett is really flexible in how he delivers programs. He’s open, understanding, and just relatable. He draws in people who otherwise wouldn’t participate.”
Why These Art Forms Work
Emmett loves making and teaching sculpture because “it opens room for abstraction and play.”
He introduced the Seward participants to Sculpey (a moldable clay that hardens when baked), so popular that staff had to limit its use, then moved to wire sculpture, scrap wood, card-making, and ceramic dishes. Working with Emmett quickly became one of Seward CSP’s most popular offerings.
Photo: Ceramic plate decorated by Seward CSP workshop participant. Photo credit: Jes Reyes
At MSS, during the first twelve weeks of her residency, Jen focused on improv. She adapted to moments, pacing games and activities to people’s energy and interest. When it worked, she knew immediately: “That quick engagement of an answer, that little bit of play, that was a huge thumbs up that we were creating something together.”
Later, she shifted to puppetry, which offered something different: a tangible object people could create, hold, and keep. Working with staff members, Jen helped participants bring their ideas to life.
What Gets Built Besides Art
Beyond individual pride, something else was building. Trust. Through play and patience, people learned they couldn’t get it wrong. As Jen puts it, “There are no right answers. There are no wrong answers.”
At Seward, Emmett created the same atmosphere. “He’s able to see people as people instead of by their disability or by how they’re showing up that day,” Tara notes. That genuine energy created what she calls “a positive feedback loop.”
Top Left: COMPAS Teaching Artist Emmett Ramstad.
Top right: Seward CSP workshop participant sharing a ceramic mug featuring their artwork.
Bottom left and right: Additional projects made with repurposed wood. Created by participants working with the support of Emmett.
Photo credit: Jes Reyes
Tara continued, “People who have felt more engaged in art, especially folks who were not as engaged in the space overall and their interest was piqued by art, have since been more apt to involve themselves in other CSP activities (health and wellness benefits, social involvement, etc.).”
Why Does Art Matter in These Spaces?
“Art belongs in every space,” Emmett says. “There is no end to the therapeutic potential of art.”
Photo: Seward CSP workshop participant sharing a ceramic mug featuring their artwork. Photo credit: Jes Reyes.
All photos shared with permission.
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