Jewelry as a Path to Possibility: Inside Justice Studio at Pinellas JDC

What happens when creativity enters a space rarely known for self-expression? Thanks to a grant from the St. Petersburg Art Alliance, the St. Petersburg’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and the incredible team at NOMADstudio, I had the opportunity to find out.

From late September through mid-November 2023, I brought jewelry design workshops into the Pinellas Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) through NOMAD’s Justice Studio program, making the art of jewelry not just accessible, but empowering.

Each week, students joined me inside Justice Studio to design and create their own polymer clay rings. We started with something simple: ring sizing and a blank base. From there, they learned how to condition, mix, and sculpt clay into wearable pieces of art, a first for many of them. Every ring reflected its maker’s unique vision and voice. Some students chose to submit their work to our upcoming gallery show, while others chose to keep their pieces as a personal reminder of what they created with their own hands.

But the magic didn’t stop there.

While working with students in November, I used lost wax casting to create Sterling Silver versions of their polymer ring designs. I explored techniques like enameling, engraving, and gold plating to preserve the spirit of each original piece while elevating it into fine jewelry. At the same time, more students were invited to create plaster molds of their hands, a striking and personal way to display the rings for our December gallery exhibition.

During the show, we displayed both the silver cast rings and the plaster hand forms, along with a detailed walkthrough of the process, from first sketch to final cast. It sparked curiosity and questions from the students: How do I become a jeweler? Can I keep learning after release? Their excitement was contagious.

In total, I worked directly with 22 students, and shared the project with over 40 more. Many expressed how good it felt to create something of their own. For some, it was their first experience connecting creativity to a possible career path.

This project proved something simple but profound: art can transform lives, especially when it's placed in the hands of those who need it most.

You can now support this work directly by shopping the Justice Studio Collab Collection — featuring student-designed rings cast in Sterling Silver. Proceeds help fund NOMADstudio's in-house art program at Pinellas JDC, ensuring that creativity continues to have a place behind these walls.