Humboldt County’s first-ever Youth Art and Artefact Pop-Up Museum opens its doors to the public on Monday, April 14, from 4 to 6 p.m. The event will be hosted at the Schlueter Gallery, 330 Second St. in Eureka.
The one-day pop-up exhibition, “The Humboldt County Youth Experience: Struggle, Connection and Empowerment,” showcases youth from throughout the county with lived experience in foster care, mental health programs, juvenile justice and other systems and services.
Sonya Levy-Boyd, the project supervisor and supervising Behavioral Health clinician with the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services Transition-Age Youth Division, said, “The exhibition will demonstrate powerful, raw and deeply moving insight into their Humboldt youth lives through the display of stories and personal artifacts.”
The idea for the pop-up museum project, led by the staff of the Humboldt County Transition-Age Youth Collaboration (HCTAYC), was inspired by the work of the Foster Youth Museum.
Jamie Lee Evans of the Foster Youth Museum said, “Too many system-involved youth feel isolated and invisible. This pop-up will let us hear their voices and journeys, their vulnerable moments and their triumphs.”
A special workshop and pop-up museum for young people ages 16 to 26 will be held on April 12 and 13. Youth will co-create the exhibition space, weaving together their perspectives into something deeply powerful and meaningful which the community can immerse themselves in when the event opens on April 14. Calla Peltier-Olson, lead youth organizer for HCTAYC said, “It’s a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the resilience, creativity and power of youth.”
HCTAYC has been supporting youth leadership and voice in Humboldt County since 2009. Levy-Boyd said young people putting their system-involved experience on display is “an incredible show of bravery.”
“It takes courage to say ‘I've been part of these systems and here is my story’—not because there should be shame about system involvement—but because of how we attach stigma to the experiences of others that are outside of their control. The museum will enlighten you and hopefully reduce that stigma.”
Peltier-Olson added, “How often is it that you get a chance to look into the lives of others, and how often do we get to see the power of what love can do? Not all youth stories are bleak, many are celebratory.”
The Humboldt County Youth Experience Pop-Up is a free event and open to the whole community. Don’t miss the unique opportunity to honor the stories of young people in Humboldt County and gain a deeper understanding of their journeys and perspectives.
Young people ages 16 to 26 with lived experience in foster care, juvenile justice, homelessness and/or mental health systems, can sign-up to participate by clicking here: tinyurl.com/tell-your-story-2025.
For more information, email staff@hctayc.org.
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