Sparks fly, lathes turn and air compressors hum at the Department of Juvenile Justice's Broad River Road Complex. These are familiar sights and sounds on campus, as youth in DJJ's vocational classes and work programs learn valuable skills while expressing themselves through art.

Thursday, December 5th, DJJ is excited to host the second-ever  "Meet the Artists" Night at the Broad River Road Complex. Media and the general public will have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with these young artists and hear what inspires them to create.

"Many of our youth come to us broken, hopeless, and without a sense of value," explains Agency Executive Director Freddie Pough. "Likewise, the old furniture and scrap materials our youth start with are broken and looked upon as having no value. With some work and attention, those rough materials are reclaimed, re-purposed and redeemed into something beautiful."

"Meet the Artists" will be held in the "CCC" Building from 5-7 p.m. The address is 4900 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29212.

Metalwork, woodwork, furniture and more will be available for purchase at the event. Youth-made items are also available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., at the DJJ Store of Hope. All sales are used to re-invest into these programs.

Media is welcome to attend. If interested in covering the event, RSVP to Public Information Manager Jarid Munsch at (803)896-8345 or publicinformation@djj.sc.gov