In May 2022, Talia Cardin, a youth facilitator collaborating with Tomei Kuehl (Consulting Within Your Context) and Trailhead’s Youth Sexual Health Program, and Isa Hussein, a youth member of the Youth Sexual Health Program Board, facilitated two art workshops with students at AUL Denver and Inside Out Youth Services in Colorado Springs. The workshops invited students to produce a work of art that embodies their relationships to pleasure, sex, and their bodies using a framework that centers the voices of youth directly through art, pleasure, and joy.

The artworks produced by students at AUL Denver and Inside Out Youth Services will be featured in the forthcoming 2022 State of Adolescent Sexual Health Report (SASH) this fall. Under the guidance of the Youth Sexual Health Program Board, the SASH is evolving to center Youth voice and non-traditional forms of data including art and storytelling.

  • Using art to embody relationships to pleasure, sex, and our bodies, participants produce artwork that centers youth narratives and offers a new perspective on sexual health in the state of Colorado. This new framework centers the voices of youth directly through art, pleasure, and joy.
  • Artwork by Desire Morales from AUL Denver of a colorful bouquet of flowers set against a white background. The artist's statement reads, ""I decided to use a bouquet of flowers concept because a bouquet is an assortment of different flowers. I wanted to bring attention to the fact that there are different types of vaginas and they are all beautiful!"
  • Artwork by Nora from Inside Out Youth Services of a comic of a trans woman drawn in pen with smeared blue, red, orange, and yellow paint brushed across the piece. The artist statement says, "When it came to sex education, my dad had decided to take me out of health class to teach me these things himself, believing the school’s education would not be appropriate. My sex education came down to abstinence only which took years to break out of that concept. Not only that but being a trans woman taught me that my body was abnormal and even demonic to some, so when it comes to self-portraits I decided to embrace this in a positive way and began drawing myself as a beautiful many eyed demon. I also drew art of a character from my comic named Vivi, she is a trans woman as well and embraces her sexuality and desires, in a way she was my own version of the confidence I wished to work towards."
  • Self portrait drawn on lined paper accompanied by an artist statement by Nora from Inside Out Youth Services that says, "Blossoming Womanhood - Desire Morales I decided to use a bouquet of flowers concept because a bouquet is an assortment of different flowers. I wanted to bring attention to the fact that there are different types of vaginas and they are all beautiful! Smearing Paint - Nora (She/Her) When it came to sex education, my dad had decided to take me out of health class to teach me these things himself, believing the school’s education would not be appropriate. My sex education came down to abstinence only which took years to break out of that concept. Not only that but being a trans woman taught me that my body was abnormal and even demonic to some, so when it comes to self-portraits I decided to embrace this in a positive way and began drawing myself as a beautiful many eyed demon. I also drew art of a character from my comic named Vivi, she is a trans woman as well and embraces her sexuality and desires, in a way she was my own version of the confidence I wished to work towards."
  • Self portrait drawn with pen accompanied by an artist statement by Nora from Inside Out Youth Services that says, "Blossoming Womanhood - Desire Morales I decided to use a bouquet of flowers concept because a bouquet is an assortment of different flowers. I wanted to bring attention to the fact that there are different types of vaginas and they are all beautiful! Smearing Paint - Nora (She/Her) When it came to sex education, my dad had decided to take me out of health class to teach me these things himself, believing the school’s education would not be appropriate. My sex education came down to abstinence only which took years to break out of that concept. Not only that but being a trans woman taught me that my body was abnormal and even demonic to some, so when it comes to self-portraits I decided to embrace this in a positive way and began drawing myself as a beautiful many eyed demon. I also drew art of a character from my comic named Vivi, she is a trans woman as well and embraces her sexuality and desires, in a way she was my own version of the confidence I wished to work towards."
  • Student artwork by Autumn from Inside Out Youth Services picturing a white cat with big eyes with a blue heart on its chest and a rainbow as the background
  • Student artowrk by Josie from Inside Out Youth Services. The artwork shows a left hand with painted fingernails with, 'This is me' written in the top left corner. The artist statement reads, "This is mostly a representation of my journey as a non-binary person. (I also consider myself trans which is seen by the colors on the nails), which has been very extensive in the grand scheme of things and difficult compared to many other things as well. "
  • Student artwork by an anonymous artist at Inside Out Youth Services featuring a colorful striped rainbow with abstract black curves drawn throughout. The artist statement reads, "this piece represents the deep queerness and abstract nature that pleasure has for me."
  • Artwork by an anonymous artist at Inside Out Youth Services featuring a colorful striped rainbow with abstract black curves drawn throughout. The artist statement reads, This piece depicts the experience of having a disability and its relationship with my sexuality. In my life I am missing a lot of personal autonomy despite reaching adulthood. I feel like I am perpetually in a space between tight ribbons and tangled lines. Although not always deliberately, individuals around me don’t perceive me beyond having a disability and as a result respond poorly when I behave my age per say. Specifically when it comes to my sexuality I find that it returns the personal autonomy the world took from me. This piece depicts the feeling of individual freedom granted in my sexuality."
  • Student artwork by Sam from Inside Out Youth Services. The artwork shows three figures with words that say, 'No matter the amount of pleasure you feel, you are normal, you are loved, you are you.' It is accompanied by an artist statement that reads, "Making this piece I was thinking of my own personal experience as an asexual and others possible asexual experiences with pleasure. "
  • Untitled artwork by Aves from Inside Out Youth Services picturing two abstract figures linking arms. One figure is made of bright pink petals; the other figure is made of leafy ferns, both are set against a black background
  • Graphic design artwork by Victoria Cordova from AUL Denver of a green billboard that says, "Welcome to Womanhood, or in other words". Below the large heading are a series of stereotypes that women often experience. The artist statement reads, "Being a woman or someone who is female presenting , you often hear and see many disgusting things based on your gender or appearance. My inspiration came from things I’ve personally hard, things I’ve heard others called, and general stereotypes against women. "
  • Artist statement written by Victoria Cordova from AUL Denver that reads, "Living in the world we live has been difficult growing up as a girl, and I think it’s important to bring attention to the things we experience, so I asked my mom, my sister, my best friend and I researched to find common stereotypes and disgusting things we’ve all heard and experienced. I used digital art as a medium to create a sign with a bunch of phrases and I used the sign as a metaphor to say “take this as a sign to learn what we (women) experience.” I’m sick of having to fight against the patriarchy and stereotypes; and I’m even more sick of having to fight for our rights. Women’s rights are human rights."
  • Artist statement by Victoria Cordova that states, "Women’s bodies are often objectified, sexualized, and criticized. This art piece was inspired by the beauty of women’s bodies. It also can show that you can appreciate different bodies without sexualizing them. I’ve noticed that everyone always compares their bodies to others. I think it's important to understand that everyone's bodies are unique and beautiful no matter how you present. This project is also a way for me to portray “you are more than your body" and you should love your body for all she does for you."
  • Student artwork by Itzel Rodriguez-Molina from AUL Denver of a black silhouette of a woman with a pony tail and a heart at the base of her neck. The artist statement reads, "Females are a lot more than what’s on the outside. Some people just hit it and quit it, not realizing that they have feelings on the inside. This can cause insecurities and questioning themselves, so they start getting less intimate. I think we should be more considerate of human feelings."
  • Student artwork by Alia Sanchez from AUL Denver of a mixed media sculpture of a woman made with brown clay covered in florals. The artist's statement reads, This is a message to women: We are more than what people let us be. We are powerful and beautiful in all ways. No matter the body shape or the skin color. So love everything about yourself. We may not be perfect to what meets the eye, but we are perfect in our own way. And the only way to know that is by knowing your worth."
  • Student artwork by Ariana Rodriguez at AUL Denver. The artwork depicts male, female and non-binary gender icons set against a rainbow background. The artist statement reads, "The meaning behind my artwork is to make a stand as a gender fluid member of the LGBTQ. I want to represent that we shouldn’t just have a female & male bathroom. We should always include another for all genders. We are all humans and alike in many ways and I believe we should have an all-gender bathroom and get our freedom without getting judged/ discriminated when walking into one."
  • Student artwork by Kaylene Claybaugh at AUL Denver picturing the back of a kneeling, naked woman colored using orange, red, and yellow hues. The artist's statement reads, "Women are so over sexualized for their bodes. It doesn't matter what your body looks like or how old you are. But women are so much more. yes we can be sexy, but we also have other pieces to us and you have to look deeper to see them.:
  • Artwork by Devin Esquibel from AUL Denver titled Sexual Angst. The picture depicts a gray figure portraying fear set against a brown background. The artist statement reads, "In this drawing I was trying to capture the fear in sex and the personal body for the young male teen. I decided to use mostly charcoal in this drawing because I was trying to portray fear of the unknown through this shade. The red in the picture was meant to symbolize frustration due to this fear and the frustration of sexual angst in itself."
  • Student artwork by Maria Galvan-Mireles portraying a female body with thermal spots indicated over her chest, torso, and thighs. The artist's statement reads, "I painted a thermal body to show that all types of bodies are perfect/normal. I feel that many girls are scared of intimacy as a result of body shaming. We should love ourselves first."
  • Artwork by a student at AUL Denver displaying a rose accompanied by words that say, "For she was taught not to be her self but to be a lady." The accompanying artist statement reads, This piece is about womanhood. You are taught to be neat and clean and be beautiful and know how to cook and clean. But the overall message is women lose who they are by having to deal with these problems."
  • Artwork by a student at AUL Denver displaying a male judge in a courtroom with a mug that repeats the word 'Money' across the mug. The artist's statement says, "This piece is a judge that didn’t listen to a victim of sexual assault. Other people corrupted the judge’s decision."
  • Artwork by Agneda Blancas depicting an abstract portrait of a female portrait using black ink set against a mixed gray background. The artist's statement says, "My piece is a representation of the independent growth of myself as a young woman, as well as the growth of contentedness. I have learned with my body, and the increase of knowledge on my body’s autonomy."
  • Artist statement by anonymous student at AUL Denver that states, "This piece represents the gift and the necessity of consent. Consent is given, not taken. It opens up the doors of beauty and secrets."
  • Artist statement by anonymous student at AUL Denver that states, "The nude woman is placed in a secret garden to show that consent is the key to the reveal. Eyes are the window to the soul and mind. I placed an eye over her vagina because the vagina is the window of life."
  • Artwork by Julissa Blancas from AUL Denver. The artwork shows blue, purple, and orange flowers blooming out of a deep red anatomical heart. The Artist's statement says, "The meaning behind my painting is describing how people throw around the word love. a lot of people are not comfortable telling someone right away I love you and some people are. I’m one of those type of people that don’t really like telling people I love you for personal reasons but when you try describing it to someone they don’t understand you and just tell you it’s a word just accept it and just say it back but deep down you can’t so I wanted to confined a heart describing love and the flowers coming out of it describe many emotions.."

In Their Own Words:

Youth Art Workshop Reflections and Lessons Learned

From Talia Cardin, Youth Facilitator of Trailhead’s Youth Sexual Health Program Board

I am Talia Cardin (they/them). I am an artist, an activist, a young person, a change maker, and the youth facilitator for Trailhead and co-leader of this project.  I create, envision, and love. I believe sex education is a vehicle for societal change, and an integral human right. Initially upon being hired by Trailhead I knew this report was an opportunity to privilege youth voices into decision making spaces, and had the power to alter how young people are able to engage with sex education. My participation and that of my peers in the creation of this report in itself models the reformation and ideal sexual health experience, where young people are regarded with dignity and respect, and have autonomy over our lives and education. Throughout this process, and all of my work, I promote an intentional centering of young people through equitable youth adult power dynamics. Throughout this process I have brought my lived experience as a young person to the table, but my voice alone is not representative of the nuanced experience my peers face in our daily lives, so I was constantly looking for more outlets to engage and center my peers.

Young people are affected daily by the intertwining systems of oppression that inform and constrict sexual education, so it is only right that we should be able to influence and control what information we learn and the lenses through which we access that information. Currently adults in positions of power are able to decide on our behalf what potentially life altering education and information we will engage with, without consulting us. This rendition of the SASH flips this power dynamic on its head through intentionally centering young people’s lived experience through art and storytelling.

Art is fundamentally opposed to the current systems of sex education that are centered in conformity and shame. Art is a form of storytelling that celebrates self-expression, it is a vehicle to span barriers and connect across countries and cultures. Art is a tool of change. I, along with my co-facilitator Isa, created an art making workshop, Pleasure Artshop, where we could explore words such as Love, Joy, and Pleasure with other young people.

This art workshop was a representation of an ideal form of sex ed, that celebrates the nuances of lived experience, expression, and exploration. Joy and pleasure are essential aspects of sexual health that are  overlooked in curriculums that focus on fear, shame, and negative aspects of sexual health. In these workshops my peers and I explored our own personal definitions of pleasure, erotic, intimacy, love, and sex in comparison to the definitions of these words we have been taught. Many young people explored the relationship of their bodies, sexualities, and identities to the messages society sends about how they should be. We discussed how pleasure and the erotic can be a way to claim autonomy in one’s life, especially if you have not had autonomy over your body in other areas of life. We discussed  the intersectionality of pleasure, and how it is not purely sexual, but can also look like living without fear in a black or brown body, or the right to not be sexual. Our conversations were supplemented with optional readings and reference artwork, such as “Uses of the Erotic: Erotic as Power” by Audre Lorde, All About Love by Bell Hooks, Pleasure Activism by Adrienne Marie Brown, Disability and Reproductive Justice by Mia Mingus, Healthy Sexuality by Native Youth Sexual Health Network, and Anishinaabekwe conception art-making by Quill Violet Christie-Peters.

We compensated my peers for their time and participation in the art workshop as well as for the rights to use their artwork. This was vital to maintain the equitable youth/adult power dynamic, as young people are rarely compensated for their time or expertise on projects similar to this. When you equitably compensate young people for their time, and enable creative pathways of engagement, we show up with force and thoughtful consideration, and create beautiful change.

Exploring Sexual Health through Isms and Artwork

To dream of a new approach to youth sexual health education – one that is focused on pleasure and joy – we must recognize how we arrived at where we are today. Here we explore the history that impacts sexual health and sex education, recognizing that these experiences are centered within an existing context rooted in colonialism, capitalism, racism, heteronormativity, ableism, classism, and other forms of oppression.

In our work with the Youth Sexual Health Program Board to reimagine Colorado’s State of Adolescent Sexual Health Report, the Board identified a need to define and provide historical context for these isms, noting that many of these concepts may not have negative connotations for some people. The blogs included here were researched, written, and produced by Tomei Kuehl with the aim of building awareness for how these isms impact the field of sexual health, and inspire reflection of how these systems of oppression broadly influence public health.

Explore the Isms

With Gratitude to the Youth Sexual Health Board

The facilitation of the Pleasure Artshops received the full support of the Youth Sexual Health Program Board who collectively expressed a desire for a greater inclusion of youth voice alongside the recommendations and forthcoming SASH report. It has been a gift to work alongside the Youth Sexual Health Board Members, who have consistently advocated for centering youth experiences, pleasure, and joy in this work. Thank you.