Hard knocks come in many forms, and plague kids of many stripes — the gang-bangers, the druggies, the band geeks, the overweight, the sexually abused.
The good news is that the bad times can often lead to some compelling art. This is the lesson Santa Barbara’s chapter of City at Peace tries to instill in its students every year.
City at Peace is a nonprofit organization that encourages at-risk youth to express themselves artistically.
“We’ve got all kinds, from gang kids to straight-A students who are going to Harvard or Stanford,” said Nancy Davis, the director of Santa Barbara’s 12-year-old program. “That’s the idea — to mix them up.”