Holding the Pieces: The Healing Power of Art

Written By Amanda Grow, Executive Director of Grandview for Good

The Fragments to Wholeness exhibit, which opened at BDAC on May 30, 2025, offers a living testament to how creativity can create a bridge between pain and renewal. Highlighted by both the Standard Examiner and KSL, this powerful show displays glass artworks created by 11 Davis County adolescent survivors of sexual trauma.

Rooted in Trust and Trauma-Informed Care

The six-week expressive arts therapy program was designed by therapist Holly Willard (LCSW, RPT-S) and renowned glass artist Sarinda Jones.  They were joined by therapist Sarah Bargar (LCSW, RPT) in facilitating the class where students created five individual glass art pieces and one collective piece.

From Shattered to Whole

Glass was an effective metaphor for teens impacted by sexual trauma. Fragile shards, once dangerous, were transformed into creations that were beautiful and whole.  Participants learned to shape, fuse, and transform broken fragments—articulating experiences too deep for words.  The physicality of working with glass—feeling its sharp edges, molding it into strength—translated trauma into a tactile conversation. 

Healing through Community 

Among the most powerful parts of the class was the strength that the students gained from each other. 

“This has been the best experience since my assault. The amount of love and unconditional support has been so incredible and so unwavering. These girls have taught me strength and resilience and how to love after being violated. I am so incredibly grateful for this group”.  

Voices in Color and Glass

The culminating event of the Fragments to Wholeness therapy group occurred when the girls invited their safe people to attend a closed art show.  During this show, they read their artist statements and opened up about the transformation that they experienced through the group.

A few excerpts from the student artist statements:

​​In glass class, you take a bunch of hard, rocky, sharp glass pieces, as glass tends to be, and melt it into something beautiful. That’s what I can do too. I take all the fragments and all the broken pieces of this incident and use imagery to imagine taking all these pieces, putting them on glass and turning it into something beautiful and something I can learn from and look back on it and not feel shame, sadness, or guilt.

--Artist (name withheld) 

I’ve tried many kinds of therapies, but none have felt as healing as this class. I don’t know how to talk and express myself without a creative medium, but combining therapy and art is what this class has done, and I can’t thank the people running this enough for what they’ve done for me.

--Artist (name withheld) 

After the private show ended, BDAC hosted an art talk where the therapists, artist, and nonprofit funding partners spoke about the power of healing through art and therapy.

Community, Confidence, and Continuity

The public display—running through July 3– honors these young artists and shapes community understanding of trauma and recovery.  Grandview for Good and BDAC hope it’s just the beginning: they aims to facilitate future sessions, including an adult and teen group in the Fall of 2025.  Those interested in getting applying to be a part of the next Fragments to Wholeness Group may apply at this link:

By sharing stories through visual means, the exhibit sends a clear message: survivors are seen, heard—in every fragile piece and crafted form—and valued by a community committed to their healing.

Why Art Heals

1. Nonverbal Expression: Trauma often lives beyond words. Art offers a channel for emotions that can't be easily named .

2. Embodied Experience: The physical act of creating restores agency—holding, shaping, breaking, and reforming glass encourages rebuilding trust in one’s body and actions.

3. Visible Transformation: Art demonstrates metamorphosis—from sharp shards to unified form, reflecting a journey from pain to resilience.

4. Shared Narrative: Exhibits connect creator and viewer, helping dismantle stigma and foster empathy.

Your Invitation

Art is therapy. Art is hope. Art is connection. 

At Grandview for Good, we are deeply grateful to the Bountiful Davis Art Center for opening its doors—and its heart—to our young artists. BDAC provided more than gallery walls; it offered a sanctuary of creativity, safety, and dignity where our participants could feel seen, supported, and celebrated. The environment fostered by BDAC allowed these teens to not only display their art but to reclaim parts of themselves through the creative process. We are honored to partner with an organization that shares our commitment to healing through the arts and to building a community where mental health and creative expression are held with equal reverence.

*This group is offered to abuse survivors at no charge.  Learn more about our work here: grandviewforgood.org

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BDAC's Commitment to Healing Through Art

At Bountiful Davis Art Center, it was our honor to host Fragments to Wholeness—not only as an exhibition but as a sacred space for healing, storytelling, and transformation. This project reflects the core of our mission: to uplift our community through the power of creative expression and to foster environments where art becomes a bridge between individual growth and collective empathy.

We are deeply grateful to Grandview for Good and all the artists, therapists, and supporters who brought this vision to life. Witnessing these young artists reclaim their stories in glass was a profound reminder of why we do what we do.

If you’re part of a nonprofit or therapeutic organization using art in your work—or exploring how to begin—we would love to connect. BDAC is eager to partner with groups who share our belief in the power of art to heal, empower, and transform. Together, we can expand these opportunities and create more spaces where creativity serves as a catalyst for hope and renewal.

To start a conversation, reach out to Sarina: Sarina@BDAC.org