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Courthouse Corridor Features Inspiring NWP Images

The main hallway of the Polk County Courthouse has recently taken on a new look. A variety of breathtaking photographs now adorn the walls thanks to a partnership between Polk County Judge Jeff Anderson and Northwest Passage. The two joined forces to create the “Compassionate Hallway”, a project Judge Anderson has been pondering for nearly four years. The goal of the “Compassionate Hallway” is to help calm the setting for those undergoing some of the most stressful and emotionally challenging moments of their lives. Whether a victim or a defendant, a witness or divorcee, a family member of someone affected or the child of someone undergoing a stressful situation, many find themselves forced to wait in the hallway outside the three courtrooms with little to look at other than other anxious faces or the commercial shade of neutral beige that covers the length of the hallway. The “Compassionate Hallway” project turned the long hallway into a stage for a display of photographs from around the world.

 

Julie Hall, Development and Communications Director, said “When Judge Anderson contacted Northwest Passage to be part of the Compassionate Hallway project it was a natural fit. His desire to create a space to offer inspiration and encouragement in the courthouse building closely aligns with Northwest Passage’s mission of restoring hope to those we serve. We’re happy to have been a part of making Judge Anderson’s vision a reality”.

 

Northwest Passage’s success is due in large part to its high-impact experiential programming. They have implemented a powerful therapeutic arts program, In a New Light, and showcase their residents’ inspiring artwork to the public at the one-of-a-kind In a New Light Gallery in Webster, WI. 

 

Funded with private donations and grants, the In a New Light program has provided an opportunity for Northwest Passage’s youth to travel around the country, and even internationally, capturing amazing sunsets, beautiful wildlife and serene wilderness scenes with their cameras. Along the way, many also captured parts of themselves that were otherwise out of reach.

 

Mark Elliott, Executive Director, said “Many of our kids’ lives have been defined by their mistakes, they’ve never received positive feedback or acknowledgment for the good things they’ve done. When they take a photograph they can be proud of, then see that photograph displayed to the public and be so well received, it has the potential to tap into feelings they may have never experienced. Feelings like pride, self-confidence, and acceptance. That can be a defining moment in the lives of our kids”.

 

The Compassionate Hallway features 70 of these inspirational photographs, each including a reflection, portrait, and biography of the photographer. The Compassionate Hallway is open to the public during regular business hours at the Polk County Court House. 

Your support helps fund In a New Light programming and projects like the “Compassionate Hallway”!

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