Luther’s Table will host an art show opening reception for a joint project between St. Matthew Lutheran Church’s Breakfast Club and Art With Heart Friday, March 14.

The event is 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Luther’s Table, 419 S. Second St., Suite 1, Renton.

Katrina Sather, a program facilitator for Art With Heart, led teens and ‘tweens in creative expression workshops from September to earlier this month. The students, who drop into St. Matthew’s late school start breakfast program, produced 11 pieces of art that will be on display at Luther’s Table through March 25.

The project is “less about art and more about helping them express themselves creatively,” said Sather.

Art With Heart is a Seattle non-profit that uses creative expression tools to help children overcome trauma.

About eight to 12 Renton kids participated in the project. St. Matthew facilitates their breakfast program for kids in the area, who typically attend McKnight Middle School.

Students painted, did creative writing and visualization exercises, collage and worked with mixed media.

“We really don’t focus on having end products, but we celebrate everything that they’ve worked through,” said Sather.

Students were guided through the therapeutic journal “Chill & Spill,” which is published by Art With Heart. Mental health clinicians and life coach therapists provide the content for the non-profits’ books. The participatory workshops are designed to help students find healing, develop coping skills and build self-confidence.

“We really do like to have shows like what Luther’s is offering us, so the kids can display their work,” said Sather.

All the student participants have been invited, along with the public, to the reception on Friday.

For more information, call Luther’s Table at 425-970-3157.