A new era for creative collective 'Mad Youth' underway

In the last year, the creative collective, Mad Youth - self-described as "a pirate crew of misfit toys on a mission to change the world" - has created quite the positive stir in Vallejo.

With the opening of its first dedicated studio space, Captain and founder Beck Amick is hopeful that the positivity will stick.

The group is now entering a new era, one that Amick - until recently - said she has only dreamed of: a dedicated Mad Youth studio in Downtown Vallejo.

The multi-use space, located at 623 Marin St., is set to serve as a hub for creativity and a strengthened community for all.

Luckily, the new location is nestled in somewhat of a downtown hot spot, neighboring the Exchange - a popular creative workspace - and across the street from the well-loved Alibi Bookshop.

A bonus, Amick said, the space's landlord is the Gracie's Barbeque owner Ken Irvinson, a longtime local and supporter of the Mad Youth mission.

The goal for the studio is simple: to provide young people with a multi-use space where they can make art, explore healthy outlets, and build community.

"We want it to be like a community center for teens and kids to be able to hang out after school," she said. "I want to keep snacks and drinks stocked so that kids can just come in after school, grab a snack, a drink, make some art, and hang out."

The idea first came to Amick a little over a year ago. While working more closely with youth and teens through Mad Youth, she noticed a clear gap in Vallejo.

"There is just nowhere for them to go to hang out. They'll either go to the skatepark or they go and - like older teenagers - just hang out on the streets and smoke," she said.

When interviewing local youth on whether a physical location would prove to be beneficial to them, Amick says the consensus was, through and through, "yes."

Without a clear intention in the beginning, Mad Youth got its start in 2024. Inspired by two local brothers, Roman and Jacobi Helmick, Amick formed the brand with one general goal: to serve as a safe space for both kids and adults to be creative and find a sense of community.

Through interacting with local youth, she saw firsthand the lack of community spaces available for youth in Vallejo - an issue throughout the country.

Reflecting on her own childhood in Pittsburg during the early 2000s, Amick said she remembers having more spaces to gather, like malls and skating rinks, while growing up.

Now, fueled by what she credits as "sheer stubbornness" and continued community support, Amick said she hopes to help alter the narrative surrounding Vallejo youth.

Some people have made negative comments, like 'Oh, teens in Vallejo are just going to destroy everything," she said," but I really don't see that - a lot of the issues are that people don't listen to them right? They don't want to provide them with anything productive to do."

If you see someone as a villain," Amick added, "then you can't be surprised when they act like one."

With the help of their new studio in Marin, that stigma, she hopes, will fade.

Part of the motivation behind this work, the Mad Youth founder explained, is to create the same type of space, mentorship, and support that she needed at a similar age.

"I was the 'troubled youth' that ended up turning to partying and drugs as I got older, and it's kind of for the reasons that I'm providing this space - because I didn't have anyone who believed in me, who thought that my artwork was good, or that I had any talent," said Amick.

Her perspective on youth, she said, is entirely different.

"I see these kids as all the potential they have and as everything they have to offer the world," she said. Having that outlook, "I think we're going to get a much more positive outcome from that."

To introduce the community to the new space, Mad Youth will host a soft opening on May 8 during the Vallejo Art Walk. The event will include activities, music, merchandise for sale, and, while supplies last, freeze-dried candy.

"It's definitely going to be an experiment to see just how much we can do," Amick said. "Hopefully our space is going to be a reminder to people of all ages to get out in their community and - if they can - support something that makes a difference."

Those interested in supporting Mad Youth's mission can contribute through merchandise purchases on the official Mad Youth website or through its GoFundMe page.

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