iMiddle student’s art wins mental health awareness contest | News

The school received $500 from RVBH to win the winning student, and the money was donated to an art cart for students to use throughout the day.

Brooke Arnold, director of RVBH’s Community Prevention Center, said: “She was in her sixth grade when Mercy submitted this piece, so she won the K-6 division.”

According to Arnold, students were asked to describe what inspired their artwork, and their work was submitted to two rounds of judging: an internal group and an external group.

“She scored top marks for her use of materials,” said Arnold. “Her explanation really moved the judges.”

Mental health affects everyone in all its shapes and forms, says Ashton Robertson, youth empowerment prevention expert at RVBH’s Community Prevention Center.

“Giving them this platform to speak their minds and show them what being kind to their hearts means to them will empower them and show the students around them that the school is It empowers them to show that it’s a safe place to talk about their mental health,” she said.

Tanner told her that entering the contest is when people are struggling with their own battles.

“It shows that people are going through tough times and other people are helping them,” Tanner said. what you can learn.”

Tanner said she experienced her own challenges in creating the artwork for the contest.

“I didn’t know what to create and how to express it,” she said. “It’s hard to express how other people see the world, their struggles. Whatever I did, I wanted to express them.”

Tanner said the inspiration for her work came from others, including artists in the community.

“[Art] It definitely helps my mental health,” she said. “I’m sure others are the same.”

Tanner’s mother, Davy, said Tanner has been into art since elementary school and is happy that her “natural talent” has been recognized.

“The art cart provided to the school is a cool expression of River Valley’s mission for mental health awareness, along with Mercy’s love of art,” she said. We are delighted to have helped provide the school with a part of it.”