Lowell — Senior Kiera Troost’s passion is art, and she expresses herself through her work.
“Art is my everything … It’s my lifeblood,” she said while presenting her oil painting, “A Refuge from Isolation”, during the recent Be Nice Art Contest in the Lowell High School Media Center.
Kiera painted her friends Gwen Hoke, Tru Marsh and Morgan Hale on canvas, capturing their smiles and closeness. They are Kiera’s go-to people, the ones she reconnects with after she reemerges from her somewhat isolating process of creating art.
“When given the prompt of kindness, community and compassion, the only representation that came to mind was the three people who become a beacon of light through it all,” she said in her artist’s statement.
The contest was student-led and organized, with all students invited to contribute a piece as part of Be Nice Week. Students in art teacher Sarah Ellis’ painting and drawing class, however, completed entries as a class project.
‘We know through statistics that seeing and appreciating art actually helps with mental health.’
— teacher Sarah Ellis
The idea came together after Ellis and Student Leadership teacher Chaye Klomparens brainstormed how to create an art show that connects with the school’s annual Be Nice Week. They received a grant from the Lowell Education Foundation for materials.
“We know through statistics that seeing and appreciating art actually helps with mental health,” Ellis said. “We wanted to bring that message of art appreciation along with destressing our whole population by allowing classrooms to come down and view the art.”
Niceness on Display
Students’ entries touched on themes of anti-bullying, social justice, caring for nature, self acceptance, familial ties, positive affirmations and mental health into sketches, painting and collages. Students and staff voted on their favorites, with the top five vote-getters being Lannie Wester, Quinn Massey, Emma Boston, Dagmar Carr and Colin Baas.
The Student Leadership class organized Be Nice Week as a way to bring joy to students in the middle of the long winter months, said senior Leah Davidson.
Along with the art contest, students also shared personal affirmations and “things that should be said more often,” (like compliments) on sticky notes in the lunchroom. They handed out ice cream and suckers and greeted students at the door.
“It’s lifting them up and making them feel more positive,” Davidson said of the week’s efforts. “It’s also giving them a mental break, like, ‘Don’t take things so seriously. Don’t let things get to you so much’ … It’s like a fun spirit week.”
