Art

Sy(STEM)ic Sexism – Rosalind Franklin

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“Rosalind Franklin was a woman who made exceptional contributions to the discovery of the double-helical structure of DNA. Her utilization of X-ray crystallography was arguably the most important key regarding the discovery, however,  for a long time, she received little acknowledgement despite her efforts. Two scientists researching the topic became aware of the structure and published their realizations – Franklin was scarcely mentioned in their work. The scientists would go on to receive a Nobel prize for their discovery, while people debated whether Franklin would have received the Nobel prize if she were alive. Although her contributions are more well known, she was never alive to witness the fruits of her labor, teaching us the importance of discussing sexism in STEM.”

Isolation

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“The meaning behind my piece is that you don’t have to struggle when you are at your worst. You can talk about what’s happening within you instead of letting it build up like I once did.”

Hope Flows

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The entry is a visual representation of how hope can flow from pain to create even more love.

Faces of Anxiety

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I chose this category for my painting because it’s a mental disorder that I suffer through a lot and tends to affect how I act when being social which having social anxiety can be a struggle. I also chose it because it’s a common mental disorder, and it can affect many people.

Subliminal

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“I have struggled with self-esteem and body image throughout the past few years. I have felt a huge amount of pressure from unrealistic standards that society has set. These standards distort the perception of beauty and cause people to be afraid of expressing themselves.”

A Little Fun

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“My entry is about practicing self-care by allowing your inner child to run wild. If they wish to dance, then you dance. If they want to finger paint, then you finger paint. Reconnecting to your inner child lets you enjoy the simple things in life and gives you a way to relax and have fun.”

Why Do I Feel Like This?

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When I made this work, I learned and realized a few things. One of the things that I learned is that people can be afraid of asking “Why do I feel like this?” They could be scared to address their mental health. They could also be scared of reaching out or trying to understand what they’re feeling. I realized that I relate to this because I sometimes avoid or ignore my mental health problems even though I shouldn’t. I wanted this project to feel relatable and to make a viewer realize that they could be ignoring their problems and then try to start addressing them.

You’re Not Alone

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“The green ribbon is a symbol for mental health and in my piece represents living or something alive. This is meant as a reminder that you’re not alone, that if you turn around to look in all directions, you’ll see that there are people like you who feel isolated and sad.”

The Mermaids of the Sickened Sea

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“My piece is inspired by the overwhelming pollution in the ocean that affects the life of sea animals. In my artwork you can see a mermaid looking solemnly into what has become of her ocean now filled with pollution and trash.”