BRIEF: Art department plans mental health workshop for March

By Kenya Harris, Staff Writer

Valley College’s art department will be hosting a free art workshop on March 8 for students called the Art is Good For You Workshop.

The workshop is being run by associate professor and Gallery Assistant Jenene Nagy in conjunction with Extended Opportunities Programs and Services. The associate professor has been at Valley for seven years and is excited to bring this no cost program to the campus community of students and faculty. The idea for the workshop came from a former student who shared their ideas, and now Nagy is able to put them into practice. The workshop will include a presentation by Valley alumni Wanda Bryant. She will speak about her own health journey and experiences. Art supplies will be provided for collage-making with fabric scraps.

This workshop will occur from noon to 1 p.m., and will be open to all students, and faculty. The ultimate goal of the workshop is to bring people together and facilitate creativity and wellness for the staff and student body.

Nagy stated that her goals for the workshop were two fold: to create a “safe space for creativity” and for those in attendance to “feel supported taking risks.” In other words, creating a safe space for self expression and processing emotions through art.

The goal of the Art is Good for You event is bringing people together. According to the assistant professor, making real human connections is an integral part for mental health. Many students work jobs in addition to their classes, so finding time to socialize and get creative is sometimes hard to do. A goal the workshop wishes to achieve is adding socialization to campus, helping relief stress of everyday life.

The event is one of the free mental health resources made available to students and faculty on campus. Visit the Valley College Art Gallery for more details or check out the event calendar on Valley’s website for three other Art is good for you workshops to be announced later.