Artist Statement:

The goal of this project was to ultimately show different ways that my own small community experiences art and humanities as a way of staying well and whole, and to encourage others that there is beauty even in works in progress/unfinished work. Over the years, I have slowly learned that enjoying the process of creating or appreciating arts & humanities can be just as fulfilling as producing completed works to be consumed and appreciated by others. In my opinion, focusing on the process and reducing the pressure of the outcome could allow others to rethink what it means to be an artist.

— Emily Nepomuceno, University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford, Class of 2022