Art speaks louder than words
Art speaks louder than words
How creating art during a pandemic helped two artists spread a message
Jennifer Mossuto / Associate Editor / The USD Vista
USD junior Micaela Cross spent her time during the COVID-19 quarantine doing something she loves. Cross’ acrylic art is typically colorful and bright and focuses on light, summer themes featuring ice cream cones, pools, and strawberry fields, but Cross recently went out of her artistic comfort zone. Throughout her summer in San Diego, she found herself witnessing the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement right before her eyes.
“The rebirth of the Black Lives Matter movement was a very emotional time for our society,” Cross said. “These issues were not foreign to me prior to this in any way, however, this was the first time I saw and understood people’s expression of pain. It didn’t sit with me well. I’m not a comfortable advocate with my words, so I did what I do and I decided to create a piece of art, to sell and donate to the cause.”
Cross created a piece of art showing the recognizable fist in the air, representing the BLM movement. The fist in the air is made up of several different colors and skin tones, representing that we stand together. Titled “We stand,” Cross sold her print for $30 and donated all proceeds to the equal justice initiative.
Cross’ artistic journey began far before this summer. An Arizona native, Cross has loved creating art ever since she was a kid.
“I tried all of the sports, but nothing was as fun to me as making things.” Cross said. “I didn’t get serious about it, or find my niche until late high school when I fell in love with acrylics.”
Cross spent this summer in San Diego, but that didn’t stop her from getting her art into a gallery back home in Arizona, Art One Gallery, where her art is sold for up to $850. Amidst some of the most troubling times, Cross’ dreams were coming true.
“When I was younger, it seemed far off, unattainable, and glamourous,” Cross said. “What I realized was that the hardest part of it all was just gathering up the courage to take initiative and just do it.”
As a psychology and marketing major, Cross has not always had the time to create art as much as she wanted. In a way, quarantine gave her the gift of time and allowed her passion to grow. Pandemics in the past have created an abundance of powerful art: the Great Depression, the Black Plague, etc. Cross believes a similar outburst of art can arise from the coronavirus pandemic as well.
“If you trap an artist inside with art supplies, you are bound to be left with something that wasn’t there before,” Cross said.
Another student at USD shares a similar passion. Murphy O’Brien uses her art to speak out against the mental health stigma as well as to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Her “Stigma Stunts Growth” shows a person whose brain is overwhelmed with flowers, featuring a newspaper article in the background.
“Although the idea was sparked from the [Times] magazine, the real catalyst was my passion towards ending the stigma behind mental health,” O’Brien said. “Over the years, I have witnessed, supported and experienced battles with mental illness. I was fortunate enough to be raised in a household where vulnerability towards the conversation of mental health was encouraged and always supported.”
O’Brien, like Cross, believes that art can spread a message in a way that words can’t.
“I always think of the old English saying that ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ and it’s true — a multitude of feelings and complex ideas can be conveyed more effectively in one image than a verbal or written description,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien wants to spread a message close to her that often lacks the recognition it deserves: to get rid of the mental health stigma.
“I want to help promote the spread of that conversation beyond the walls of my home and increase the world’s understanding of the many faces of mental health,” O’Brien said. “I couldn’t think of a better way of starting that conversation than through my own mental therapy — art.”
O’Brien’s recent piece of art was based on systemic racism and the injustice she was seeing. O’Brien’s “Stronger Together” print is sold for $30 and 10% of all proceeds go to support the Boris Lawrence Henson foundation which “works to ensure cultural competency in caring for African Americans who struggle with mental illness by providing scholarships.” O’Brien’s painting shows fists in the air of all different colors. She wanted to illustrate the people she saw of all different color, size, and gender fighting the justice system.
“I didn’t want my white silence to perpetuate the problem, so instead I decided to speak up through my art,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien also found the extra time lately to be a gift, taking the opportunity to learn how to paint. She said it also taught her how to be more patient with her work, since she had all the time in the world.
Cross and Murphy use their passion to create and also to spread important messages. The gift of time has only helped them use their artistic talents to put a little more good out into the world.
Murphypaints on Instagram
Micaelacross on Instagram