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At ArtsXchange, we use every opportunity we get to encourage kids to think outside the box. Our 2026 Creative Careers for Youth Arts Intensives Series is a prime example of what it means to connect, create, and expand what it means to prepare children for the future. In case you missed our last blog post about it, Creative Careers for Youth is ArtsXchange’s initiative designed to give young people, ages 11-18, the professional tools, creative freedom, mentorship, and literary skills they need as the next generation of innovators. Over the course of five days, the kids engaged with various hands-on activities that spoke to developing a sense of self through literary and visual art practices. Sneakerheadz Creative Design w/ Zerric Clinton Artist Zerric Clinton During artist Zerric Clinton’s Sneakerheadz classes, students engaged with wearable art in the form of sneakers. They had the option to either paint directly on a pair of sneakers or they could create 2-D designs for shoes on canvas or paper. Many students took the route of using multiple materials in their designs and found new ways of creating that spoke to them. In addition to the footwear design portion of the lesson, students learned about important artistic fundamentals like color theory and elements of design. STUDENT REVIEWS “I like what we did today because we watched (an) awareness video now I am fully aware. And I love sketching and meeting Mr. Zerric and I enjoyed him teaching us.” - N. “I learned how to draw a shoe. I liked (that) we got to color today.” - E. “I liked all of it. I really liked designing sneakers.” - I. INKSPIRE: Creative Communications w/ Theresa Davis Out of the many teaching methods our Literary Director Theresa Davis has developed in her career, one in particular that always stands out to students is utilizing the game scrabble. The students were instructed to create and connect words using letter tiles and from those words, develop their own short story. Their imaginations ran and we got everything from family vacations to ninja bananas. We were even graced with an original song by one of our young minds! Of course, new students always bring new challenges to face. During this spring break session, we worked with quite a few home schoolers and one of the biggest opportunities for growth for the students was getting to experience a classroom environment like this and have more independence in their daily activities. Instructor Theresa Davis made sure to leave space for parents and students to feel comfortable every step of the way. By stressing the importance of creative freedom and using your words, students were introduced to new ways of thinking and it showed in how they responded to each other as time went on. STUDENT REVIEWS “I learned how to play scrabble and (use) complementary colors. It was interesting.” - N. “I learned that you can make masks out of casts.” - B. “Today I learned that without most social and visual awareness videos and campaigns, most accidents that happened, because people didn’t have awareness, wouldn’t get recognition.” - M. “I learned how to make masks. And how to create things even with recycled tools and etc.” - N. “So INKSPIRE was a challenging week but a very enjoyable week. I felt like for a lot of the youngsters, this may have been their first experience away from their parents through the day and having to adjust to new people and getting to know new people, having conversations, creating art. I think they were all very engaged and really enjoyed what we did as far as mask masking, play making, generating our own stories. It was overall a success. I can’t wait to do it again.” - Literary Director Theresa Davis Looking to register your child(ren) for our camp? Below are the upcoming camps for our 2026 CCFY Arts Intensive Series Summer Session. For more information, check out our Creative Careers for Youth Program page. JAMMS: Journalism as Music, Multimedia, & Songwriting Instructor(s): Trey Carlisle (EMCEE P.O.E.T.R.E.Y.) & Brianna Nicola (Bree Soul) Session 1: June 22-27 • 11am–4pm • $125 | REGISTER Session 2: July 13-18 • 11am-4pm • $125 | REGISTER Visual Literacy & Media Instructor(s): Theresa Davis Session 1: July 6-10 • 11am-4pm • $125 | REGISTER Session 2: July 20-25 • 11am-4pm • $125 | REGISTER Remix & Rewear Youth Fashion & Printmaking Lab Instructor(s): Jasimine Agapé Pennywell Session 1: July 20-25 • 11am-4pm • $125 | REGISTER The Southeast Community Cultural Center d/b/a ArtsXchange is pleased to offer partial and full scholarships for our youth programs and summer camps. Click the button below to view our CCFY Scholarship Application. _________________________________________________________________________ Message from the Founder: “I know from my own experience, and from most of the artists that I know, that when children are introduced to the arts early, it has a profound impact on the way they see themselves, the way they organize their life, and the way that they make sense of the world. So even if you don’t become an artist, it informs everything you do in your life. We want children to grow into their full, whole selves. And that means expressing your artistic side as well your intellectual side. Welcome to the arts.” - Executive Director Alice Lovelace

Visitors walking by the EJ Storytelling Bank at the 2026 ArtsXchange Earth Day Celebration Connection is the heart of the ArtsXchange community and that includes connection with the natural world around us. This past Saturday, the AXC 2026 Earth Day Celebration was a hallmark collection of environmental conservation efforts across members of our community and the larger metro-Atlanta area. For those who don’t know, Earth Day was first held on April 22, 1970 and has now spread to a global audience. Institutions and individuals around the world come together to learn about environmental awareness and advocacy. When we think about what it means to be environmentally conscious and ethical, that includes everything from what we eat to the infrastructure of our cities. Here at ArtsXchange, leaders within the environmentalism sphere showcased a wide range of stories, practices, and ideas for how to lead lives that are a little bit greener and more sustainable. And what an amazing turnout we had from the nearly 100 visitors of all ages and backgrounds. Over at ArtsXchange, we like to get a little creative with it and bring something new and exciting. Here are some of the activities visitors go to experience over the course of the day! Creative Workshops: Inside our artists studios, visitors engaged in visual art experiences focused on upcycled and sustainable materials with AXC studios artists Kenneth Zakee (below, left) and Lisa Tuttle (below, right). Culinary Excursions: Whether it was cooking or eating, our Earth Day was full of food. Outside, visitors were able to learn nutritional recipes from culinary experts Tamie Cook, Lorrie Green, and Gloria Jenkins w/ East Point Thrive (below, left). For those wanting a little more, visitors were also able to purchase fresh produce and cooked food from agriculture expert Charlie Robinson’s OOOWEE Fresh Market (below, right). EJ Storytelling Bank & Information Market - The ArtsXchange parking lot was transformed into a collection of organizations showcasing information about environmental justice, conscious cooking, and activism (slideshow below). Hosted by Opal Baker with Forward Together East Point, organizations included were: Rakiia Butler w/ Pangea Garden Collective Genia Billingsly w/ Canopy Atlanta Donna Stephens w/ Proctor Creek Stewardship Council and Chattahoochee Brick Company Descendants Coalition Alfred Tucker w/ Atlanta Watershed Learning Network Alumni Group / Stop the Flooding Coalition Opal Baker w/ Forward Together East Point Yvonne Boone w/ SouthSide Environmental Justice Alliance Corporation (SEJA) Lilian Austin, Dolly Evans, and Laura Harrison w/ Market 166 Grocery & Kitchen Cooperative Andrea Jones w/ Georgia Coalition of Environmental Policy and Protection (GCEPP) Chante Lively w/ West Atlanta Watershed Alliance M. Soto, Oya Money-Worthy, Jamilla Stephen w/ Atlanta Planting Cooperative Film Festival: Inside the Paul Robeson Theater, visitors viewed a series of documentaries related to environmental justice in the South East United States along with Q&A sessions after each film (Hosted by Opal Baker with Forward Together East Point). (below) Gardening Workshops: Outside in the Fresh Oasis Garden, visitors learned about rain water collection with community leader Tenisio Seanima with CLEAN, INC. For those interested, our Ebon Dooley Room was the space for our permaculture seminar from Brandy Hall with Shades of Green Permaculture. Connection Experiences: Visitors had moments to engage with community members via yoga classes with Instructor Spurgen Brown (below), literary discussion with Author K Rashid Nuri (below), and personal interviews with Yvonne Boone from SouthSide Environmental Justice Alliance Corporation (SEJA). Thank you to all of the amazing contributors and exhibitors who shared all their knowledge and experience with us. Thank you to all the staff and volunteers working behind the scenes to make events like this possible. Student Volunteers from Repair the World standing in front the AXC Back Garden Mural We would like to give a shout out to the Volunteers from Repair the World (pictured above). This amazing group of college students helped us move our archives and get things set up for Earth Day. More updates to come regarding our AXC archives! And last but certainly not least, thank you to all the visitors who came and spent the day with us. This was truly a testament to how important it is that we all come together and learn how to tend the earth and ourselves better. Want to get more involved and learn more about gardening? Check out the Fresh Oasis Community Garden page and sign up today to join our growing number of personal garden beds!

Join us for an engaging artist talk featuring the exhibiting artists of Toxic Beauty as they share insights into their work, process, and the ideas behind the exhibition. The program invites open dialogue, encouraging community feedback and conversation around the themes of beauty, harm, and environmental awareness. This is an opportunity to hear directly from the artists and participate in a thoughtful exchange that connects art with lived experience. Learn more about the event and RSVP at the link below -

Uma, Cailin, Theresa, and Kimberly Theresa Davis - Literary Program Director ArtsXchange Outreach is easily one of my favorite parts of this work—it’s where I get to carry a love of language directly into the community and watch it take root. For more than a decade, I’ve partnered with Beacon Hill Middle School, home to a dedicated Poetry Club where students collaborate with local poets, sharpen their voices, and prepare for their annual slam. This year’s group brought both skill and heart. Seventh graders Mila, Uma, and Madeline, alongside eighth graders Lucy, Laney, Kimberly, Liv, Lilly, Cailin, Sylvia, and River, showed up ready—curious, and deeply engaged with the prompts. The annual slam itself has a powerful legacy. Seventeen years ago, educator Stacey Daniels introduced slam poetry to her 7th grade English Language Arts classes as a way to open new pathways for expression. After her passing in 2012, the event was renamed the Stacey Mama Daniel Poetry Slam in her honor. Her spirit—nurturing, affirming, and student-centered—still shapes the energy of the room through the teachers, staff, students, and volunteers who continue the tradition. The Beacon Hill Poetry Club 2026 This year’s slam, co-hosted by Renita Walls and Teaching Artist Theresa Davis, took place on April 23 at Decatur High School’s auditorium. The performances were unforgettable. Kimberly took first place, followed by Uma in second and Cailin in third. Kimberly was then invited to compete in the Spring Fling Poetry Slam the very next evening—where, at just 14, she advanced to the second round in her first adult competition. The Poetry Club returns in the fall, and the door is always open. If your child’s school is interested in bringing ArtsXchange teaching artists into the classroom, feel free to reach out to Theresa Davis at theresa@artsxchange.org.

Check out the Literary Programs coming to the ArtsXchange this month! EVENT HIGHLIGHT - 2026 Creative Careers for Youth | Summer Session Registration OPEN Visual Literacy and Media with Theresa Davis Session 1: Jul 6 - Jul 10, 2026, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM Session 2: Jul 20 - Jul 24, 2026, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM Through guided workshops, collaborative projects, and exposure to professional tools and techniques, students will discover how creative communication shapes the world around them. From brainstorming story concepts to showcasing their finished zine at the week’s end, each participant will take home a tangible reflection of their ideas and growing confidence as creators. Parents can feel confident knowing this program balances fun and focus, keeping minds active, imaginations engaged, and communication skills sharp during spring break. Learn More | Get Session 1 Tickets | Get Session 2 Tickets | Scholarships Xchange Open Mic & Slam Fri, May 8, 2026 | 8p.m. - 10p.m. $10 in advance, $15 at the door List opens at 7:30 p.m. Hosted by Theresa Davis, Xchange Open Mic is a celebration of voice, story, and sound. Whether you’re a poet, comedian, musician, storyteller, or creative shapeshifter, this mic is for you! Must be age 18 or older to perform.   Learn More / Get your tickets! 2nd Saturday Writers Workshop Sat, May 9, 2026 | 2p.m. - 4 p.m. $10 Find your writing community, share and receive feedback, and hone your craft with the guidance of author Theresa Davis and guest facilitators who are experts in their fields. The workshops use thought-provoking prompts and ekphrasis to help you explore a variety of writing styles and genres. Learn More / Register for Workshop Scrabble Club Sat, May 16, 2026 | 2p.m. - 4p.m. FREE Scrabble Club is a fun and engaging way to enhance literacy, spelling, problem-solving, and conversation.Whether you’re a seasoned Scrabble master or just learning the ropes, this intergenerational gathering is perfect for all ages and skill levels. And we have snacks! Please RSVP to let us know you're coming.   RSVP for Scrabble Club 4th Saturday Writers Workshop Sat, May 23, 2026 | 12p.m. - 2p.m. $10 Every fourth Saturday of the month, find your writing community, share and receive feedback, and hone your craft with the guidance of author Theresa Davis and guest facilitators who are experts in their fields. The workshops have helped people develop their creative voice and even publish their work. Don't miss out!   Learn More / Register for Workshop Playing with Our Words Sat, May 23, 2026 | 2p.m. - 4 p.m. FREE Spark your creativity and connection through the power of words. After a game of Scrabble, participants explore wordplay, storytelling, and imagination with creative writing prompts. The challenge is to write using the words on the Scrabble board. Families are strongly encouraged to attend together. RSVP to play! Our Literary Program Page serves as a comprehensive resource for all things related to our literary events and initiatives. Visit our Literary Program Page for more events and information. Sign up for the ArtsXchange Newsletter to stay up to date with what's up next at the ArtsXchange. Theresa Davis Literary Program Director Theresa Davis is an educator, storyteller, poet, author, poetry slam champion and the host of the award winning open mic Java Speaks. She has performed on stages across the nation as a poet and keynote speaker. She was a classroom teacher for over 25 years, specializing in cross curricular education. Learn More

Nothing says National Poetry Month like writing prompts, open mics, and a good old poetry slam—and yes, we did all of that at ArtsXchange! Not because our Literary Director is a Poetry Slam Champion with three published poetry collections… no, no, that had absolutely nothing to do with it. 😉 This year, we dropped 11 poetry prompts across Instagram and Facebook. And just a reminder—every prompt is an open door. Walk through it however you like: poem, prose, short story. Let your creativity roam a little. Poetry prompt for you to try. Our Spring Fling Poetry Slam—now in its 5th year—keeps leveling up. This time, our “sacrificial poet,” Mr. Funn, lit up the room with a brand-new piece, “Bob the Builder.” The call-and-response moment? Pure magic. When he asked, “Can we fix it?” the crowd didn’t hesitate—“YES, WE CAN!” The kind of joy that sticks with you. Twelve poets took the stage: Selah Fields (first-timer), Alexandra Peters, Thee Charles Hines, Marcia Michelle (first-timer), Nathan Wallace, Kamal Speaks, Faith Jenea, Shanese Shields (1st Timer), Kimberly Grant (first-timer and just 14!), Jill Spisak, M.C. Prang, and Sean P. Speaks. Shoutout to Karen G., our timekeeper/scorekeeper, who kept us all honest. Poems are scored from 0 - 10. The high score and low score are dropped, After three rounds and 22 incredible poems, here’s how it landed: 3rd place: Faith Jenea (87.4) 2nd place: Sean P. Speaks (88.6) 1st place: Nathan Wallace (89.1) — and $1,000 richer Nathan… about that $20 loan. Let’s talk. 😄 Huge love to our first-timers—stepping on that stage takes real courage. We see you. Next year, we’re shaking things up: a 1-minute round, a 2-minute round, a 3-minute round, and an improv round. Get ready. Spring Fling 2026 Champ Nathan Wallace And if you missed us this month, don’t worry—the Literary Program is active every month. Open mics, slams, creative writing workshops, even Scrabble if you’re feeling strategic. All the literary fun lives right here at ArtsXchange. Come play. https://www.artsxchange.org/literary-program

By Angela Oliver | ArtsXchange Media EAST POINT, Ga., April 28, 2026 — At ArtsXchange, play isn’t just for children—it’s a practice, a release, and a way back to oneself. This spring and summer, ArtsXchange is launching a slate of adult art classes designed to help people reconnect with creativity, build community, and make space for curiosity again. The season opens May 14-16 with Paper Quilt Collage, taught by multidisciplinary artist Lisa Tuttle. In this three-session workshop, participants transform photographs, family history, and cultural memory into layered 18”x24” collage quilts, using mixed media techniques. The series concludes with a community hallway exhibition. In June, Zerric Clinton’s Sneakerheadz: Creative Design allows participants to reimagine their kicks through color, pattern, and personal style for a group showcase, soundtracked by the music that moves them. Additional classes throughout the year expand the ways adults can engage creativity: Heirloom Totems: Intuitive Doll-Making with Jasimine “Agape” Pennywell invites participants to create deeply personal, symbolic figures using upcycled materials and meaningful objects, turning memory into something you can hold. The Language of Fabric: Volume II — Inner & Shown, also with Pennywell, uses textile collage to explore the tension and harmony between inner life and outward identity through paired fabric works. Reflections in Focus with Chanda Scott guides participants through photography as a tool for storytelling, using light to explore identity, emotion, and growth in a final portfolio series. Across all offerings, ArtsXchange centers accessibility and process over perfection. “No prior experience is required, just a willingness to show up and try,” said Tuttle. Research continues to affirm that creative practice supports mental health, reduces isolation, and activates parts of the brain tied to problem-solving, memory, and emotional regulation. In a time when many adults are stretched thin, spaces for play and making are not indulgent, they are necessary. Class Details (Adults 18+) Paper Quilt Collage with Lisa Tuttle — May 14-16 (Thu–Fri, 6–9 pm; Sat, 3–6 pm), $75 (supplies included) Sneakerheadz: Creative Design with Zerric Clinton — Saturdays in June, 1-5 pm, $75 (bring your own sneakers) Heirloom Totems with Jasimine “Agape” Pennywell — Dates TBA The Language of Fabric: Volume II — Inner & Shown — October 20, 22, 27, 29 & 31, 3-6 p.m. Reflections in Focus with Chanda Scott — Sept. 8-19 (evenings and Saturday session), times TBA Registration for Paper Quilts is open now. For more information or to sign up, visit ArtsXchange.org or stop by in person.

Tree Planting Volunteers Discussing at-home plant care with Charles Jackson Jr. from Food Well Alliance Our 2026 Earth Day Celebration on April 18th was a major success! We couldn’t have asked for a better crew of attendees, volunteers, and contributors. However, the festivities did not end. The official calendar date for Earth Day is April 22nd and what better way to celebrate than community members working in our Fresh Oasis gardens right here on the ArtsXchange campus. For those unfamiliar, Earth Day began on April 22, 1970, and has since grown into a worldwide movement. Today, people and organizations across the globe unite to promote sustainability, conservation, and advocacy. Being environmentally conscious and ethical spans everything from our carbon footprint to the impacts of textile production. Our Tree Planting Volunteers along with tenisio seanima (far left) and Charles Jackson Jr. (middle) The Fresh Oasis Community Garden, managed by CLEAN INC’s own tenisio seanima, is a community space where members and volunteers come together to learn different gardening techniques, cultivate food, and connect with the Earth. With the help of our volunteers and assistance from gardening expert and volunteer coordinator Charles Jackson Jr. from Food Well Alliance, our property is now just a little bit greener and a lot more earth conscious. Our continued efforts to further diversify our ecological footprint on the ArtsXchange property are an ongoing project. Currently, we are entering a new year with our permaculture garden at the front of the building and shade trees planted in central areas of the property, including the new plots at the back of our parking lot. Our Earth Day Tree Planting volunteers learned the best methods for utilizing mulch to support tree growth and properly preparing a plot for sufficient plant growth. We now have an additional 40 blueberry bushes, 9 olive trees, and 2 muscadine vines planted. Fresh Oasis garden manager tenisio seanima tending to community garden beds The biggest advantage to having more trees on the property is cooling things down and allowing more spaces for people to exist together. We hope to encourage more people to utilize these practices on their own property and continue an integral part of the ArtsXchange mission at home. We can’t wait to see how the trees fill in over time! Want to get more involved and learn more about gardening? Check out the Fresh Oasis Community Garden page and sign up today to join our growing number of personal garden beds! For those looking to join our next Earth Day volunteer opportunity, go over to the AXC Volunteers page and register today!

Check out the Volunteer Opportunities for this month! April is here, bringing with it a sense of renewal and excitement as we transition into the vibrant spring season. Your involvement can make a significant difference in the success of these events and can help foster a stronger sense of community. If you’re interested in getting involved, now is the perfect time to lend a helping hand. Click event to learn more and sign up for shifts. ArtsXchange Mulch Day-04-17-26 Fri, Apr 17, 2026, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM Help with spread mulch in preparation for our 2026 Earth Day Celebration! SPECIAL FEATURED VOLUNTEER EVENT - 2026 Earth Day Celebration Sat, Apr 18, 2026, 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM Help with set up / break down and attend the event! Scrabble Club Sat, Apr 18, 2026, 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM Help with set up / break down and attend the event! 2026 Spring Fling Poetry Slam Fri, Apr 24, 2026, 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM Assist with greeting, scorekeeping and more. If you volunteer you will NOT be able to participate in the SLAM. Limited volunteer shifts available. Must be over 18 to volunteer. Volunteer Registration Form / Newsletter Once you register you will be added to our mailing list. We will email/contact you to let you know about upcoming volunteer opportunities! Sign up today! As a nonprofit, the Artsxchange depends on volunteers to help us meet the multiple demands of running a diverse community Cultural Center. Our needs range from office support, cleaning and maintaining our grounds, event and gallery support, and those with technical and specialized skills. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers who have dedicated their time, energy, and passion to our cause. Your unwavering commitment and selfless contributions have made a significant impact on our organization and the community we serve.

Saturday, April 11 – Saturday, May 16, 2026, Sinclair Gallery @ ArtsXchange, East Point, Georgia Artist Talk: Saturday, May 16, 3-5pm Curated by ArtsXchange Gallery Director Ric Washington Guest Juror: Ralph rEN Dillard Toxic Beauty brings together 12 artists examining the tension between attraction and harm. The exhibition asks a direct question: what lies beneath the surfaces we admire? Through painting, photography, and mixed media, the work reveals how beauty can mask environmental damage, cultural pressure, consumer excess, and unseen personal and social costs. The result is a thoughtful, visually engaging exhibition that challenges viewers to look closer and think more critically about what we value. Exhibition Awards This year’s juried selections recognize artists whose work most powerfully engage the theme: 1st Place: “We Could be Twins” by Tony Smart, Archival Pigment Photo Print tonyrsmart@yahoo.com ARTIST STATEMENT: This piece, "We Could Be Twins" is part of my series The Barbie Affect is based on the 1954 White Doll test first conducted in Harlem NY. by Dr. Kenneth Clark and his wife Mamie Clark. During the test, black boys and girls were presented with two dolls, one white and one black. The children were then asked, which dolls did they consider good, pretty, bad and smart. In most cases, the black children choose the white doll over the black doll that looked like them. The conclusion confirmed that these black children ages 3-7 already had damaged self-esteem resulting from prejudice, discrimination, and segregation. Ironically, another White Doll test was conducted in 2021 by Dr. Tony Sturtevant of Texas A&M with almost identical results. _________________________________________________________________________ 2nd Place: “identity theft: id bracelets, no id” by F. Geoffrey Johnson, Top Assemblage: oak wood, wire, metal id bracelets, human hair, deconstructed aṣọ òkè Ghanaian hand-woven cotton fugu (smock), acrylic medium, galvanized steel hardware cloth, iron chain, ceramic beads. Bottom Assemblage: oak wood, wire, id bracelets, human hair, deconstructed aṣọ òkè Ghanaian hand-woven cotton fugu (smock), acrylic medium, galvanized steel hardware cloth, iron chain, beads acgj@bellsouth.net ARTIST STATEMENT: This work of art is created within the context of addressing the relevance, significance, detriment, and racial angst of a naming system brought about by the institution of slavery and the stripping of human identifiers of an enslaved people (name, place of origin, language). Hundreds of ID bracelets with multicolored patina, sans engraved names, represent millions of enslaved individuals and descendants of the enslaved, in the Americas, stripped of their ancestral lineage and identity. Human hair locs complement the bracelets providing DNA evidence of this rape. Beads have been documented as having been used as trade capital. The oak board was part of a Georgia, USA courthouse record room table which was used to hold property record books, including recordings of property and documents, chattel slave records inclusive. _________________________________________________________________________ 3rd Place: “The Other Woman” by Michael Morgan, Acrylic on Canvas morganmichael30308@gmail.com ARTIST STATEMENT: The Other Woman depicts a man suspended between two women, his wife and the woman with whom he is having an affair. Rather than clearly identifying each role, the painting deliberately withholds this information, leaving the viewer to determine which woman occupies which position in the relationship. The composition centers on tension, ambiguity, and perception. The three figures form a charged triangular arrangement that suggests emotional conflict and competing claims of intimacy. While the man stands between them, the real focus of the work lies in the uncertainty surrounding the two women and the shifting assumptions viewers may bring to the scene. By refusing to label the figures, the painting invites the audience to question how they read relationships through gesture, proximity, expression, and bias. The act of deciding who is the wife and who is “the other woman” becomes part of the viewing experience, revealing how easily narratives are constructed from limited visual cues. The Other Woman ultimately explores themes of desire, loyalty, and perception, asking viewers to confront their own interpretations while recognizing the instability of the stories they create. ______________________________________________________________________ Honorable Mention: “Ultra Real, Ultra-Processed Life” by Clementine Willowilde, Reclaimed Product Packaging c.kornder@gmail.com ARTIST STATEMENT: My artwork explores the environmental impact of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and their packaging, revealing the hidden consequences of production and consumption on greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use, and biodiversity loss. Product packaging, particularly plastic, accounts for nearly 40% of global waste and rarely returns to nature without harm. Through this work, I invite viewers to reconsider their relationship to food systems and waste, encouraging a shift toward sustainability. I advocate for extended producer responsibility, where corporations take accountability for a product’s full life cycle, fostering recycling and resource efficiency. By deepening awareness, the work calls for conscious consumption and collective action to reduce environmental waste.