By Brandon Cortés
Features Editor
The canvases came in all shapes and colors, but the goal was the same: give students a place to breathe.
Art from the Heart, a daytime Programs Council event held in Engleman Hall Room B121, invited students to sit down, pick up a paintbrush and let their finals stress spill out onto a blank canvas.
Communication major Ethan Hughes, a senior, said the event was designed as a simple, judgment-free space for students to relax between classes.
“We’ve got stretch toys, food and a raffle,” Hughes said. “We just want people to have fun, enjoy themselves and relax.”
The event’s concept came from nursing major Medjina Joseph, a junior and member of ProCon, who said she created the proposal after hearing how overwhelmed many students were feeling during midterms.
“I was hearing a lot of people talk about how they were so stressed,” Joseph said. “So, I thought, ‘Okay, this could be a calm de-stressor where they just paint how they feel on the canvas.’ Instead of sitting in their dorm crying, they can let it all out through art.”
Students filtered into the room throughout the afternoon, gathering around long tables stacked with paint palettes, brushes and small canvases. Quiet music played in the background while attendees chatted, mixed colors or simply took a moment to sit and focus on something other than deadlines and exams.
Nearby, ProCon members handed out snacks and encouraged students to enter the raffle for prizes displayed at the front of the room.
For Joseph, creating a space like this mattered because she said she believes art plays a very unique role in emotional expression.
“Different colors mean different emotions. It helps them channel those emotions on a canvas,” Joseph said.
The event also reflected a broader trend on campus toward offering low-pressure mental wellness activities that do not require students to disclose anything personal or attend a formal workshop.
Instead, Art from the Heart allowed students to decompress organically, whether through a highly detailed painting or a few strokes of color.
Hughes said the relaxed atmosphere is intentional. ProCon’s daytime programming often focuses on activities that students can join spontaneously.
“It’s one of the chiller events,” Hughes said. “Just another way for people to come in, enjoy a movie, a craft, whatever it is and earn commuter cash or just have a break.”
Students stopped by alone or with friends, picking up canvas boards and choosing from a spread of acrylic paints. Some painted abstract shapes, while others created messages or small characters.
ProCon members said the turnout remained steady throughout the afternoon, with students often returning later with a finished piece or bringing over a friend to join them.
For Joseph, that sense of community was one of the event’s biggest successes.
Creating something side by side, she said, reminds students they are not navigating college stress alone. Joseph said that beyond the crafts, she wanted attendees to feel supported, especially during a season when academic pressure is high.
“This is a safe space for them, and nobody’s judging them,” Joseph said. “Whatever you want to draw, you draw.”
