SHREVEPORT – “It helped me feel not alone.” “I realize other people are going through this.”
Those are just two LSUS student perspectives after experiencing past Resilience Through Dark Times exhibits, said director of LSUS Counseling Services Kendal Redel.
Redel is encouraging LSUS students, both face-to-face and online, to submit literary and art work for the upcoming RTDT exhibit, which is in its third year.
The deadline to submit is Oct. 22 with exhibit being displayed Oct. 30 on the third floor of the Noel Memorial Library.
Need help or inspiration to create your art? Attend two pop-up expression sessions this Friday and on Oct. 22 in the University Center. Art supplies and canvases will provided for the 11 a.m. sessions.
“The whole point of the exhibit is to make students feel connected and to help them use their creativity as an outlet for managing their mental health,” Redel said. “The exhibit creates a space for students to connect over a shared experience and a shared means of coping through creativity.
“This does communicate belonging, whether in the physical exhibit or the shared experience online. You can appreciate other people’s vulnerabilities.”
The exhibit features student stories, essays, poems, paintings/drawings and graphic design. Digital art is also accepted as the exhibit will be available digitally as well.
The theme is designed to provide examples of how students overcame challenging life circumstances.
“With Resilience Through Dark Times, the act of creating is resilience,” Redel said. “Students are able to express themselves, impact others and practice healthy coping strategies along the way.”
The Oct. 30 exhibit will be displayed from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will be available throughout November on the first floor of the Noel Memoria Library.
A music playlist is also being created for the exhibit and is accepting student submissions of songs that reflect the resilience theme.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three submissions as students will silently vote on the work that resonated with them most.
The library is setting up relaxation stations and other anxiety-reduction outlets for students who may be affected by the exhibit.
Redel said the exhibit wouldn’t be possible without partnership with the library, which provides easels, display racks and relaxation stations as well as the space to host the exhibit.
Virtual students can also view the exhibit through Zoom (PowerPoint presentation) on Oct. 30 or see examples of works via the Counseling Services Instagram Spotlight reels.
The exhibit is designed to better connect the LSUS community (both in-person and online) by starting discussions around depression and suicide awareness, fostering relationships between students and campus organizations.
Redel also wants to expand the idea of counseling beyond talk therapy to include creative outlets such as the ones included in the exhibit.
For more information, contact Kendal Redel at kendal.redel@lsus.edu or call Counseling Services at 318-797-5365.
