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Resilience is a vast and diverse concept, and a basic aspect of our societies’ ability to persevere and evolve through challenge and devastation. Without resilience, humankind would cease to persist in the face of adversity. Without resilience, nature’s growth would not ebb and flow through the seasons, through droughts, through fires.
Resilience is a toughness that resides in each of us. This is particularly true of those of us who call the American West home. Through adaptability, creativity, and strength, the diverse peoples of the American West have demonstrated resilience for thousands of years. They have recovered, or are in the process of recovering, from traumatic experiences ranging from genocide and injustice to pandemics, racism, and violence. While healing from these experiences takes time, it is resilience that makes the diverse peoples of the American West who they are.
We called on students in the American West to share with us their understandings of, and visions of resilience in the American West. These students have pondered what resilience has looked like in the past, what it looks like today, and what kinds of resilience they have experienced in their own lives.
Photographs of artwork done by Las Fotos Project
Life Gets Better
Cathryn Abrishami, Grade 7
I painted an image of a woman with tattoos and scars on her back that show that she has been through a lot. Her beauty shines through her scars. She now understands that life gets better. You must be resilient in life. Resilience is being able to persevere through difficulties and even pain. This woman has survived great hardships. At the lowest point in her life, she had an epiphany and decided to have her back tattooed as a reminder that life gets better. You just have to wait.
Depths
Ani Bristow-Ingkom, Grade 7
This artwork shows resilience because in contrast to the smaller trees, the largest tree has survived through everything. It has battled against the elements yet remained strong throughout all of the experiences that have left an imprint on it. This tree could be anything—a spirit, a person, a creature—or all of the above and more. What matters is that when the elements of nature, the unfortunate factors of life, and other beings try to hurt the tree, the tree continues to grow its flowers and reach its roots deeper into the soil, no matter how difficult things become.
This art also represents the future. As the roots reach new depths, they might not like what they find. However, the tree keeps growing, persisting, and battling the obstacles. The tree chooses to grow lovely flowers from the seemingly unfortunate rain. Furthermore, the trees to the left and right are carelessly planted much too close to the center tree. At some point, the trees are going to have to fight over the space in the dirt, and yet, the tree will continue to flourish without hesitation. I chose a tree to represent resilience because plants are so similar to a lot of beings, including us humans. We are all living, breathing entities that need specific things to live, and sometimes some parts of life can threaten us. Humans and trees represent resilience because we all have to have resilience to simply live. If trees decided they wouldn’t try to grow their roots, they couldn’t maximize their water intake. If we decided to call it quits at the first challenge we encounter, we’d never learn to walk. Humans and trees are both so similar to each other, so I chose a generic tree to represent most people.
Resilience means that you keep going in spite of everything that life throws at you. It’s ok to take a break or rest for a while. It’s all right if you just need to let down your guard. I don’t specify resilience to any one thing; I open it up to an entire life. That’s why I believe it’s ok to give up on small things, which might even help you to focus on more significant things in life. Resilience means not what life throws at you, it’s that you persist, even when life is hard. Even when you give up, you pick yourself up and keep going. It’s that you persevere at life itself.
I hope that you can see not just a tree, but yourself. After all, art is subjective, and anyone can see anything that they want in my artwork. I believe everyone alive today has shown resilience through this historic period in time. The last two years have been challenging for all of us globally, yet everyone has now shown, just through their existence, that they have survived in one way or another.
The Blood of Life
Mia Cheung, Grade 7
My artwork shows that even though fear, war, and death bleeds on life, growing within and staining our lives and memories, love and hope are able to bounce back and keep growing. Human experiences of fear, war, and death can fall on love and hope, and crush them. However, humans have the resilience to bounce back from this and grow. The pot and plant represent love and hope along with the resilience of people and their emotions. The clouds are the destruction and challenges in life that people have faced, and will have to face.
Even when you feel like there is no escape from fear or sadness, love and hope will shine through. You just have to be resilient and look for it. A growing plant is a lot like this. You have to tend to it every day. You have to wait for it to sprout ,and sometimes it takes a while. But if you keep going, despite bad weather and bad dirt, it will eventually grow. And love and hope will grow.
Resilience is the act of being resilient. This is the ability to bounce back from failure and grow stronger. You fail, but then you adapt and finally succeed. Death and fear are parts of life. Everyone will experience them. Even when it seems like there’s nothing you can do, or there’s no way to find happiness, you are not alone. Love and hope will be there in some way even if you lose them, they will just be hidden. I am not resilient. I have a fixed mindset and I’m stubborn. Even though I am not resilient, I can still write about it because it is important to be resilient. You need to have the strength to step back from things and correct your mistakes before trying again and succeed.
Happiness
Charlotte Zorick, Grade 7
My artwork is about mental illness. The hands are cupping hope and happiness, trying to hold on to them for dear life. Though the person is depressed, angry, scared, suicidal, they hold on to hope and will continue to hold on until they can get help. Even when they’re thinking these dark thoughts, they try to look on the bright side. In doing this, they are showing their resilience, because even when everything in themselves tells them not to, even when they feel that they don’t deserve that hope, even when they want to jump off a ledge, they hold on.
I chose to represent this vision of resilience in my art piece because I struggle with dark thoughts, too. This piece represents my struggle to get up in the morning, eat, or to just exist. It is meant to show people that some people’s lives are like this and that it is normal. I want the audience to gain an understanding of what some people’s lives with mental health problems can look like. There is an abundance of myths and lies about mental illnesses and mental health issues. I want to help people realize that those aren’t true and that mental illness is a serious issue. This shows resilience in a way people may not first think of. Resilience can come in many forms, including living with mental health issues.
Regrowth
Yaena Chun, Grade 11
The feller buncher in the background, a type of machine used in deforestation, symbolizes hardships. Even after the trees are cut down by the machines, they continue to grow. Despite being cut, life still persists and grows out of the rubble. This symbolizes resilience, both in nature and in humans as well. To me, resilience is standing up and getting back on one’s feet even when the world is figuratively falling apart. I hope that my art piece gives motivation to the audience to be resilient in their own lives and to keep going even when things don’t go as expected. I think I am resilient. As a human, I do have times where I want to give up. However, I think continuing to live is resilience. Life is unfair, so to keep pushing forward is admirable.
Monarch Butterfly
Faith Crocker, Grade 11
Monarch Butterfly represents my personal story of resilience and transformation. The picture on the right represents who I used to be, depressed and suicidal, back when I didn’t know my worth and was on a constant search for myself. The picture on the left was another stage of my transformation when I started searching for the truth and slowly started to overcome my old destructive ways, yet I still hadn’t found myself. The painting in the middle represents me fully overcoming who I used to be and coming to the realization that I am God’s child. All along, God gave me the strength and resilience to overcome who I used to be. When God entered into my life I changed into something beautiful like a Monarch butterfly.
Resilience means to me transformation. The transformation from who I used to be, to who I am now is what is represented in this art piece. God gave me the strength to come out of who I used to be and become who He always knew me to be. I am His child, and with Him and through Him I became resilient. He helped me to overcome my suicidal tendencies and depression. Before I met God I had no resilient bone in my body. What I want people to take away from this art piece is that if God helped me, there’s no doubt that He hears and sees your cries, too. God cares.
T M H
Maiya Ralbovsky, Grade 10
The scale holds a heart in a protective clam shell on one end, and a skull full of money on the other. While the heart and money are weighed against each other, they are also being weighed against the clock (time). Resilience is the ability to offset momentary gains (skull with money) for the pursuit of art and passion (heart in clam). Children often see the pursuit of passion as the obvious choice, but as time goes on, it is harder to see which one is more important. Many factors come into play while creating art, but a large part is the ownership of one thing: money. Yes, money is important, but it should not be everything. Resilience is the ability to balance all three things: time, money, and passion.
Everyone is affected by the pursuit of interests, money, and time. Sometimes, all of those things conflict with each other. I want this piece to show something that everyone can relate to. Personally, resilience is an offshoot of dedication. People are resilient in life-or-death situations because they are dedicated to survival. People are resilient in times where all odds are stacked against them, when they are at a disadvantage, when they have no energy left, because they are willing to dedicate themselves to their own (and others’) wants and needs. Some people can relate to their own security and trust being broken. I have had both of these happen to me. Learning to accept myself and feel comfortable around others was a hard process. I have had my trust broken multiple times, but my past experiences helped me cope with that. Getting to where I am now has taken much self-reflection and support from others.
Flower of Resilience
Alana Cable, Grade 8
The cowboy hat represents the Wild West, and there is a single flower growing from the top of the hat. This shows strength and resilience. The mundane colors (black, grey, brown) add to the idea of challenges. The bright green and red colors of the flower contrast with the dark colors. It shows the vibrance of the flower and the happiness that comes after struggle. This vision of resilience represents a flower struggling to thrive in a beaten-up cowboy hat, yet still presenting itself beautifully. Resilience is the resistance and challenge to overcome difficult challenges, whether it be a small flower in a dry land, or discrimination in society. Anyone can be resilient.
Diving Deep
Claire Park, Grade 10
As this year’s theme is resilience, I wanted to create a piece that demonstrates the beauty that follows after diving into what life holds, no matter the struggles or the pain that might come about as a consequence. This piece takes place under the ocean, an expansive area often associated with fear and uncertainty. An elephant, a land-bound mammal, acts as the main focal point of the piece and is drawn to be submerging its head underwater. Various, vibrant colors of the rainbow burst and frill around the figure, portraying this emotion of warmth and hope for the future throughout this journey of life. Other details that contribute to the deeper meaning of the overall drawing include the flowers and fantastical objects, which blossom and thrive under the harsh conditions of the ocean. Being able to overcome these hurdles brings forth fortune and success, which I believe that all of us should strive to do.
Rather than focusing on the struggle of the journey that is sure to come about in life, I wanted to represent resilience in a more positive light, where the outcome will be one full of grandeur. To me, resilience is willing oneself to continue despite how difficult something may be. One should not succumb to life when it becomes too much to handle; rather, they should use this as motivation to strive for success and prosperity. I hope that the audience will find out the deeper meaning of life and perhaps utilize this piece as an incentive to persist no matter what circumstances they are in. I would say that one of my defining characteristic traits is being resilient or strong. Throughout the past two years, everyone was forced to quarantine and isolate themselves in hopes of preventing the spread of the virus throughout the world. This time period was especially difficult for me, as I was only in the eighth grade, and slowly transitioning into the life of a high schooler. Keeping up with academics at school and socializing took a heavy toll on my mentality, but I made the decision to continue. Because of this life-changing decision, I was able to come out as a new person, who has built the courage to take on all types of challenges with a positive mindset.
Wants and Needs
John Zhang, Grade 10
What I depicted is this journey of life, where one has these wants and needs. My idea behind this painting is that life can be challenging. The platforms are falling down beneath your feet, and you have to grab onto something before it’s too late. A crisis, one may call it. Resilience is about dealing with that kind of crisis and being able to gain something positive out of a said problem instead of looking at the negative aspects.
I connected the ideas of desire and hardship together to symbolize how life is. These ideas really resonate with me, as I am growing older and understanding more about life. Resilience is the idea of facing a challenge and overcoming it while gaining a positive. I feel that I am resilient. Every blockade in my life—for example, tests or competitions—I have been able to overcome. While not every outcome is positive, I have been able to learn from my mistakes and keep improving the person I am.
Mission Blue
Darren Shiao, Grade 11
Resilience comes in many forms, and the most resilient thing is life. The life that still remains even after all trials and tribulations is the most resilient of all. That is why I chose to paint the Mission blue butterfly as the subject of my painting. An endangered species native to California, it mirrors the many immigrants who came to America. The struggle to survive and thrive in the land of opportunity is what connects each other and our communities together. The wings of the Mission blue butterfly reminded me of how families were interconnected like a tree. Resilience to me is the will to persevere through hardship, such as how endangered species have survived. Everyone is resilient in their own way. Trying again and again even through failure is what makes one resilient.
Living Eye
Georgiy Natenadze, Grade 7
“A good half of the art of living is resilience.” –Alain de Botton
Eyes can convey emotions and resilience of the soul. One part of the eye is what they are feeling and what they want. Gorilla wants to get out of the darkness!
Head in the Mountains
Thomas Drummond, Grade 10
This piece is a vision of resilience, as I am a staunch supporter of the environment and keep a vision of nature in my mind. This self-portrait is a digital design overlaying my favorite mountains in Mammoth that need to be preserved. The earth should be at the forefront of our minds and consciousness, and we must stay vigilant to the cause of keeping our planet safe always. Climate change is real, and we must be strong to fight this and keep the earth clean and beautiful. Resilience means strength and staying strong despite what others have done. I and all of my generation are resilient, as we are being left a polluted ocean and planet that we must fight to clean up and preserve. I am committed to this and hope to inspire others.
A Woman’s Body
Lily Baumwoll, Grade 11
This piece represents this year’s theme of resilience because with the new laws being put in place to control women’s bodies, we must stand up to protect ourselves. The government has continued its attack on women, and as an artist, it is my duty to speak up and start a conversation. If I keep silent then I am not resilient. I am very passionate about women’s rights because without them I would be treated the same as women in the ’40s. We as women have fought so hard to be protected by the government, and now that they are trying to take these rights away it is like a slap in the face. I chose to have the woman’s body wearing a sort of chastity belt, because the laws on abortion and pregnancy feel like chains that hold us down. The American flag tights with a barbed wire trim represent how being a woman in America is now dangerous. Resilience means that you speak up for yourself and fight for what you believe in even if it can get you in trouble. I hope the audience learns that these abortion laws are not trying to be pro-life and save people but rather control and hurt women. I am resilient by speaking out and going to protests because my voice matters, and if I don’t use it then I am no better than the people who are the oppressors.
Malcolm X
Sumaya Bokhari, Grade 11
Malcolm X represents resilience through his journey of being a civil rights leader. From being in jail, converting into the Nation of Islam, and then into Sunni Islam, he has shown courage. He helped African Americans stand up for themselves and gain their rights. He showed resilience when he went to jail as a drug addict, and then came out as a better man and joined Nation of Islam. He was a spokesperson for them for a long time, until he found his faith in Sunni Islam and realized how the black nationalism beliefs of Nation of Islam were invalid as he saw so much diversity and brotherhood at Hajj. Even when members of Nation of Islam became violent towards Malcolm, he still stayed resilient by speaking out about gaining equal rights for African Americans. Resilience means the act of getting up and getting better from a moment of struggle.
Save Our Planet
Vera Bronshvag, Grade 9
The climate change movement represents resilience by the way the activists of the movement were able to preserve despite the millions of people trying to tear them down and tell them that they are insane. Climate change activists have been protesting for years to spread their message and still have not given up after all this time. We need to save our planet, and this piece of art is a nod to all the activists sharing that message. To me, resilience is preserving through tough times and not giving up.
Gun Violence
Shyel Frenkel, Grade 9
I created this artwork as a way to show the true danger that young kids go through. They have to stay strong and get through these hard times and stay resilient. I put a gun in the eye because of a scenario of a school shooting. So many young students have gone through a school shooting and many have sadly passed away. I wanted to draw this to bring awareness to how bad school shootings actually are and how we have to make an effort to try and stop them. I hope that the audience will learn that so many students have gone through school shootings and how they have stayed resilient through them.
I Want to be Able to Wear Whatever Type of Hat I Want to Wear in L.A.
Jesse Gary, Grade 12
Some kids can’t wear hats because they live in gang neighborhoods and they don’t get what can happen. They can get beat up for wearing the wrong hat in the wrong place. To the gangs, a hat means a lot, but to other people hats are just hats. It happened to my best friend before. They asked him, where are you from, and he said I’m not part of a gang, I am just wearing a hat. They said don’t wear that hat. You need to just keep on doing what you are doing. I hope that people learn to be careful in L.A., and that I have the right to wear whatever I want. I am resilient. I prove to people that said that I cannot do it. Wrong. I was told I can’t be successful in life, but I can be.
My Hero’s Portrait
Ryan Grossman, Grade 9
This year was tough for me. There were many obstacles I encountered, and I don’t think I would have been able to cope without my sister. She’s always there to comfort me and calm me when times get rough. She’s my idol and the person I strive to be like in life. I’m forever grateful to have someone this caring in my life. I chose this piece to represent resilience because it shows that anyone can persevere through hard times when they have someone caring by their side. Resilience means waking up and facing each day even when you feel as if you can’t keep on going. I hope that my audience will learn to be grateful for the people who are closest to them. I do think that I’m resilient. Earlier this year I got diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, and every day was a major struggle to get through. I eventually was able to get access to a medication that’s helped me tremendously, and I’m glad that I didn’t give up hope.
Culture
Kaden Hinds, Grade 11
My artwork is about cultural appropriation and how many people steal aspects of Asian culture. My culture is not something that should be used as a costume because it is meaningful to me and many other individuals. Many people use Asian culture in Halloween costumes or wear traditional Asian garments to special events without knowing its cultural significance. I want to educate others on how harmful this is and teach them about cultural appreciation instead. Growing up Asian, I was always embarrassed about my culture, but I have now reached a point in my life where it has become a large part of my life. To me, resilience is speaking out against injustice and fighting for what you believe in. I am resilient because I am not afraid to speak up about what I think is right. My goal in life is to teach others about social justice.
Bus of Resilience
Lauren Kay, Grade 9
This is my bus, the Bus of Resilience. I use it every day to get home from school. Every time I get on and tap my card, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. My bus is resilient because it’s the first time that day where I can relax after a tough day of school. I can sit back on my seat instead of the edge every class and I can put my head back and listen to my favorite tunes. I love my bus of resilience. The idea just came to me one day when I was on the bus. It felt right to represent resilience this way especially since I can connect to the art I created. Resilience means to me an escape from the past or stress or anything tough. Where I know I don’t have to sit up straight and write until my hand cramps. I want the audience to see my art and find a safe, relaxed, comfortable space. I want them to connect to it like I did and learn it’s ok to let go sometimes and drive away from the stressful and tough moments of the past. Facing difficulties are different for everyone and for me I can recover and sometimes I can. I can be resilient when it comes to breaking out of my anxiety habits.
Happy Machine
Henry Kufeldt, Grade 9
My art shows a machine where you can pay 25 cents for happiness. There are people lined up to pay, except for one man. He has enough money to pay, but he chooses not to. This is because instead of getting instant gratification, he chooses to try to become content with himself. In order for this you need to be extremely resilient. Everyone should try and better themselves. Resilience to me is to keep moving even though everything seems against you. I hope people will think about their lives and if they are truly happy with the way they’ve lived. I am resilient, because even in the toughest times I keep going.
MLK Resilience
Stella Leib, Grade 9
My artwork relates to the theme of resilience because Martin Luther King fought for his people. No matter the consequences, he fought until the end. He pushed through everyone that put him down. Nothing could stop him and he reached his goal. I chose to draw MLK because he represents resilience as a person. Resilience means perseverance, fighting for what you want. I think I’m resilient sometimes because no matter what someone says to me I’ll accomplish what I want to.
Women’s View
Olivia Lynas, Grade 9
Women are in the fight of their lives every day. Times are changing, and not in a good way. Women are being strong in their fight to be treated as equal. My artwork is showing how women’s voices need to be heard. Women are resilient people who need to be heard. I hope that the audience will learn that women’s voices matter. I don’t know if I am resilient; I just know as a woman that we need to fight to be heard.
The Morning Sun
Julianna Meglic, Grade 9
My piece shows how the simple things in life are still standing. The sun in the morning could burn everything but it stays standing. The shadows change throughout the day. This shows flexibility. I think flexibility is essential to resistance. I chose this to represent resilience because it is simple. I think every day we have to be resilient. I hope people will learn that being resilient doesn’t mean being aggressive, but it means being flexible to the world around us, while still prevailing. I’m working on being resilient through practice.
Empty Mountains
Kyle Pierce, Grade 11
My art relates to the theme of resilience because it shows the negative things humans had to do to survive. My artwork depicts mountains full of tree stumps. My thoughts are to show how much humans have destroyed the environment to survive. I want to do my best to expose the destruction of all the land. I hope that people are able to make the connection between the destroyed trees and people. Resilience to me means to adapt to survive. I hope my audience will learn that our survival came at the cost of other things. I think I am resilient; I have had to go through several hardships and have come out.
Fight
Madeline Robinette, Grade 9
Women have been and still are fighting to gain equal rights. For so long we (women) have had to stand up to discrimination for our gender and fight to even be treated as human beings. It has been a long battle to get rid of these stereotypical ideas of how women should be, dress, behave, and live. When I think of resilience, I think of how women in the past and present refuse to give up their rights and don’t back down from a challenge. They have stood up to the difficulties and shown how strong women really are.
I chose this vision of resilience because it is something that really inspires me as a young woman myself. Knowing that women have been fighting for so long to gain respect has helped me to learn to take on challenges and to not give up when things are hard. To me, resilience means not giving up. Resilience is when you overcome challenges no matter how hard they are, and find a way to move forward and succeed. I want people to learn that it took resilience to get to a place where it has become more acceptable for women to be seen in a blazer. Wearing something that is titled as “unfeminine” is a statement to show that these stereotypes should not define women and how they act. I think that sometimes I can be resilient. I find ways to overcome challenges and often find that I am too stubborn to give up on things.
The Pain of Pride
Azul Ramirez, Grade 9
Queer people have had to endure the stigma against their own existence. It hasn’t come without repercussions, we’ve been consistently suppressed by people who think that we’re an abomination or a sin. Even now, as accepting as the world has become, people are still disgusted by our existence. They throw slurs at us, assault us, and murder us because we’re different. The fact that every queer person has a genuine possibility of encountering a situation like that makes them brave for being themselves. This art piece represents what I and many other queer people will or have already faced in this world. It represents the cuts, the wounds, and the blood drawn from the hate that we endure. To be resilient is to get back up no matter how many times you get knocked over. I, myself, may not be as resilient as many others are, but that won’t stop me from being me.
Building in Downtown
Caden Sun, Grade 9
The building shows human resilience by representing how we build things. After something gets knocked down, we rebuild it. If something is missing, we rebuild it. If something is wrong, we rebuild it. We as humans constantly fight, but we always rebuild in the end. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from anything.
Loud & Clear
Angelina Todorov, Grade 11
My piece, Loud & Clear, showcases the strengths of women as a whole. For decades, women have not been taken seriously and have been undermined despite working hard. We have been mocked, laughed at, and disgraced for far too long, which is why I wanted to dedicate an art piece to the brilliance of women’s resilience throughout our modern society. My goal with this artwork was to emphasize the importance of a woman’s voice and show how we will not stay silent amid troubling times. Now more than ever, it is crucial we acknowledge the impact women have in a country that is so dismissive. The resilience of women is seen through their brave choices, remarkable actions, and unforgettable words. Our power is often overlooked or ignored due to the misogynistic standards of the society we live in. Because of this, I wanted to create a piece that would be representative of all women across the world, surrounding an open mouth to symbolize resilience. Women have broken barriers countless times and will continue to do so in every aspect of life, as our voices remain passionate, and our dreams alive. I hope this piece evokes the irreplaceable resilience that lies within every little girl’s heart and anyone who stands up for change.
Shoe & Flower
Chiara Valencia, Grade 11
My artwork, Shoe & Flower, relates to this year’s theme of resilience because it shows what resilience means to me. It means to be stepped on over and over again and to get up and keep going over and over again. The shoe represents the things or people trying to push resilience out. The flower represents resilience, never giving up no matter how hard things get. The shoe is going to step on the flower, while the flower is already showing resilience by “getting up” even though it has been beaten down by others many times. To me, resilience means to be stepped on, no matter the amount, and then to keep going. The flower represents resilience while the shoe is the outside, all the problems and obstacles being thrown at or in this case stepped on the flower.
Listening to Nature
Lana Wurts, Grade 9
This piece shows the resilience of nature against humans. As a society, we have polluted the Earth, caused deforestation, and destroyed the Great Barrier Reef (these are just a few of the examples). Yet somehow plants still find a way to thrive in this environment that should be killing them. Flowers still bloom, trees still grow, and seeds sprout from almost nothing. This piece represents what plants would say to us humans if we took a second to listen to them instead of hurting them. Not just humans are able to be resilient. I think I am resilient because I stand up for what I believe in even when it may be hard to get the message out.
Untitled
Kimiko Yamaguchi, Grade 11
I chose this piece because it shows that the hate and discrimination that certain groups face won’t bring people down. Resilience to me means that you won’t give up on what you believe is right despite the opposition you may face and that you continue to persevere through hard times. I hope the audience will learn to not discriminate against people just because of their race, color, or any other factor. I think I am resilient as I continue to go through my daily schedule and do the things I need to do.
Butterfly
Kaya Yousefpour, Grade 9
My artwork shows the growth of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. It’s on a downward hill to show the difficulty of things when it’s a caterpillar and in the cocoon. I used different colors to show emotion. I used warm colors for anger, cool colors for sadness, and vibrant colors for happiness. The weather (fire, rain) also shows the emotions and how it gets bad before it gets better. This piece of art represents resilience through the symbolizing growth in a butterfly. It shows perseverance no matter the weather. To me, resilience means being able to get back up after failing over and over again. I hope the audience will take it as inspiration to be resilient in their own life. I am resilient because of how much I persevere.
Human Growth
Doreen Zahir, Grade 9
My artwork shows human growth. Human growth is a really important part of being resilient. To me, resilience means strength and being able to come back from our moments of weakness. But being resilient doesn’t mean that you’re strong all the time. Even resilient people have moments of weakness, but it’s resilience that makes us learn and grow during those moments. I made this piece beachside; it shows a human growing. I chose to represent this vision in my piece because it is a human with branches growing out of them. It shows that to be resilient, we need to be open to growth and change. I hope that the audience will look at my art piece and know that it’s okay to have moments of weakness, but those are the things that help us grow.
In an Always Search
Ananda Zhandov, Grade 12
I believe that science is an ongoing search for unknown. We humans think and believe, and our thoughts are like small conscious light in a big dimension of time and space. Humanity tries to find purpose, and someday it will. And every year is a search for purpose of the current time. Resilience means always searching for answers. Life is complicated only when we make it to be.
Hold Your Torch High
Mia Arellano, Grade 11
The Statue of Liberty represents freedom, equality, and strength. The statue in my art is built with soft materials, but she is still holding her torch high and strong. I really appreciate the story of how the statue was built, what it stands for, and what it means to me. I have had close family members cross the border from Mexico and back many times so that my siblings and I could become U.S. citizens. This came with many challenges, such as only speaking Spanish and having to learn English, but my mom still found a way to help us learn. My family and I have had situations where we were disrespected for our race, but we did not let that affect us.
The Statue of Liberty holding up the torch is my vision of resilience. Even though her arm has been twisted from all she has experienced, she still represents strength. We are a family of immigrants. I also grew up with just my mom as my only parent. Now I am the only one in my family who works and contributes income, but we still are a strong family. For me, resilience is something rough or traumatic you go through, but throughout all of it you never let it bring you down or stop yourself from being successful. No matter how beat up your life may be, always have your torch held up high and don’t let anyone or anything cause it to burn out or fail.
Caryatids
Keira Lam, Grade 10
Caryatids are the figures holding up those Greek temples with their heads. I was looking at a picture of some the other day, thinking, those women have the second toughest job in the world (walls, the Glass Castle). Caryatids are symbols of resilience as literal structures holding up the weight of buildings. Fallen caryatids are the result of failure to withstand pressure and weight, leading to the decorative pillar’s collapse. In the French fields of Verdun, the hills are riddled with scars from shells fired during WWI. Despite the damage, nature persists and grass continues to grow over the fields of Verdun, a testament to resilience. Persisting in spite of obstacles, caryatids, fallen caryatids, and grass growing back on the hole-ridden hills of Verdun are all examples of resilience.
Keep Your Head Up
Abigail Lee, Grade 9
My piece depicts an Asian woman walking down the street, carrying on as usual despite the crowd of protesters yelling racist comments and telling her to go home. This shows the resilience that many Asians and other people of color have, as they have to endure racism and inappropriate comments daily. I chose to represent the resilience of an Asian woman because I myself am an Asian female, and this topic is very personal for me. I wanted to show the resilience that people like me have, and I hope the audience will learn to keep their heads up and not let negative comments affect them. To me, resilience is to remain strong and carry on in the face of hardships. It is the ability to bounce back quickly and overcome difficult things. In this way, I believe myself to be resilient in that I am able to not let negative comments deeply affect me.
Visions of the Endangered
Aidan Wagner, Grade 11
Animals have been resilient for millions of years. They have survived many dangerous events and persevered. Now, their resilience is fading, and it’s up to us to help. Animals are becoming endangered at a very high rate. We must help so they can keep being resilient.
A New Beginning
Janice Kim, Grade 8
Sometimes it’s better to let go and move on. In the painting, the girl is leaving behind her old life and moving into a new beginning. Sometimes, you need to be flexible and move forward instead of staying and always reflecting on your past. Since resilience is also an example of letting go, I decided to draw something similar to that. The person is moving from Earth into a space-like portal, looking back as if they want you to go with them. Letting go is not easy, but sometimes it is the best option. I feel like sometimes it’s hard to move on and adapt into a whole new life; it’s like moving countries or states away from the people you knew. Resilience to me means pushing forward, and not letting anything stop you. I am not very resilient, but I work to be resilient. For example, I push through my limits and get what I need to do, done.
Nizhoni
Rainey Bryant, Grade 12
Throughout time Indigenous people have shown resilience just by keeping our languages and traditions alive. My artwork Nizhoni shows a proud woman dressed traditionally with her jewelry, skirt, belts, and moccasins. Each piece tells a story. The word nizhoni in Navajo means “beautiful.” By having the background resemble the reservation, my artwork is portraying that we are still here and still keeping our traditions alive and passing them on to future generations.
By portraying a traditional woman being proud of her culture and traditions I am stating that we aren’t letting our culture go. It shows that we are going to remain standing. To me, resilience means that you are willing to fight for what you believe in. Fighting to keep our culture alive means everything, especially when it is an integral part of me. I am hoping that my audience will learn from my art piece how much pride we show when representing our culture. I believe that I am resilient just by knowing my culture, for example, traditions, stories, songs, ceremonies. Wearing my traditional outfit with my jewelry helps me connect with my culture. Just wearing my traditional moccasins can tell a whole story.
Dance for Daylight
Alix Harjo, Grade 12
My artwork relates to the theme of resilience by portraying a scene of one of the ceremonies that my people still practice to this day. Resilience is about carrying on, showing hope and pride, and that’s what Native people do. The fact that Indigenous people are still here—working, dancing, singing—just shows that we are resilient as a whole. My painting portrays a traditional roundhouse with people singing and dancing inside as the sun rises above the lake. My people are carrying on our traditions, even though almost everything we knew was taken away from us—THAT makes us resilient.
I chose to illustrate the scene of a traditional Pomo ceremony, occurring as the sun is rising. It represents the continuation of our culture despite the trauma of colonization. To me, resilience means that regardless of the tragedy, you get back up and continue your way of life—your traditions. I hope that my audience is intrigued by my piece, and that they will want to learn more about my culture. I am indeed resilient by carrying on our practices of dancing, beading, singing, and other cultural traditions of my people.
Unity
Gabriel Harris, Grade 12
Resilience is a toughness that resides in each of us from past, present, and future. As Native Americans from the west side of the United States, we have endured genocide, injustice, violence, and other traumatic experiences such as residential boarding schools, loss of identity, disease, loss of land, and more. For 530 years we have been in the process of healing. Resilience in today’s Native world is still as strong and in many ways stronger than in the past, evident by the diversity of our communities. We come together to help each other out and guide one another, regardless of the challenges. We become even more resilient as a whole, and we teach our languages, cultures, and ways of life to the next generation. In today’s world we continue to face racism, economic problems, and challenges to our overall well-being, but through our ongoing resilience we can achieve a balance between being an educated Native American and being as one with Mother Nature.
I painted strong women from different times, to show that we are still here and to acknowledge the ongoing issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women in our country. To me, resilience means that a person can be strong and brave regardless of the challenges of being “shut down” many times and enduring traumatic events. I want my audience to understand that we are all one, and to encourage them to think about and reflect upon Native American rights regarding land, water, economic issues, and equal justice. I am resilient by blood, and I am proud of my ancestors for fighting for our way of life, culture, and teachings. I continue this fight.
Her Name Is . . .
Knapi Hoaglen, Grade 12
My artwork relates to the theme of resilience in multiple ways. First, it shows my representation of women from my tribe performing traditional activities. Second, the red over their eyes represents the ongoing issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Third, the age gap between the two figures represents the continuation of traditions and the resilience of Native women. Finally, the acorns, one of our traditional foods, represent the continuation of life. The keepers of the DNA of my people are our songs, dances, and ceremonies—the passports of the Creator.
I chose to represent this vision of resilience because I feel that not only Native Americans, but specifically Native American women, are under-represented. To me, resilience means to bounce back and continue on, to perpetuate our language, traditions, and way of life. Native Americans are still here; we were not wiped out years ago. I am resilient in many ways. The fact that I am Native American and that my tribe is still here shows resilience. The fact that I have not been crippled by the traumas that I have experienced in the past shows my resilience. Above all, I will continue my tribe’s traditions and pass them on to future generations—THAT is my resilience.
The Generations of America
Minju Park, Grade 11
My artwork showcases the hands of multiple races, all of which are considered American. It signifies the racism and violence that occurred during the pandemic. The hands drawn hold onto each other, as they unite together in order to protect our future generations of America. It shows how our current generation of Americans is what sets an example for and builds how the upcoming generations will behave.
It had been years since there was a global pandemic and a country-wide increase in discrimination. Yet, our generation of Americans have unfortunately gone full circle, facing both issues with little to no experience. I chose this vision of resilience, as it coincides with my identity. As a Korean-American, I witnessed the Asian hate that began to spread. I saw it on the news and I saw it in my hometown; it spread too quickly and without thought. I wanted to depict the truth of how important and exemplary we are in altering the very future of our country.
Resilience to me defines not only the opportunity to recover, but also to improve further actions to prevent recurrent inhumane events. With my piece I wanted to demonstrate the truth of our nation, which is we are what creates our nation. We keep it safe, we nurture it, and grow it, all like a child, who should not be exposed to violence and prejudice. I am resilient, I’m aware of the issues that arise around me and about my identity, I’m aware of my reaction to others’ impulsive and emotion-based reactions, and I’m aware of how their actions taint our future with distasteful events.
Labor for Love
Jayden Tran, Grade 11
Being a mother has not, and never will be, easy. Seeing my Asian female family members raising their children has inspired me. Their resilience despite all the labor, pain, and obstacles that come with raising a child has shown me how resilient women are. As I missed Mother’s Day this year, I want to celebrate the resiliency of the mothers I know, the women that have raised me, and the women that continue to raise my family around me. To love is to labor for another, and no matter how big or small the gestures we receive may be, the love that we receive from our family members and parents is one that we must learn not to take for granted. Just as my family has been resilient in raising me, I hope to learn from them and be as resilient as them while loving others, no matter the labor it takes.
To me, mothers’ work of raising children is always taken for granted. Especially with the current status of Roe v. Wade and the ongoing debates about the bodies of women, the rights to abortion, and the lives of both the mother and the child, it is imperative to see how resilient women are, and have been, now and throughout history. Women are fighting for the right to their bodies right now, and uplifting their resiliency is one of the many things I can do to support the fight for civil liberties.
Freedom
Arihanna Males, Grade 8
My artwork shows people with their hands out who escaped through the door. Many others attempted and toughened up to make that happen, so they all joined together with the three people who made it work, the ones with the colored hands. They went after their dream, they were tough, they dealt with the burden that bothered them, took it all in and made it out alive. No matter what you go through, you can make it to where you headed.
(Juzo Males on art)
The Tears of the World
Kiana Caniga, Grade 7
My art piece demonstrates resilience. It shows twenty-six different skin colors representing myriad women around the world. It shows that though they may be different, they have all gone through the same, or similar hardships. The one blue eye in the center demonstrates everyone in the world’s unified eye. This eye has seen a lot and witnessed the most awful of things. Although this eye sheds a tear, it still stands strong and helps women around the world to fight against assault, rape, and societal standards. This tear is the last drop. Women don’t have to take it anymore.
This vision of resilience demonstrates that although we may look different, we all have something that connects us deeply and impactfully. Resilience to me means that someone never gives up. No matter how many times they get put down, they make it to the top. Even if they shed a tear, they will rise on top and show the world what people are truly capable of. After seeing this art piece, I hope that the audience can connect to the person next to them, that they can see past their differences and unite through a certain hardship, or even laugh.
I am not sure whether I am resilient or not. I still have much time to figure this out. When I do, if I do, I will make sure that it motivates me to do whatever my heart tells me to do.
Indestructible
Jonah Forsythe, Grade 8
The flower in the center of the chaos represents the resilience of hope and childlike wonder. No matter what happens in the world, people can and will be happy. A baby would never understand war or violence. People have a way of getting sad and depressed but there will always be a little joy in a person. Even if that joy and happiness is buried under guilt and sorrow it will always come back like a resilient flower. No matter what state people are in, they have the capability to be happy and joyous.
The Tears of Glorious Frustration
Sofia Gerstein, Grade 8
My artwork is about how society tries to choke the LGBTQ+ community into being “normal.” The rainbow tears are the tears of glorious frustration that emerge when people are forced into being something they’re not. This person is fighting through the oppression of the LGBTQ+ community. They’re showing resilience by not giving up and continuing to be themselves. They are willing to continue to bleed for the LGBTQ+ community if it means they will have a better future. Do not force people to be something they are not. Continue to be yourself. Resilience is the most important aspect of my life because it helps me overcome tough times and obstacles.
Buildings at night
Ernest Jensen, Grade 7
Even though it’s dark, the buildings still show the color through the moon. Resilience to me means to be able to build back up something that is damaged and to pass by something that might be hard to overcome. I think everyone is resilient, and if they aren’t I think they can be.
Please Just Try
Hanbin Park, Grade 8
My art piece is about overcoming life challenges. I drew a living life in dead land trying to show resilience. I can show the viewer that even when hard things come to face them they can overcome them. But it will never happen if they give up. Never give up in order to live up to your life.
I can bloom in any way I want and I will BLOOM. If you never give up you can change the rest of the world. I am resilient because I never give up on any challenges that face me.
I Walk a Lonely Road
Charlotte Schlesinger, Grade 8
My artwork shows a person walking; injured, but still moving forward. This can be a metaphor for moving on or not giving up, even if you have been left with scars. The person is showing resilience by showing strength in a time of weakness. Resilience is crucial to get through life, and without it you’d be stuck in a place of hurt and depression. Resilience is the act of standing up and moving on, being able to get through tough situations.
Sanctuary
Joshua Lopes, Grade 11
In my artwork, Sanctuary, I believe resilience is instilled within our minds. Here, I present a woman with her child walking, marching with purpose to the top of a mountain. While others are stuck in the mindset of cash and greed, pessimism feeds upon their mind. She has hope, strength, and resilience; despite struggles they may have dealt with (socioeconomic), she chooses to transcend above, not in arrogance but in her ambition to better her and her child’s circumstances. Even more, they have others in mind, imagining a better home for all. They choose to walk a road least traveled upon; they choose not to flee but look towards the future: the promise land, the sanctuary. In the painting, she holds her child’s hand, i.e., the future, in her image of hope, resilience, and strength where this will persevere for eons to come.
My mother instilled the same values into my upbringing. I once saw someone get majorly bullied during middle school. Instead of being a bystander, I stood up for this kid to stop the bullying, but of course they just switched to me. I stood up to this bullying so that kid would not get bullied anymore. My mother raised me to grow from love, not hate, so I never hated those bullies, just pitied them for their various reasons for doing such horrible acts. I stayed resilient for the better good, so that bullied kid could live in the light without fear, and so that they could possibly be the light for the next person they meet, just as I was for them.
The Autry Museum of the American West acknowledges the Gabrielino/Tongva peoples as the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar (the Los Angeles basin and So. Channel Islands). We recognize that the Autry Museum and its campuses are located on the traditional lands of Gabrielino/Tongva peoples and we pay our respects to the Honuukvetam (Ancestors), ‘Ahiihirom (Elders) and ‘Eyoohiinkem (our relatives/relations) past, present and emerging.
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