I’m honored to have had four paintings (of my own) in the 2024 St. Jude Dream House Community Art Exhibit in LaGrange, KY. The best part about the show was getting a sneak peek at the Dream House, meeting St. Jude’s amazing Ventara Massey, who facilitated the event, and the other talented artists whose work was included. St. Jude has always been one of my favorite charities, and I enjoyed painting two pieces specifically for this exhibit, to reflect the themes of “hope” and “healing”. This is a major role reversal for me, as I am usually much better at promoting student work than I am at promoting my own work. However, I’ve found that allowing students to see my art journey (both the celebrations and the sting of rejection) helps prepare them for their own journey in life. I hope they see that not trying is a missed opportunity and that finding success is something that you must sometimes work toward your whole life. Anyway, this was such a fun opportunity, for such a noble cause.