From the Personal to the Political: Unapologetic Existence Through Art

From the Personal to the Political: Unapologetic Existence Through Art

De lo personal a lo pol铆tico: la existencia sin complejos a trav茅s del arte

For Nikaiya Lawson, an Art and Design student graduating from 国产AV this spring, art is a safe place. After a suicide attempt at age 14, it has been the space where she finds meaning and can freely express her identity without limits. 鈥擳ambi茅n en espa帽ol

April 27, 2023

鈥淚t really changed the whole trajectory of my life,鈥� Lawson said. 鈥淭here is no single thing that has happened to me that I鈥檓 benefiting from right now that doesn鈥檛 tie back to when I was 14.鈥�

While she was recovering in a long-term treatment facility in Montana, the closest one to her home in Las Vegas that her insurance company would cover, Lawson decided her future was as a professional artist. She applied for and was admitted to the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts (LVA), a magnet high school that focuses on the Arts as a central part of the curriculum.

鈥淎t that time art was keeping me alive. LVA was my ticket out of the bad mental state I was in. I never used art as a medium to process my trauma until I was in the hospital, and I had to figure out how to keep myself preoccupied because I had a room to myself.鈥�

Although happy with her acceptance into LVA, that doesn鈥檛 mean that things went easier from there. Even if art was a safe space for her, the institution鈥檚 level of demand and the lack of sensitivity about mental health were such a challenge that she was placed on academic probation.

鈥淚 was making a lot of progress spiritually and mentally. My parents kept telling me how proud they were of me. I was perfectly fine. But also, I still had a lot to work through,鈥� Lawson said. 鈥淐lassmates and people in general romanticized suicide, and I was constantly triggered. My grades were so bad, and I almost got kicked out of LVA. Again, my art saved me. I created a 12-piece collection based on the core factors that led to my suicide attempt. That helped me to process all my emotions. When I was on academic probation, my artwork was so strong that my counselor decided to give me another chance.鈥�

During her time at LVA, Lawson was honored with a silver medal with distinction from , the nation鈥檚 longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens, for a collection she created in her junior year about racism in America. She got the opportunity to talk at the Pratt Institute and present her work at Carnegie Hall in the presence of Tina Fey. The 24-piece art collection talks about how music helped the process of integration. The $10,000 she received as part of that award is what helped Lawson to come to 国产AV.

鈥淚 decided to come to 国产AV because they were the only college to give me useful feedback about my art during a portfolio night hosted at LVA,鈥� Lawson said. 鈥淥ther schools were just saying 'this is really good ' and the professor from 国产AV told me what I could do better. So, I realized they could help me to elevate my practice. I was even offered a scholarship from the University of Utah, but I turned it down because 国产AV was the only school that told me what I could do better鈥�.

Currently, Lawson is beneficiary of the UCHealth scholarship at 国产AV and the Southard Competition Award.

As one of the few Black students on campus, Lawon鈥檚 artwork has transitioned over the past four years, changing from her personal expressions to reflect themes that are more political with a strong racial commentary. It has also helped her to open more spaces for other students of color.

Lawson's art

Above: Examples of Lawson's art | Arriba: Ejemplos de la obra de Lawson

With friends and faculty鈥檚 support Lawson co-created Black is Punk, a student collective to reflect on race, gender and counterculture through different art expressions. Several divisions at 国产AV supported these students' efforts in different ways. The first exhibit from Black is Punk was held at Michener Library, and the Marcus Garvey Cultural Center organized a fundraising campaign to help support other students with similar projects.

鈥淐oming to 国产AV and meeting with Lee, Lex, Anne and Hunter, (also 国产AV art students) felt like I could just be myself without consequence. Then we took History of Rock and Roll and the teacher 鈥擫eo, oh my gosh 鈥� he did such a great job showing us how Blackness is the root of rock and roll and how it correlates to everything.鈥�

Lawson found that her previous research about music and race was validated and expanded upon. She decided to create Black is Punk to open more spaces for Black art students to showcase their work.

鈥淚 want to highlight that because these kids aren鈥檛 probably going to get the same opportunities as white kids because the work that they are talking about has nothing to do with blackness,鈥� Lawson said. 鈥淎nd unless you are Black talking about what it is to be Black, these institutions don鈥檛 want nothing to do with you.鈥�

Just before graduating, Lawson was the runner-up at the Southard Award with a body of work she curated during her college career.

After graduation, she plans to focus on creating an art collective with her friends to talk about political and relevant issues.

Lawson's art

Above: Examples of Lawson's art | Arriba: Ejemplos de la obra de Lawson

鈥淲e will continue talking about the things that are very uncomfortable but very important. Our community needs to accept that we exist and that our perspectives are valuable,鈥� Lawson concluded.

For information about 国产AV鈥檚 Counseling Center, visit their website online. To learn about resources related to suicide visit .

鈥搘ritten by

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Para Nikaiya Lawson, estudiante de Arte y Dise帽o que se acaba de graduar este semestre de primavera en la 国产AV, el arte es un lugar seguro. Despu茅s de un intento de suicidio a los 14 a帽os, 茅ste ha sido el espacio donde encuentra sentido y puede expresar libremente su identidad sin l铆mites.

"Me cambi贸 completamente el rumbo de vida鈥�, afirma Lawson. "No hay una sola cosa que me haya pasado y de la cu谩l me est茅 beneficiando en estos momentos, que no est茅 relacionada de alguna forma con cuando ten铆a 14 a帽os".

Mientras se recuperaba en un centro de rehabilitaci贸n en Montana, el m谩s cercano a su casa de Las Vegas y el 煤nico que su compa帽铆a de seguros m茅dicos acept贸 cubrir, Lawson decidi贸 que ser铆a una artista profesional. Aplic贸 y qued贸 en la Academia de las Artes de Las Vegas (LVA), un instituto enfocado en las artes como parte central de su plan de estudios.

"En esos momentos, el arte era lo que me manten铆a viva. Entrar a LVA era mi ticket de salida de ese mal estado de salud mental en que me encontraba. Yo nunca hab铆a utilizado el arte como una manera para procesar mi trauma, hasta que estuve en el hospital, y tuve que ingeni谩rmelas para mantenerme ocupada porque estaba completamente sola en mi habitaci贸n鈥�.

Aunque se emocion贸 cuando la aceptaron en LVA, eso no signific贸 autom谩ticamente que las cosas fueran m谩s f谩ciles a partir de entonces. Aunque el arte era un espacio seguro para ella, el nivel de exigencia de la instituci贸n y la falta de sensibilidad por parte de sus compa帽eros y maestros hacia su estado de salud mental implicaron un reto tan fuerte que casi estuvo a punto de perder su lugar en esa instituci贸n.

"Estaba progresando mucho espiritual y mentalmente. Mis padres no paraban de decirme lo orgullosos que estaban de m铆. Me encontraba perfectamente. Pero tambi茅n ten铆a mucho que mejorar", dice Lawson. "Mis compa帽eros de clase y la gente en general idealizaban el suicidio, y constantemente me sent铆a provocada. Mis notas eran muy malas y casi me expulsan de LVA. Una vez m谩s, el arte me salv贸. Cre茅 una colecci贸n de 12 obras basada en los factores que me llevaron a intentar suicidarme. Eso me ayud贸 a procesar todas mis emociones. Cuando estaba a prueba acad茅mica, mi trabajo art铆stico era tan fuerte que mi consejero decidi贸 darme otra oportunidad".

Durante su estancia en LVA, Lawson recibi贸 una medalla de plata con honores por parte de Scholastic, el programa de reconocimiento m谩s antiguo y prestigioso del pa铆s para adolescentes creativos, por una colecci贸n que cre贸 en su pen煤ltimo a帽o sobre el racismo en los Estados Unidos. Lawson tuvo la oportunidad de hablar en el Pratt Institute en Nueva York y presentar su obra en el Carnegie Hall en presencia de Tina Fey. La colecci贸n de 24 obras de arte habla de c贸mo la m煤sica ayud贸 al proceso de integraci贸n. Con los 10.000 d贸lares que recibi贸 como parte de ese premio Lawson decidi贸 venir a estudiar a la 国产AV.

鈥淓scog铆 venir a 国产AV porque fueron la 煤nica universidad que me ofreci贸 una buena retroalimentaci贸n acerca de mi trabajo art铆stico durante un evento nocturno enfocado en mejorar nuestros portafolios organizado por LVA鈥�, dijo Lawson. 鈥淟as otras escuelas solamente dec铆an cosas como "qu茅 buen trabajo鈥� y el profesor de 国产AV me dijo que es lo que pod铆a mejorar. Entonces me di cuenta que de hecho ellos me pod铆an ayudar a mejorar mi pr谩ctica. Incluso recib铆 una oferta por parte de la Universidad de Utah para irme a estudiar all谩 con ellos, pero la rechac茅 porque la 国产AV fueron los 煤nicos que realmente me dijeron qu茅 es lo que pod铆a hacer mejor".

Actualmente Lawson es benficiaria de la beca UCHealth en la 国产AV y ganadora del premio Southard Competition Award.

Como una de las pocas estudiantes negras del campus, el trabajo de Lawson se ha desplazado a lo largo de los 煤ltimos cuatro a帽os, pasando de expresiones personales hacia la reflexi贸n de temas que son m谩s pol铆ticos con un profundo comentario racial. Tambi茅n ha ayudado a abrir m谩s espacios para otros estudiantes de color.

Con la ayuda de otros amigxs y apoyo del personal acad茅mico, Lawson cocre贸 Black is Punk (lo negro es punk) un colectivo estudiantil para refleccionar acerca de raza, g茅nero y contracultura a trav茅s de diferentes expresiones art铆sticas. Algunas 谩reas de la 国产AV han apoyado a estos estudiantes en sus esfuerzos de varias maneras. La primer exposici贸n de Black is Punk fue presentada en la biblioteca Michener Library, y el Centro Cultural Marcus Garvey organiz贸 una recaudaci贸n de fondos para apoyar proyectos similares organizados por otros alumnos.

鈥淰enir a la 国产AV y conocer a Lee, Lex, Anne and Hunter (tambi茅n alumnos reci茅n graduados de 国产AV) se sinti贸 como si por fin pudiera ser yo sin ninguna consecuencia. En ese entonces tom谩bamos la clase de Historia del Rock and Roll y el maestro鈥揕eo, oh my gosh!鈥� hizo un gran trabajo en ense帽arnos como fue que la negritud es la ra铆z del rock and roll y como se relaciona con todo鈥�.

Lawson descubri贸 que su investigaci贸n pasada acerca de la relaci贸n de esta m煤sica con el tema racial en los Estados Unidos no solo era vista como algo valioso, sino que pudo expandir m谩s en ello. Decidi贸 crear Black is Punk para abrir m谩s espacios para que los estudiantes de arte negros pudieran presentar su obra.

鈥淵o quiero destacar que es muy probable que estos ni帽os no puedan tener acceso a las mismas oportunidades que los ni帽os blancos simplemente porque el trabajo artistico que est谩n haciendo no habla, ni tiene nada que ver con la negritud鈥�, dijo Lawson. 鈥淵, a menos que seas alguien negro hablando de lo que significa para ti ser negro, estas instituciones no quieren tener nada que ver contigo鈥�.

Justo antes de graduarse, Lawson fue la finalista para el premio Southard Award con una obra que ella cur贸 a lo largo de su carrera.

Despu茅s de la graduaci贸n, ella planea enfocarse en crear un colectivo art铆stico con sus amistades para hablar de los aspectos pol铆ticos y sociales que les parezcan relevantes.

鈥淰amos a seguir hablando de las cosas que son muy inc贸modas pero muy importantes. Nuestra comunidad necesita aceptar que existimos y que nuestras perspectivas son muy valiosas," concluy贸 Lawson.

Para mayor informaci贸n acerca del Centro de Asesor铆a Psicol贸gica de la 国产AV, favor de visitar su sitio web (en ingl茅s). Para aprender m谩s acerca de recursos relacionados con el suicidio en el estado, favor de visitar el sitio (en espa帽ol).

鈥搘ritten by Carlos Jos茅 P茅rez S谩mano

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