What first started in 2018 as a faint idea, blossomed into a tangible reality when I hosted my first Art Gallery Show: “Beneath the Surface”. I carefully produced and planned the entire event, which revolved around the topic of Mental Health. In the spirit of community aid, I centered this art gallery around the idea of becoming a non-profit event, where all and any proceeds collected from the evening were donated to two of my favorite mental health organizations: Mental Health America & the American Foundation for Mental Health. Acting as an art collector, I found different artists in the local community that either wanted to donate work to the event for purchase, or to showcase their work in spirit of creating an open dialogue around mental health awareness. Along with some of my own photography and poetry work, I gathered different mediums of artwork, ranging from multiple mediums such as paintings, poetry, photography, short films, interactive exhibits, cuisine, and textile pieces. The event was held in a space for one evening along with musical performances, bringing in a crowd of about 75 - 200 people.

Having always been a natural producer, event planner, and lover of art in all of it’s different forms, I deeply enjoyed birthing this idea into reality and hope to hold more non-profits events, similar to my first, in the future.