2023 Youth Art Contest

In collaboration with the Friends of Tualatin River NWRC and the Tualatin River NWRC

Noah Von Dem Bruch - Third Place

Pastel painting

Group Level: Grade 9-12

Message

My visit to Costa Rica’s natural tapestry, woven with lush rainforests, cloud forests, swamps full of wildlife, and charming but mischievous Capuchin Monkeys catalyzed my reflections on how nature widens the view of the world around us. The dance of life within this Central American haven compelled me to contemplate the profound connections that exist when we open our eyes to the wonders of nature surrounding us. Many people stay nested at home, unaware of the nature outside. The eye in my artwork, gazing upward with the ocean as its sclera (the white part of an eye) symbolizes the barrier one has to sail across to open their eyes and reach the shore of the unknown, outside of their home (the house nestled in the pupil of the eye). To me, the healing art of nature projected in this piece describes the cure of one’s addiction to staying at home.