Bridge Drives explores an expressive landscape of personal change and a place that holds meaning within those transitions. The Robert Moses Bridge on Long Island, a location near my hometown, is significant to my identity and relationships. By layering painting and collage, I express how both place and self can change over time, while foundations of stability and connections persist. The inspiration for my work comes from my own journey navigating loss, identity, and healing. After struggling with injury and my mental health, there was a sudden change in how I saw myself. The Robert Moses Bridge transformed from a joyful escape into a place overshadowed by fear and grief.

It was not until I unexpectedly discovered art that my relationship to the bridge began to change again. I am forever grateful to my first Art Professor at Loyola, Professor Akre, for accepting me into her Landscape painting class. Creating art became a way to not only reclaim my identity but also reclaim the bridge as it’s original symbol of safety, movement, and now more than ever, renewal. By exploring the intricacies of perspective, Bridge Drives highlights the beauty in dark times, and in change. It also shows that it takes a village to make a meaningful change, like all the people included in this collage helped me change. I have always been inspired by the imagery of butterflies, transformation, and life cycles. They are a simple, beautiful reminder that growth is gradual and nonlinear. I am encouraging others to recognize and hold onto the good that still exists in the world. Just as a bridge connects one side to another, my art helps me connect who I was with who I am becoming.