Students were invited to take part in a community painting event held at the Kirkhof Center titled The Weight We Paint, centered around immigration and immigrant experiences.
Hosted by Belong Beyond Borders in collaboration with Mental Health in Minorities, the event provided a space for students to engage in art with a focus on experiences connected to current events. The gathering centered the Latinx community, and was open to all students, with organizers noting that no prior art experience was required.
Rather than featuring guest speakers or formal presentations, the event focused entirely on painting. Participants were encouraged to visually represent relevant topics such as navigating immigration status, supporting loved ones, managing family expectations or processing collective struggles tied to policy and identity.
Organizers noted that while the event was not intended to replace professional counseling, they remain connected with campus resources such as the University Counseling Center and Rainbow Resource Center. The space was designed to complement those services by offering peer-centered support and shared reflection.
Sophomore Alexis Martinez, a social work major, said that events like this offer a rare opportunity to slow down.
“There are so many conversations happening around immigration, but not always space to sit with how it personally affects you,” Martinez said. “Some of that weight settles in places you don’t talk about. Painting feels like giving it a voice without having to say every word out loud. I still advocate in my community, but it can feel very stressful dealing with constant bad news.”
Belong Beyond Borders and Mental Health in Minorities highlighted that public discourse surrounding immigration policies can create ongoing stress for Hispanic and Latinx students alongside their families. Concerns about documentation, immigration, policies and broader political rhetoric can compound academic pressures.
Andres Ortiz-Estevez, a junior and biomedical sciences major, said the event helped build a stronger sense of belonging, especially for students whose families are impacted by immigration enforcement and policy changes.
“When you hear about ICE activity or see headlines about immigration policies shifting, it doesn’t feel distant for a lot of us,” Ortiz-Estevez said. “It can mean checking in on your parents, worrying about relatives or having conversations at home that are heavy. That kind of stress follows you into study sessions, into labs (and) exams. Even if you’re trying to focus on school, it’s (stress) still there.”
The event’s inclusive structure removed barriers to participation. With no artistic expectations and an informal format, students were encouraged to focus on expression rather than skill. The two-hour window provided flexibility for students to attend between classes, work shifts and evening commitments. This accessibility gave students the chance to explore the inexpressible emotions that accompany difficult topics, regardless of artistic background.
“Having a creative outlet helps turn feelings into something tangible,” Ortiz-Estevez said. “I think even the act of painting a protest sign is a form of artistic expression.”
Through painting, the event offered a nonverbal outlet for the weight of the current political climate surrounding immigration. Visual art allowed participants to externalize complex emotions that may be difficult to articulate in conversation, transforming internal stress into color as a means of identity exploration and validation. By emphasizing lived experiences tied to emotional strain, the event fostered dialogue and solidarity among students who may otherwise feel isolated.
