Grief Thr0ugh Wilderness

The graduating class of 2025-2026 had a unique experience with the COVID-19 pandemic - they experienced the shock and loss from lockdown whilst undergoing the transition from high school to college. Currently, there are undeniable pieces of grief leftover that permeate these students. For ArtsFest, a booklet will be displayed that features five pairs of poetry with art - a genre of poetry called ekphrasis, where poetry vividly describes and elaborates on artistic pieces. The art style would stem from a “wilderness” aesthetic, as a metaphor for students exploring the “wilderness” of their thoughts as though they have neither map nor compass. Students will look at the project’s work and feel more connected with other students and craft empathy that they are never alone in what they have felt during the pandemic. There is a complex combination from grief gained and lessons learned from lockdown, and this project  will illustrate this within the story. The project will consult students within the Scholars community regarding their coping mechanisms and overall thought processes over the pandemic, and possible lessons learned. Their words will be crafted into poetry to make the  project more immersive and relatable to students.