Inspire Your Heart with Art Day is a holiday created to celebrate art in its various forms: painting, drawing, sculpting, and more – anything that sparks joy. Longtime Armacost library staff member and university alumni Trisha Aurelio discovered the holiday while browsing the internet and decided it would be a great way to encourage students to use the library for more than just research. The event was hosted on Jan. 31 and lasted all day.
“It was on one of those fun holiday sites. I thought it would be a fun, easy, low-key way to encourage students to come into the library and just be creative,” said Aurelio.
Inside the library, a few tables were set up with various art supplies and some prompts to inspire ideas. Students could sit down to draw and chat during the library’s operating hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“Part of our goal is to encourage students to come into the library and use it for all kinds of things, not just studying or checking out a book,” Aurelio explained. “We want students to feel comfortable coming in and doing all kinds of things. For example, yesterday the student organization The Granny Squares, a crochet club, had their meeting here.”
This is one of the many small events the library has been hosting. Students have probably noticed that during finals or at the beginning of the year, there are small treats and relaxation activities. On the first floor, a small game nook has been set up with board games that can be checked out at any time.
Photos by Hayleigh Yeoh.
Kae Yeoh is a junior majoring in music performance and is a senior reporter for the Redlands Bulldog. When not busy, Kae enjoys writing, making Spotify playlists, and watching documentaries.
