Ever since I was a child, many people have told me to do what I love, but what I love changes very frequently. I have gone from wanting to be a vet, to a teacher, to a journalist, and finally to a social worker. If you’re anything like me, you have gone from subject to subject, searching for your calling in life. For me, my realization of what my calling was came slowly, then hit me all at once. As soon as I learned about social work, I knew I needed it in my life. On the other hand, art has always appealed to me. I am constantly envious of my friends amazing artistic abilities, while I struggle to draw a stick figure. ACP is home to students of many talents, a prominent one being artistic skills.

Brooke Betsuie, current junior at ACP-Erie, recently portrayed her art abilities in a local art show. This art show, which ended on Tuesday, March 27, 2018, was located at the Heard Museum, in Phoenix, AZ. This museum focuses on the culture of Native Americans and how they were treated in the past. One of the main attractions at the museum includes a set-up of what an Indian Boarding School looked like. Brooke recently had two art pieces, titled “Morning Prayer” and “Golden Dreams”, featured in an art show the museum hosts. With personal water-color paintings, which depicted herself, her family, and her culture, it isn’t a surprise Brooke’s pieces were featured in the museum. Her family and her heritage heavily influenced her artistic career, she stated in an interview, and her past experiences with her family and her heritage were major inspirations to why she created her artwork. Brooke continued by saying that she sold on of her two art pieces and has the option to donate the remaining piece to the Heard Museum, meaning the piece will be displayed for all to see. She exclaimed that it was a bitter-sweet moment when her piece was sold, for focused the water-color on herself and her past experiences with both her family and culture; however, she was ecstatic when she found out it was sold. With this being her first art show, selling one of her pieces was an amazing accomplishment.

Brooke, along with her prize money, received a ribbon and card commemorating her achievements. Her advice to those who want to pursue in an art career, or enter in an art contest is to be open-minded and to not  judge yourself too harshly. She explained that while painting the piece that sold, she didn’t like certain aspects, and she though she messed up other parts, but when she stepped back and saw it framed on the wall she saw it from a different perspective, and she fell even more in love with her art. Brooke’s accomplishments are extraordinary and will definitely aid her in pursuing her art career.