By: Audrey Pickering, Jaimee Kretsch, & Casey McCabe
The Bigger Picture:
College is an exciting time for young adults. There are new opportunities, and new people. However, there are also new challenges.
According to the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, recent research has shown that young adults in the United States have relatively high rates of mental health problems compared to other age groups. These mental health issues can have an impact on the ability of college and university students to engage fully in the new opportunities being presented to them. Mental health issues can lead to poor academic performance and poor interpersonal relationships.
Mental health problems in students are prevalent at the University of Minnesota, where 51.7% of students report being diagnosed with at least one mental health condition and more than one-half of students report they are unable to manage their stress, according to the Boynton Health 2021 College Student Health Survey Report. Raising awareness and sparking conversation surrounding mental health in college students is incredibly important for connecting students with resources and preventing them from feeling alone in their times of difficulty.
Exploring the Issue Through Art
Gretchen Pickering, a senior at the University of Minnesota is raising awareness of the mental health struggles of her peers through art. Her senior capstone project focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects it has had on students mental wellbeing. “One thing that I focus on a lot in my work is mental health just because it is something I deal with daily, and especially in COVID times when I have been isolated and all I can do is paint it has really shifted how I do art,” says Pickering. Her work focuses on how we communicate and perceive ourselves during these times of mental crisis.
Gretchen Pickering: a fourth year Art Major at the University of Minnesota. 
Bright Colors: Pickering uses pops of bright hues and neon to contrast with duller colors of the natural world. 
“No Lifeguard on Duty”: a man talks on the phone as he sits inside a pool placed within another, larger pool. 
Blurred lines: Pickering blends colors together to create the background.
“Self-Loading” (left) The figure is peeking out from a world of technology and neon that shows little resemblance to the dull colors found in our natural world.” “Overflow Underwater” (Middle). “Mirror Mirror on the wall, I don’t recognize myself at all” (Right). 
A matching set: Pickering reused her color palette to connect the different pieces. 
Tiny details: The fish glimmers, showcasing Pickering’s attention to the finer details. 
Glitched: Pickering used a glitch filter on the original image to inspire the same effect in the painting.
Multimedium: Acrylic paint makes up most of the images, with Posca markers used for smaller detailing. 
Painting outside the lines: Pickering’s palette is a work of art on its own. 
Eyes are the window to the soul: Pickering emphasizes a skewed reality as a result of mental health barriers with the figure’s glitched eyes.
The pandemic has had crippling effects on students who were severely impacted socially as well as academically by the isolation and pivot to digital learning. “I know that a lot of people around me struggled with anxiety and depression just with isolation and not being able to see friends and family,” says Pickering. “I channeled that into again, creating this world.” Utilizing vibrant colors and familiar and reassuring forms, Pickering hopes to provide viewers of her work with an escape from the real world. “The projects that I am working on right now have to do with isolation and escapism,” she explains. “When the pandemic started I had nothing to do but try and think of anything else other than my reality so I would create fantastical almost dream like worlds and use that as a way to move myself away from reality.” Learn more about Pickering’s work by watching the video below.
There is help available
Links to resources:
Boynton Mental Health Clinic (Students)
UMN Student Counseling Services (Students)
Faculty/Staff Wellbeing Program (UMN Staff)
Pandemic Painting: “Afloat” was created at the peak of the pandemic and visualizes Pickering’s feelings of isolation. The full painting spans 40×40”. 
Coping: Pickering has dealt with her own mental health struggles such as anxiety and depression. 
A series: Pickering has crafted a whole series of paintings for her Capstone project. 
Final touches: Gretchen will graduate with her Bachelor’s in art with a minor in digital media studies and interdisciplinary design.
Interested in seeing more of Pickering’s work?
*Disclaimer: Gretchen Pickering & Audrey Pickering are siblings. This story was produced with input and consideration from the artist.