Looking around the large, indoor skatepark, sophomore Nico Henry was overjoyed to see people clustered around the various art booths he’d helped set up. Paintings were displayed, orchestral music echoed throughout the room and poets were lining up to speak.
This was Nico’s first time organizing Eulogy for Living, an event created to help those struggling with their mental health and suicide support each other by sharing their musical and artistic creations.
The first event, held in 2020, was run by Nico’s mom, Christy, and planned to occur annually. Though Covid put a halt to the second event, Nico brought back the event five years later with his own influence and ideas. While his mom chose to host the event at a local church, Nico hosted his event at the now closed Goofball Skatepark to direct the event towards a younger audience.
“I had local artists there, and it was a lot less formal,” Nico said. “It was a lot more centered around the experience, celebrating life, instead of the negative impacts of suicide.”
The event itself consists of exhibits of local artists’ work — both students and professionals — poetry readings, musical performances and the acknowledgment of mental health/suicide, something not often brought up and recognized, according to Nico.
After suffering from an intense state of depression in middle school, Nico learned to draw as a way of expressing his feelings and emotions. He found passion in making various mediums of art, escaping many of his pains through his art and the support of friends and family. He brought back Eulogy for Living to help those who were grappling with the same issues by sharing their stories through art as he was able to do.
“I think that for as long as Nico has been old enough to be helping, Nico has always been looking for opportunities to help people,” Christy said. “And [organizing Eulogy for Living] feels like an extension of who he is.”
Nico connected with Mental Health America of the Heartland, the Midwest region of the national organization, to have mental health representatives present at last year’s event. The head chair of MHAH, Susan Lewis, helped him devise a way for a portion of the proceeds from the art sold at the event to be donated to MHAH.
Twenty-five percent of the proceeds each artist makes from selling their work at Eulogy for Living was donated. The other 75% went directly back to the local artist, unless they chose to give all the profit to MHAH.
“I talked to all the art classes at East and [tried] to encourage people to submit their work,” Nico said. “There's either [a] donation, where you give me your art and I'll set it up at a table, or you can have your own table to yourself [at the show].”
One of Nico’s family friends, Carol Schieszer, was one of the dozens of artists who donated artwork to the show last summer. She remembers Nico visiting her house for Art in the Attic classes when he was in elementary school and wanted to support him and the cause of the show by donating all of her profits to MHAH, rather than getting some of the proceeds back for herself.
“I got nothing but the gratification of giving,” Schieszer said. “I entered maybe 10 or 12 paintings, and they sold. I gave [the paintings] to [Nico] and he could keep all the proceeds he could get.”
Nico aimed to direct the event more towards teenagers and young adults, though older adults, like Schieszer, also contributed. The concept of the event as a whole comes down to that exactly: whether you’re a student artist or a professional, whether you prefer to paint, draw, sing, write poetry, take pictures or do any form of art that resonates with you, everyone has a place.
Oliver Martinez, one of Nico’s closest friends, whom he met when he was 3 years old, also found passion through various types of art. Martinez has encountered the pains of mental health at times, and connects with the deeper meaning of the event.
“There were a bunch of my friends there, but there were also a bunch of people I didn't know,” Martinez said. “We were all coming together, and everyone's really nice, and it was a really welcoming environment.”
Martinez was happy to support his longtime friend with the event, donating various crocheted pieces and handmade textile art.
Other local artists are currently reaching out to Nico via Instagram direct messages or email to inquire about a booth at his next event, which is set to take place at the end of May. Managing these artists' booths, planning the event’s location and picking a date can be a lot of work, yet Nico still finds time to create his own art and work on SM East’s student art publication, The Freelancer.
Nico’s art has been described as increasingly brighter and more vibrant by his mom. He continues to combat his own mental health struggles, but has showcased his growth through his artwork. Art has become a place for him to transform his pain into something tangible that others can connect with.
“Watching Nico pull people together in a way where they can feel supported communicates this idea of hope and the ability [that] even when you're really struggling or suffering, you can find your way through,” Christy said.
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