UMD Students Practice the Art of Gratitude

The I Love You Institute had a pop-up in Kirby Commons. UMD's Public Health Student Group helped bring it to campus. It centered around expressing gratitude through art and taking a moment to reflect on what students are grateful for. 

Jaimie Maki, a public health major, painted a large purple hand. She had people write down what they were grateful for on small cards then attach them to the palm of the hand.

"The students or whoever wants to can write what they're grateful for, who they're grateful for and add it to the art," Maki said. "So it's my art, the original artist's art, and then the students as well."

Maki says expressions of gratitude are another form of art. 

"I want people to understand that art isn't the stereotypical like you have to be really good at drawing or painting. Like some people think because they can only draw stick figures, they're not good at art," she said. "But I think bringing it in and writing it on here is a different form of art. It's all about inclusion, and I think that's really important."

St. Paul-based artist Anne Labovitz created the I Love You Institute. She said people need to say and hear "I love you" now more than ever.