Student’s Artistic Acumen Benefits Local Nonprofit

Bonnie He '27 celebrated a new milestone in her artistic career in April, when local leaders, Asian American community activists, friends, and Northfield Mount Hermon faculty members gathered for the opening of "INNA BEAUTI," her second solo exhibition, in the Flushing Town Hall Gallery in Flushing, New York.

Where most young artists might stop to bask in the glow of such an achievement, He used her success to give back to the community, donating $1,830 raised from the exhibit to the Greenfield-based nonprofit Twice As Smart.

Founded in 2018, Twice As Smart runs after-school programs for local children to bolster their academic skills and inspire them to "think big and dream boldly," said board member Debbie Shriver. This includes pairing with mentors from the community to explore topics of interest to students and build their self-confidence.

In addition to her financial gift, He and fellow student-artist Mia Soriano '27 volunteered their time to run a workshop for Twice As Smart students at NMH, where they demonstrated various art techniques and spoke to them about finding their unique form of expression.

"I personally love children, and I love seeing that my passion is something they're interested in," He said. "When I was in elementary school, I was very ambitious, but beyond my family, doing art wasn't very encouraged. It's something that people value in museums, but as an occupation, society limits your opportunities, especially if you come from a low-income family. I wanted to give them the opportunity to create and experiment and be a figure who inspires them to believe in the things that they're doing."

Having older students such as He work with Twice As Smart allows younger children to see themselves reflected in the world and provides a tangible example for their future goals, said Shriver.

"These are the kinds of connections that you can't manufacture," she said. "It means so much, not only in terms of our finances but also just what it means to the children that this young woman was giving all that time and attention [to them]. Bonnie's poise, her preparation and thoughtfulness, how she structured the presentation and then engaged the children and her generosity … She's an extraordinary young woman."

The past year has been an exhilarating journey for the young artist, on and off campus: Last summer, He's colored-pencil piece, "Lockdown Drill Inside a Dorm Closet," won a Congressional Art Competition award and was displayed in the U.S. Capitol; this school year, He received a national Silver Medal, six Gold Keys, and three Silver Keys in the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers' Scholastic Art & Writing Awards [see "Student Artists Celebrated"], in addition to several school-wide art awards.

"I'm very lucky to be in this position: I worked hard for it, but art is so subjective," He said of the accolades she's received. "The awards hold a lot of significance to me, not because of the award itself but because it’s made me more motivated to experiment and make my story relatable to others."

In addition, He and Soriano launched a new art initiative on campus, Visual Voices, which highlights students' creative works outside of the classroom in a rotating display in the front of the Rhodes Arts Center. Projects such as Visual Voices and her work with Twice As Smart were her most rewarding endeavors, said He.

"I'm always thinking about how I can advertise art beyond school," she said. "There are a lot of workshops and community services about making art accessible, which I love, but with Visual Voices and helping Twice As Smart, I was trying to go beyond doing pure workshops to really talk about how art can make an impact rather than just be something you have access to."

He, who is also a member of the NMH Dance Company, sees her work in the community as paying forward the support she's received at school from her instructors. "They're all so open to the ideas of interdisciplinary creations,” she said. “I can smear paint live on stage, or I can literally rent a whole wall and just put my artwork there. They're so open to supporting my ambition. Their support has motivated me to do things that give other people the same inspiration that my teachers have given me.”

—Max Hunt

Photos courtesy of Bonnie He '27 and Twice As Smart.