Lydia Nobrega (Visual Arts 2026) Places 2nd in Youth for Change Coalition Mental Health and Wellness Art Competition

February 13, 2025

Congratulations to Lydia Nobrega (Visual Arts 2026) who recently placed 2nd in the Youth for Change Coalition Mental Health and Wellness Art Competition. The award was announced on January 29th at the Mental Health & Wellness Art Gala, hosted by the Youth for Change Coalition, an initiative of Children First. Lydia’s art piece was in response to the competition prompt: What does mental wellness mean to me?

Lydia Nobrega (Visual Arts 2026) placed 2nd in the Youth for Change Coalition Mental Health and Wellness Art Competition with this piece, titled “sober”.

The piece, titled “sober”, was deeply personal. “I wanted to show a contrast through the color and pattern of the figure and the background,” Lydia shared in her artist statement. “I struggle with addiction, this piece is supposed to represent my feeling after getting sober. I feel like a lot of the time I’m either too sensitive or numb to things around me. The color in the eyes and lips represents regaining control of my vision and my voice. After getting sober I felt like my vision was a lot clearer and as if I took blinds off my eyes. When I was using, my point of view was often distorted. I was angry a lot of the time and couldn’t control what I said or how I talked to people.”

Lydia enjoyed the experience of displaying her artwork publicly, getting it framed with her mom, and sharing her story beyond school. “It was my first gallery outside of school, and honestly, my first time showing my work was at a gallery here [at Perpich]!” said Lydia. She valued the connections made with people who related to her work, finding those interactions meaningful and important.

The competition’s theme focused on mental health, particularly suicide and its impact on the community. Lydia connected her art with feelings of loneliness, depression, and anger. She found it powerful to share her experience and perspective. “I knew I wanted to go and make this piece with mental health in mind and my experience in mind,” said Lydia. “I didn’t know about the Children First [opportunity] but Lindsay [Schmitt] sent out an email about it and let me know about it last quarter.”

Lydia celebrates the exhibition with family members

Lydia felt anxious about submitting her work, to the point where she had to detach from it and view it as if it belonged to a friend. “I had to think about it as if this was my friend who had this piece that aligned with the competition, and would I want them to submit it? Yes!” When her piece was accepted, Lydia committed to participating but remained nervous, trying to disconnect from the experience. “Even the night of, I was so nervous, but also thinking, ‘This isn’t real, I’m just gonna show up.'” Ultimately, Lydia embraced a mindset of simply letting things unfold, which she found to be a refreshing approach. She learned that her piece received second place the night of the event. “There were 20 pieces, at least, so I wasn’t expecting that,” she said. “My entire family showed up, so I had a posse of people there. It was kind of a shock; just a really weird, really cool experience.”

The competition aside, Lydia is inspired by the dedication of the teenagers in the Youth for Change Coalition who are addressing mental illness as a public crisis. “To see how much they have put into it and work that they’ve done to get those statistics, and what they’re going to do in the future, is so cool. I think it needs to be talked about more.” Lydia was offered a summer internship with Youth for Change Coalition and she’s excited about the opportunity to join the community, feeling that her unique perspective would add a valuable voice to the group. “That community and that program itself is so new, but it’s gonna do so many beautiful things. It’s really important.”

Attendees at the Youth for Change Coalition Mental Health and Wellness Art Competition view Lydia’s piece.

Lindsey Schmitt, Visual Arts Instructor, was thrilled for Lydia’s acknowledgement. “Lydia is a talented artist! I’m so proud of her and can’t wait to see what she makes next,” said Schmitt. “She challenges herself everyday in the studio and continues to make artwork about authentic themes and concepts that are important to her. I know she will go far with her art.”

Lydia Nobrega is from Eden Prairie, MN and is the child of Barrett Loving. She previously attended PiM Arts High School in Eden Prairie, MN.

Youth for Change Coalition is working to raise awareness of the issue of mental health and provide solutions. Children First brings the community together to push for better outcomes so that every young person in St. Louis Park can thrive. They convene cross-sector initiatives working to change the odds for children and families.