Stepping into the narrow, long gallery, a girl smiles at the sight of familiar paintings that evoke a sense of calmness within her. She walks further down the gallery, filled with joy as she views paintings of a cute little bird living its life. She soon realizes, though, that she has never seen these exact paintings before. It is what the paintings consist of that forms the feeling of familiarity.

Recently, senior studio art major Madeline Romero presented her senior art exhibition, “Little Bird.” Studio Art students are required to have a senior exhibition, where they showcase the work they are most proud of in a gallery, as if their art were going to be in a real museum.

At first, Romero knew her exhibition needed a theme, but had no idea what it would be. Eventually, it clicked.

“Once I started drawing Little Bird, it felt like it came naturally, like I was meant to paint Little Bird,” Romero said. “So I was like, ‘Oh my god, my theme is just going to be Little Bird because it makes me so happy, and I don’t have to stress about anything.’”

Everything in the long gallery centered around Romero’s character, Little Bird.

“I draw Little Bird in everyday situations to tell stories and draw out memories,” Romero said. “I want my art to evoke a sense of familiarity in the viewer, a sense of self. I want people to understand they are not alone. We all go through similar experiences in life at one point or another.”

Although Little Bird is just a cute little guy, his purpose goes much further than that. He represents everyone’s lives, providing a sense of unity and tying people together.
“Little Bird is you, Little Bird is me, Little Bird is everyone (hence the mirror),” Romero said. “I want people to look into it and see Little Bird in themself.”

In her painting, “Mirror (The Little Bird Inside You),” Romero hopes that others see Little Bird within them, just as she sees Little Bird in herself. Numerous paintings are inspired by events in Romero’s life that are relatable to others. On one of her canvases, Romero painted Little Bird having a panic attack, as she had a panic attack while painting him. Numerous people of all different backgrounds can relate to this painting, along with many more of Romero’s art pieces.

In a book Romero left in the gallery for people to leave notes in, someone wrote: “Walking into the gallery, I felt a very warm welcome. Through the chaos and problems of the world, I can rest easy knowing there is Little Bird.”

It is clear the impact Little Bird has on people, giving them someone to relate to and letting them know they are not alone in any of their emotions or situations. Although everyone shares emotions of anxiety and panic, they also share feelings of happiness and good memories.

“The painting with the telescope, ‘Little Bird goes Stargazing,’ is a memory of when I was little and my dad bought me a telescope, that shade of blue specifically,” Romero said. “We’d go over to his house, go outside, and we’d look at the moon just about every night.”

Including this piece in her gallery emphasizes, again, the idea that Little Bird is everybody. Including this piece tied to a specific memory of hers emphasizes the idea that Little Bird is Romero. Romero smiled as she reflected upon this memory.

“Family is a big part of my life,” Romero said. “They’re an inspiration for me. They’re always there for me. They push me to do great things.”

With this, Romero anticipated the night of her reception, which her family attended. She hoped her friends, family and dad would especially like it. Luckily, her family’s reactions proved Romero’s efforts paid off.

“My family was very proud of me and all the work I had done, and my dad loved the lighting on the painting in the back,” Romero explained.

By the end of the reception, Romero had a successful night. Not only was her family there to support her, but so were many others.

“I honestly was rattled by the sheer amount of people that came to my reception. It really warms my heart to know I have so many people in the art department and on campus that support me and my endeavors,” Romero said. “The art department is my family, and I hope future art students feel the same.”

Many of those who viewed her gallery left notes about how proud they were of Romero, how much they enjoyed the show, and how Little Bird impacted them. With that, she wanted to encourage and support future seniors in their endeavors.

“The comments people left for me in my book allowed me to reflect positively, as I could tell that I achieved what I set out to do,” Romero explained. “Little Bird made a home in so many people’s hearts.”

With that, she wanted to encourage and support future seniors in their endeavors.

“To future seniors figuring out their exhibition,” Romero began, “don’t feel overwhelmed by how big the space in the gallery is. It’s not a requirement to fill the entire space; just try to put together a cohesive show. Get a head start on making pieces for your show in your sophomore and junior years. Find a theme or concept that you can expand upon that brings you joy or resonates deeply with you. You can do it because Little Bird and I believe in you.”