Meet Meirav Cafri, a UMich senior with a passion for art. Meirav took the time to speak to Her Campus about how art has helped her overcome some challenges, and how she’s reaping the rewards in an upcoming exhibition.
Her Campus UMich: What are you studying?
Meirav Cafri: I am in the School of Art & Design seeking a Bachelor of Arts degree. I aspire to go into art therapy. I love working in multitude of mediums–clay, paint, charcoal, metal, etc. I think it is very important to me to love many forms, since I want to go into a career where I will work with people who have different artistic interests.
HC. In what other activities are you involved, both on and off campus?
MC: I am involved in a lot at Michigan Hillel. I’m President of HARTS (Hillel Arts) and working to make Hillel into a space that is more welcoming to creativity. I am a leader of the Reform Minyan where I sing at services and organize community events, and I am a supervisor for Hillel’s Phonathon fundraising drive. I am also involved in Hillel’s Big Brother, Big Sister program, known famously as the Mensch Program.
HC: When did you discover that art was your passion, and how?
MC: Art has been my passion ever since I was young. I always had trouble communicating and keeping calm; I still do. Art was always there for me to express myself and to help me relax. I love the meditative and healing properties that art provides. It was very easy to realize that art therapy was my calling.
HC: Your art was recently accepted into an exhibition. Congratulations! Can you tell us a bit about the exhibition and your piece that will be showcased?
MC: I submitted one of my art pieces to the Third Annual Allies for Disability Awareness Art Show, an exhibition that shows off works of artists who are members of or allies to the local disability community.
While in Japan, I slipped 20 feet off a waterfall and landed in a bed of rocks. I shattered three bones and fractured my tibia in my left foot and ankle. This injury, which occurred May 26, 2013, and still has a long way to go in recovery, is one of the hardest and scariest things with which I have ever had to deal. This art piece, which I modeled after the bruises that decorated my legs after my fall, gave me the ability to cathartically pour out my fears and anxieties. The painting is a testament to a new way in which I view my life and the world around me–while I work on coming to terms with how frightfully close I came to paralysis or death.
HC: Where and when can collegiettes see your art?
MC: The Third Annual Allies for Disability Awareness Art Show opens October 21, 2013, at North Quad, Room 2435 (105 South State Street). The opening reception is from 6:30-8:30 p.m., and the exhibition will remain open and free to the public until Friday, November 1.