“Painting with Pride” promotes positivity and creativity

With open minds, empty canvases, paint, brushes and inspiration, Painting with PRIDE offered a much needed brain break for scholars between classes Tuesday, Mar. 10 at Liberal Arts Campus in the Pride Lounge. 

There were many colors to select from as students began to create their own unique color palettes to design unique pieces of art that express their concepts. 

“So we’re just literally just having a good time painting and just building community and being creative and expressing ourselves through that outlet,” said Jon Jon Cossio, Pride Scholars success coach.

^{Jon Jon Cossios, Pride Scholars Student success coach, back, and Chris Garcia, Healthy Vikings coordinator, front, prepare water cups for students who will participate in the Painting with Pride event at the Pride Lounge on March 10 at LAC. The Pride Lounge has planned activities that encourage building community for all students. (Diosa Hippolyta)}

The Pride Lounge opened in November 2025 and now has a regular weekly schedule of Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at LAC Room B-200 giving students a space to relax and regroup.

“We just wanted to give our students the opportunity to have an activity where they can hang out, chill, work on something creative, and then create something that represents them,” said Chris Garcia, LBCC’s Healthy Vikings coordinator.

For many students, long days on campus can be exhausting, but having an opportunity to shift your brain and thinking process can have wonderful results, like Syd Sierra, a physics major who stopped by the Pride Lounge for the event.

“I’m a physics major. I need, like, a break like this, you know? It’s nice that the school is able to do that for the students. I feel like the students, like, you know, they need, like, a little bit of, um…leisure,” said Sierra. 

Students were exposed and encouraged to use colors that might represent their identities on a blank canvas offering a free space to be creative and explore their imaginations.

The table the participants sat at was called the community table to engage in conversations building bridges, not walls.

A desert scene with silhouettes of cactuses was the idea of Ava Romero, a creative writing major, who participated in the activities.

^{Ava Romero, creative writing major, paints a desert scene at the first Painting with PRIDE event on March 10 at LAC in the Pride Lounge located in B-200. (Diosa Hippolyta)}

“Yeah, between like my classes I have such a long stretch. It’s really nice to come here and just have somewhere to sit with other students,” said Romero.

As students arrived they were offered snacks, beverages, music along with conversations  ranging from school to concerts and just everyday living was buzzing around the room.

As the original blank canvases began to emerge with vibrant colors and images, a finished product emerged as “Calm Before The Storm,” by Sienna.

^{Sid Sienna, a physics major, paints a piece titled “Calm Before The Storm” at the Painting with PRIDE event held in the Pride Lounge at LAC B-200 on March 10. Students had the opportunity to take a brain break and create a unique and personal piece to take home at the end of the day. (Diosa Hippolyta)}

“We’re gonna learn more about LGBTQ+ history and also, like, how to show up as a stronger ally. It’s really encouraging for all people to attend because it’s just, it’s really good to know our history, our LGBTQ history, because the more aware we are, I think the more we can appreciate what we have today and still continue to fight for what we have today,” said Garcia.