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Neuroscience and Empathy Come Together at the Art of Kindness Exhibition

First place winner Rian Macbride at the third Art of Kindness Exhibition.

Center for BrainHealth

Center for BrainHealth, part of The University of Texas at Dallas, hosted the third annual Art of Kindness art contest and exhibition in collaboration with the UT Dallas School of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (ATEC) and the UTD Department of Computer Science. The 2021 competition was the strongest year yet with over 150 submissions. Friends and families and other supporters enjoyed the artwork on display while participating in interactive stations to learn more about the neuroscience of kindness. Then came time for each of the 10 finalists to present their work and speak about the correlation between empathy, kindness and neuroscience in their pieces. The four grand prize winners were all UT Dallas students: first place was Rian MacBride, second place was Cristina Kovacs, third place was Emily Willingham and people’s choice winner was Yadira Anguiano. Other finalists included Carolyn Zhang, Madison Fair, Adrienne Newman, Sophie McGregor, Anabela Castano De Los Santos and Bailey Heppner. "I was moved by the finalists’ vulnerability to share their deeply personal reflections and to hear the thoughtful process that went into each piece. The artists provoked meaningful insights about how practicing kindness has real implications for promoting a healthy brain," Julie Fratantoni, cognitive neuroscientist and event organizer. Center for BrainHealth is grateful for the time and enthusiasm of the judges: Owen Devlin from The Beneficent Company and HERO, Caroline Culver from award-winning design firm Dialexa, Richard Grant from Bank of Texas, and past Art of Kindness winner Jade Nguyen. The event was made possible by a Bank of Texas sponsorship.
    CONTACT Stephanie Hoefken 972.883.3221 stephanie.hoefken@utdallas.eduABOUT CENTER FOR BRAINHEALTH Center for BrainHealth®, part of The University of Texas at Dallas, is a translational research institute committed to enhancing, preserving, and restoring brain health across the lifespan. Major research areas include the use of functional and structural neuroimaging techniques to better understand the neurobiology supporting cognition and emotion in health and disease. This leading-edge scientific exploration is translated quickly into practical innovations to improve how people think, work and live, empowering people of all ages to unlock their brain potential. Translational innovations build on Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Tactics (SMART™), a proprietary methodology developed and tested by BrainHealth researchers and other teams over three decades.

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    Julie Fratantoni, PhD, CCC-SLP

    Head of Research Integration and Partnerships Center for BrainHealth

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