Lost&Found hosts painting event

The usually empty tables were adorned with colorful canvases, bottles of paint, sharpies, palettes and an assortment of brushes.

The air was alive with the hum of music, an undercurrent to the chatter and laughter that filled the room. Here, students were not just invited to create art; they were offered a space to connect with friends, all while sipping on coffee and nibbling on cookies.

As the night progressed, the room filled with a colorful array of paintings, each one reflective of the individual who created it. But the Canvas Café was more than just a fun night of painting. It was an opportunity for students to decompress from the stresses of college life. 

On Feb. 27, Student Street in the Morrison Commons was transformed into a tranquil space for art and community for Lost&Found’s Canvas Café event.

Lost&Found aims to equip students with strategies for lifelong resilience, host events focused on developing compassion and educate students on available mental health resources.

The South Dakota-based nonprofit was first started in 2009 by two teenagers with the mission of preventing suicide among young adults. Now, the organization has chapters at Augustana, South Dakota State University, the University of South Dakota and Dakota Wesleyan University. These chapters meet monthly to discuss ideas and share resources on mental health awareness.

Hailey Nold, a 2021 Augustana graduate, brought a chapter to campus in 2019. According to the group’s Instagram, Nold wanted to start an Augustana chapter because she saw a need for a student-led initiative about mental health and resilience strategies, believing that these strategies can be used by all students, whether they are still on campus or have graduated.

Lost&Found is now in the hands of President Julia Radtke, a senior who has majors in biology and environmental studies. 

“Our mission is two-fold,” Radtke said. “One is to raise awareness about mental health issues, especially as they pertain to our student body. And then the other part is to provide students with resources such as this event. To offer outlets for caring for their mental health, connecting them to resources like Sioux Falls Psych, which we have a partnership with at Augie, or places like Angie Hummel’s office, who is responsible for mental health and wellness on campus.”

But Lost&Found is not just about promoting mental health awareness and providing resources. It also aims to create a fun and inclusive community for students. 

“I think it’s a fun community building space,” Radtke said. “Not all of what we do is really heavy subject matter. We kind of just want to create a space for students to feel like they’re part of a community or can do something that provides a little bit of stress relief in their day. So, before anything else, it’s just fun.”

Currently, all of Lost&Found’s financial resources have come from the Augustana Student Association, but the Lost&Found organization also serves as a secondary source of support for the club. 

“For example, this spring, we’re hosting a 5K, which is a little bit budget-heavy, relative to what we usually do,” Radtke said. “And so they’ll be providing a little bit of financial support and staffing to help us organize logistics and pay for some of the costs associated with it.”

Junior Evan Bell, a psychology and business double major, acts as the vice president of Lost&Found. He said the club’s main goal is to promote self-care and awareness around campus for students. 

“I think the best part of it is just having speakers come in to teach students how they can better take care of themselves and others,” Bell said. “And then also just learn what resources are available to them through Augustana.”

But for Bell, the most rewarding part of being involved in Lost&Found is seeing the impact the club has on students’ lives. 

“I just love how our events are just lighthearted and almost seem like surprises to people,” Bell said. “Like if someone’s having a stressful day, they walk by and get a care package that they make themselves for finals or come paint or hang out. It’s just nice to have a stress-relieving thing to take a break from their studying.”

Nada Chaabane, a junior exchange student, and Nahume Moreda, a freshman economics major, were among the students who attended Canvas Café. Together, they chose a topic for their paintings — spring — and switched canvases every couple of minutes until their masterpieces were complete.

“It’s like a brain break from all the stress that we have from assignments,” Moreda said. “Just spending time together painting is so nice for mental health.”

Through hosting events like Canvas Café, Lost&Found focuses on building resilient communities and nurturing individuals with compassion. It’s about crafting an environment where the dialogue on mental health can flourish, and education on available resources is as accessible as the art supplies on the tables.