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Amanda Michelle Smith (American​)
When Trauma Comes to Town, 2025
  
Glazed ceramic, oil paint​
16 × 21 1/16 × 1 1/4 inches
Cafesjian Art Trust Museum , 2025.044.1  

I chose this song because it brings out the wonder and curiosity of the painting. It shows a young girl walking alone through the woods, and when it's paired with this song, you can feel the depth of her emotions. It could represent betrayal or loneliness, as someone he knew turned into something he didn't recognize. The tempo picking up helps represent that girl gaining her color back, but the lyrics staying the same shows that she is still stuck in that moment, even though time has passed.

Something that was such a big event in your life is now fading away, but it never really leaves your mind. The girl is surrounded by color and natural beauty, but she's still being pulled down by something she’s scared of. The inspiring music at the end shows the hope that she will keep gaining her color back and eventually move on, even if she never completely forgets what happened.

—Haley Bostrom