Skip to content
← All projects
Fall exhibition

It’s Okay to Fall

A mental health exhibition built around one shared artwork that every attendee adds to. A reminder that it’s okay to stumble, and an easy way into a conversation that matters.

Date
November 10, 2026
Time
10am to 8pm
Location
Illini Union, Ballroom C
Students drawing together with markers around a long table
Making art together

The centerpiece

The community artwork

One very long canvas, mounted across a row of big vertical display boards. Attendees add a message, a drawing, or a mark of support, and together it becomes a wall of encouragement: a reminder that it’s okay to fall, and that no one has to get back up alone.

Sketch of the community artwork setupA long horizontal canvas mounted on the faces of four big vertical display boards standing edge to edge. The canvas is covered in simple drawn symbols, such as hearts, stars, a sun, flowers, and leaves, with open space left to add more.
All drawing materials will be provided.

Overview

Overview

It’s Okay to Fall is our fall exhibition, organized around mental health awareness. The name plays on the season and on the idea that it’s okay to stumble. At its center is a collaborative community artwork: a piece that attendees add to themselves.

The need

Mental health is easier to talk about when there is a shared, easy way in. Making something together, and seeing what others contributed, opens that conversation.

What ICI students contribute

  • Curating the exhibition and recruiting student artists
  • Designing and facilitating the collaborative artwork
  • Promotion, event logistics, and running the event

Show your work

Student artists can submit work to be displayed at the exhibition.

Submit your artwork

On the walls

Artwork we plan to show

A first look at the kind of work we want on the walls, selected from our Earth Day Every Day contest. The exhibition lineup is still being curated.

See every Earth Day entry
  • Acrylic painting of a blue peacock with its tail feathers fanned out
    Royal GazeTamara · Croatia
  • Realistic drawing of a snow leopard’s head in profile
    Snow LeopardAlex · Illinois
  • Illustration of squirrels at the foot of a large tree in spring
    Spring SquirrelsJasmine · Illinois
  • Abstract piece of melted, swirling rainbow colors
    The Messy GeniusKevorkk Steven · Lagos, Nigeria
  • Painting of a layered limestone hillside under a gray sky
    Mullaghmore Unesco Site, IrelandFiona
  • Abstract painting of blue and yellow splatters with a pink framed section
    RainJeff
  • Close up photograph of a pale purple wild geranium flower
    M Elizabeth PhotographyMegan · Indiana
  • Detailed painting of Saint George on a white horse with the dragon, in gold and black
    São Jorge e o DragãoEdiomar · Santa Catarina, Brazil
  • Textile piece of tufted yarn in bright pink, blue, green, and yellow
    BloomingOrnela · Mallorca, Spain
  • Charcoal drawing of tree roots reaching into rippling water
    i will remain the sameParidhi · Illinois
  • Mixed media collage of layered paper and painted blocks in muted colors
    PlatasiJuana Perfecta · California
  • Ink and watercolor drawing of an eagle, rams, and other animals in decorative patterns
    Forces of NatureKrešimira · Croatia
  • Photograph of purple flowers on a dark vine at night
    Along The StreetLeila · Illinois
  • Charcoal drawing of twisting roots and leaves
    Mycelial MemoryGen · Illinois
  • Sculpture of two green ceramic vessels joined by a clear pool of resin
    ConnectionsMalia · California
  • Framed print densely filled with butterflies
    ButterfliesAliyah · California
  • Abstract painting of dark blue, rust, and gold textures
    At the Limits of Our KnowingTripp Baird · California
  • Black and white photograph of a makeshift shack built on a stone wall
    Enduring ScrapsEthan · California

More of our work

All projects
  • Flyer for the Riverside High Snack Bag Food Drive for Trinity Community Food Pantry, listing items needed such as canned meat, peanut butter, and granola bars
    Community partnership
    ActiveSeeking grant writers

    Trinity Community Food Pantry

    Helping feed hungry kids in Jacksonville, Florida. Our flyers and signage help the pantry reach more families, and our new grant writing team is working to keep its shelves full.

  • Art markets
    ActiveSeeking market volunteers

    Student Art Markets

    Markets where student artists sell their work to real buyers, every medium welcome. Next up: the Hallo-Eve Art Mart on the Main Quad, October 30, 10am to 3pm.

  • Typographic cover reading The Creative Playbook, a biweekly series from Illini Creative Impact, coming soon, with its four lenses: Identity, Strategy, Impact, and Takeaways
    Creative Research & Storytelling
    Coming soonSeeking researchers, writers & designers

    The Creative Playbook

    A biweekly series exploring the creative minds behind influential ideas, brands, and cultural movements. Discover the strategies behind their work and the lessons we can apply to our own.

  • A student holding a certificate in front of a wall of student artwork
    Art contest & exhibition
    PlanningOpportunities announced soon

    Earth Day Every Day Art Contest

    Art that keeps the planet in view all year, not just one day. What started as a contest with Visionary Arts grew into a movement across the United States and Europe.

  • NoshBox logo
    Partnership in development

    NoshBox Collaboration

    Exploring creative community events with a local restaurant pickup app.