By Eleanor Emlen Healthy Roar reporters | Finding joy in art by uplifting kids in her community and by inspiring kids to do more in art is Jonene Lee’s passion. “It also connects people in the community together,” said Ms. Lee, who is the owner of a Philadelphia art gallery.

In Philadelphia, art is all around the city, like the LOVE statue at Love Park, murals on buildings, and the Art Museum of Philadelphia. Art in the community can benefit your mental and physical health, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Research by the National Institutes of Health concerning the use of art in hospitals indicates that “when patients in hospitals are surrounded by art, it increases a sense of safety and connects them to the outside world.”

Art can also be a way to build community members, according to Mural Arts Philadelphia, the group that organizes the painting of murals throughout the city.

Healthy Roar reporters in Room 309 interviewed Miss Lee, owner of No Name Gallery in Philadelphia. She has partnered with elementary schools to get murals in the buildings.

Miss Lee told the reporters that it is important for kids to see pretty things. Murals in schools can help kids who are having a bad day and can put a smile on their face.

She said everyone is an artist. You can express yourself, get feelings out, and connect with other people.

Illustration by a Healthy Roar reporter.