Art student Nora Day helps create timeless stories

Grambling State University has a student on campus that is not just talented, but different as well – an artist who moves to the beat of her own drum and defies the rules in the world of art.

Nora Day is a senior Visuals and Performing Arts major with a concentration in Studio Design, from Marksville, La. Before transferring to GSU in 2018, she ran track on scholarship for Louisiana College in Pineville, La.

In high school she competed in the sport as well, achieving numerous records.

“When it came to track, I felt like a champion,” Day said. “The sport was an outlet for me to place all the energy that I experienced into.  I honestly had hopes of making it to the Olympics and I still would like to.”

Being a student athlete was her main priority until she developed tendonitis, and tore a hole in the ligament of her right knee. This prevented her from being able to compete and a loss in her scholarship. She did not know that the incident would change the direction of her life for the next few years.

Art had always originally been her focus of study in college.

Day ended up transferring to Grambling State, and having been lacking an outlet, she turned back to something she was already familiar with.

“I would say my love for art started as a kid,” Day said. “I loved doing arts and crafts and making mosaic tiles in the house, and tracing outlines of pictures and coloring them.”

In college, she has developed a love for visual art such as painting and any form of creating that involves expressing herself on a canvas.

“The style of my art can be considered weird,” Day said. “It consists of unique, original, weird, and unusual art. Everything included in [it] tells a story and I usually include about 3 different stories in one piece.”

Although painting comes easy to her, the only thing that serves as an obstacle is being a freely creative artist, and being required to mimic what is appealing to the rest of the world.

Her perspective of the art world was changed once she was on the student side of it all.

“When you go to college for art you are being prepared to make fine art,” she said. “Rich people control the art industry, not good artists. That was the knowledge that changed my perception of art.”

To Day, art is supposed to serve other people with its display. It is supposed to send a message or comfort them through the time and effort put into it.

“It helps me release emotions that I need to release,” she said. “If I have a constant thought in my head, it’ll reflect in the piece that I am painting.”

Day is aware of the impact she wants her pieces to have on the world. She does not want to affect the average citizen but touch the hearts of people who may be going through something.

“I want people to see things differently and I’d like it to be of help to anyone going through mental or physical therapy, and even spiritual journeys,” she said.

Day is committed to pouring her soul into her work and letting it tell stories of choice to anyone who comes across her pieces.

Nora Day

Work of art by Nora Day.