At a time of pivotal life changes, Hejny found herself drawn to the shorelines of the Mississippi River to connect with the water. Since then, collected water and sediment has become an important feature of her paintings. Pouring a mixture of acrylic, water, and sediment over canvases, the flow and currents begin to appear.

As a steward of the natural world, Hejny frequently shares her experiences and knowledge with others. In the fall of 2023, Hejny invited students from the Art History: Art and the Environment class to join her on the shore of the Mississippi River. Together, they reflected on the importance of water and the significance it holds in all our lives. The students then filled individual jars with water and sediment, writing personal messages to the river on each. It is this water that has been used in the painting before you.

With each work, Hejny includes words of gratitude on the canvas’s blank surface. These words slowly disappear beneath the paint, until they are a private memory between the artist and her work. For this painting, the students and others from the St. Thomas community were invited to write their own messages, leaving their mark on each panel. Through this process, our school is part of the physicality of The River Within Us. Let this artwork serve as an invitation to remember our responsibility to care for the natural world around us, one water ecosystem at a time.