“Lady Bird” is a portrait of Isabella Stewart Gardner, the founder of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. I painted her against a blue background holding birds often seen in the museum’s garden. This connects to the peaceful and artistic atmosphere of the museum and to my personal style. I feel connected to Gardner because visiting her museum in middle school helped me appreciate and love art. Growing up in a small art community with limited support for the arts in school, experiences like visiting her museum encouraged me to develop my artistic side. They showed me how important art spaces can be for young people who may not have access to creative opportunities.