Bright Knights

GIVING BACK THROUGH ART AND FILM

Lani McHenry '20

Junior Lani McHenry’s passion for art ignited at a young age, when she learned how to paint with her grandmother. “Painting was a fun way to express myself,” McHenry recalls. She was an “art kid” from that moment on, but it wasn’t until age 9 or 10 that she was able to merge art with her desire to help others. “I was watching this commercial with my parents for St. Jude’s and cancer research, and I wanted to do something about it. My mom asked me how I could contribute and that’s when we got the idea for me to set up art shows that would benefit the organization.” Last year, McHenry’s artwork made $1,700 for St. Jude’s. She begins creating art during the holiday season, usually around 30 or 40 pieces. McHenry also takes orders for custom paintings or drawings. “After I sell my last painting, I put the money together and send it to St. Jude’s. The last few years, I’ve hosted my art show at Pottery Barn Kids. I did research and found out they also give to St. Jude’s, so it was a natural partnership,” she explains. “I’ve also put up artwork in art galleries and coffee shops in my neighborhood. I just like the feeling of giving back.”

McHenry’s creativity isn’t limited to canvas. She also makes movies, sings, writes her own songs, writes poetry, and does musical theatre. Her love of performing started when she was 5 years old and did a year at the local Theatre Under the Stars Academy, where she learned how to act and sing. The classes taught her how to use her voice on stage. McHenry continued her training in theatre and also participated in the HITS program in the Heights. In high school she performs in the student‑directed one act plays here at EHS.

Recently, she’s expanded and begun making movies, which has included participating in the ETV program. “The film industry is such a difficult one to get into,” McHenry explains, “and you have to wait for someone to pick you. I decided my best bet was to make my own films.” She directs and stars in her own shorts, which are usually 1‑5 minutes long. She produced her first movie instead of a holiday art show last year and donated her ticket sales to St. Jude’s, just as she had done with her art sales.

McHenry’s dream is to attend NYU and study film, and then make movies for a living. This year, she’ll be going on full scholarship to a summer film program there. She’ll work on three separate projects during the summer and learn how to improve her skills in scripting, editing, and filming.

McHenry credits her mother with inspiring and supporting her artistic ambitions. “‘You don’t have to be book smart,’ my mother always said. ‘Just be passionate about something.’ The advice I’d give anyone looking to become an artist is this: The best way to prove something of yourself is not by telling people but by showing people. Just do it. Take the risk. It would be easy to waste your time, telling people what you’re going to do, but it’s better to just do it. Even if the work is terrible, that’s how you learn.”

–Emma Tsai

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