July is recognized as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the mental health challenges that can disproportionately affect minority communities while encouraging understanding, education, and meaningful conversations.
At Petersburg Public Library, we believe libraries are more than places to borrow books. They are places where ideas are explored, stories are shared, and communities come together to better understand one another. This month, we invite visitors to experience these conversations through both literature and art.
Reading Can Support Mental Wellness
Reading has long been recognized as a healthy way to relax, reflect, and learn. Whether you’re enjoying a novel, reading poetry, exploring history, or learning about mental health, books provide opportunities to slow down, reduce everyday stress, build empathy, and gain new perspectives.
Our Summer Reading Challenge is a wonderful reminder that every page turned is an investment in lifelong learning and personal well-being. While reading is not a substitute for professional mental health care, it can become part of a healthy routine that encourages mindfulness, reflection, and personal growth.
Throughout July, we encourage everyone to pick up a new book, participate in our Summer Reading Challenge, and continue learning about the experiences of others.
July Artist of the Month: Kameron Lee
The Petersburg Public Library is proud to feature Kameron Lee as our July Artist of the Month.
Born in December 2005 and raised in Victoria, Virginia, Lee is a multimedia artist whose work examines the lasting effects of trauma through powerful visual storytelling. Inspired by both personal experiences and broader social issues, his artwork explores subjects including PTSD, domestic violence, discrimination, police brutality, grief, identity, and resilience.
Currently a rising senior pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts at Virginia State University, Lee has already earned significant recognition. His work has been featured in the Virginia State University Department of Art & Design’s 2025 and 2026 Student Juried Exhibitions, receiving the Juror’s Choice Award in 2025, along with Best in Alternate Media and Best in Show honors in 2026. His artwork has also been commissioned by several Virginia State University faculty members, including Department Chair Stephanie K. O’Dell and Provost Dr. Tia A. Minnis.
Following graduation, Lee plans to pursue a Master of Fine Arts while continuing his research into trauma studies and expanding his independent artistic practice.
Art That Encourages Conversation
Lee’s exhibition asks viewers to look beyond the surface and consider how trauma affects individuals, families, and entire communities.
One of the exhibition’s most compelling installations, Masked, features ninety paper mache masks covered with colored duct tape. The masks symbolize the emotional barriers people often construct after experiencing trauma. The duct tape gags represent silence, censorship, and the pressure many survivors feel to hide their experiences rather than speak openly.
The colors carry their own symbolism:
- Teal represents PTSD.
- Purple represents domestic violence.
- Green represents mental health.
Displayed on a fence, the installation reflects the invisible barriers that often separate trauma survivors from understanding and support. The ninety masks reference Lee’s personal Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) score of 9 out of 10, highlighting the lasting impact childhood trauma can have throughout life.
Other featured works continue these conversations from different perspectives.
- Aggression is a charcoal and graphite drawing expressing grief, frustration, and resilience within the Black experience.
- Hands Up, Don’t Shoot! uses sculpted hands to examine vulnerability, resistance, accountability, and the lasting effects of violence.
- Kill Till confronts the enduring legacy of Emmett Till’s murder, reminding viewers that some historical wounds continue to shape the present.
- Some Wounds Never Heal illustrates how trauma leaves lasting emotional scars long after an event has ended.
- Lynched Man Bust reflects upon America’s history of racial terror while honoring those whose stories should never be forgotten.
- Woven Crowns explores Black identity, gender expression, beauty, and acceptance through crocheted portraiture inspired by the CROWN Act.
- The Trinity combines crochet and bandanas into three symbolic figures representing Rebellion, Unity, and Optimism, celebrating hip hop culture while encouraging activism and hope for the future.
- Finally, Gethsemane connects themes of faith, endurance, and healing by drawing parallels between Christian symbolism and the emotional realities of trauma, suggesting that resilience can emerge even through profound suffering.
Libraries Are Places for Learning and Reflection
Art and literature have the unique ability to help us understand experiences different from our own. They encourage empathy, challenge assumptions, and create opportunities for important conversations that strengthen our communities.
This July, we invite you to visit Petersburg Public Library to experience Kameron Lee’s thought-provoking exhibition, browse books that inspire growth and understanding, and participate in our Summer Reading Challenge.
Together, we can continue building a community where stories are heard, creativity is celebrated, and learning never stops.
To learn more about Kameron Lee or inquire about his artwork, contact him at: [email protected]