Adrian Tans, a Vermont artist and children's librarian, takes us on an intimate journey of loss and healing through the power of making impermanent art and its reflection on life itself. TEDxHartlandHill 2023 Theme: The Art of Living This event explored the art of finding balance and purpose in our lives and featured a diverse lineup of speakers who share their unique perspectives and experiences from the academic to the artistic, the concrete to the cutting edge. www.tedxhartlandhill.org Adrian Tans is a painter, illustrator, and sculptor living in Woodstock, Vermont. As a self-taught artist, he has appreciated success as an oil painter for galleries throughout New England and as a children’s book illustrator. Over the years he has also developed a passion for impermanent art through his work as an internationally award-winning snow sculptor; and more recently, through his ongoing public art project, The Woodstock Town Smiler.

“The Smiler”, as is it has come to be known, is a free-standing chalkboard in the center of the village where Adrian has been creating large detailed chalk pastel drawings every few weeks for the last few years. It has come to be something of a group exercise in non-attachment in the community, which Adrian finds to be a continual source of interest and inspiration. Adrian works as the director of youth services at The Norman Williams Public Library in Woodstock and lives with this son and two dogs in the village. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx