I’d like to offer a glimpse into the heart of this piece, rather than a conventional artist statement. I grew up in Mill Valley, attending Tam Valley, Mill Valley Middle School, and Tam High. As someone with dyslexia, I struggled in school, unsure that there was a place for me or a subject where I could truly excel at. It was in the world of art that I found both my voice and my confidence. Art, and the vibrant community that surrounds it, have always been my grounding forces, thanks to the unwavering support of the district and its commitment to nurturing creativity. Today, I am a full-time graphic designer, still guided by that same creative spark.

The work I’m submitting is a map of Mill Valley. The bold pink block is Old Mill Elementary School, and just across the street lies the park. Traditional maps are precise, methodical, and laden with labels, but I have never seen the world that way. I see the patterns, the shapes that emerge, the empty spaces where nothing is named. Despite living here my whole life, I can only name three streets on this map (and don’t ask me to spell them!). But if you were to drop me anywhere in town, I would know it instantly—guided by the visual landmarks to help me find my way.

Home is not a name, not a measurement—it is a feeling. It’s a quiet understanding, something that rises within us, a recognition not of street names but of the spaces that stir our hearts. Each person will come to identify locations on the map in their own time, and it’s never about the labels—it’s about the warmth and familiarity that floods in when we connect to the land and to the places we call home.
This map is for those who navigate by intuition, who see the world in shapes and hues rather than in names and numbers. It is my way of giving back to a community that has given so much to me. I hope it will inspire others—especially kids like I once was—to trust their own unique way of seeing the world, and to know that there is no one right way to map or navigate life. We are free to explore, to dream, and to find our own path, beyond the boundaries of tradition.

- Samantha Ferro