She blooms in the happiness of her new life, while he grieves the love he lost …

Ava-Grace Pache is a second-year fine art student with a minor in art history. She has a passion for color and is most inspired by the impressionists. Her current work mainly focuses on the climate crisis, but she has always loved mythology and storytelling with her practice.

Ava-Grace’s piece, entitled “She Got Away,” was inspired by the Greek myth of Apollo and Daphne. While the myth, in which sun god Apollo pursued his unrequited love Daphne until she prayed to the gods for safety and was transformed into a tree, is usually framed as a tragedy, Ava-Grace has always viewed it as a victory for Daphne. She was able to find freedom and safety in her new life, while Apollo was left with the product of villainous actions.

The theme for October 2025 was ‘Haunted.’