MIDLAND, Texas — They say beauty is the eye of the beholder.
And like many artists, art is a Legacy High senior's escape from reality.
"Art has always kind of been a thing that I had," Mariah Iacovone said. "[It] just came naturally. It was always a hobby, and now it's kind of more than a hobby."
For Iacovone, that escape that she's been hiding in since she was five years old, won her a state competition.
The 12th grader represented Midland Crime Stoppers and beat about 150 other artists to win the 2024 Texas Crime Stoppers art contest in the traditional category.
"I was honestly shocked about it being statewide," Iacovone said. "Because I wasn't expecting anything further from there."
And she did all of that while seeing less than the average person, let alone the average artist.
"The poster actually was my first ever time using color because it's kind of hard for me to distinguish colors because I'm a little bit colorblind as well," Iacovone said.
It may not look like it, but for Mariah, you might have to take a closer look to see why colors aren’t her only concern.
"So nobody [at school] knows that I'm blind in one eye," Iacovone said. "So this [the news release] is kind of the first time [they're] ever hearing it. And so it came like a shock to them because they would never tell, and I'm blessed that you can’t tell that you know I'm blind."
Mariah’s blindness began when she was around five years old. And according to doctors, it will continue to progress even further.
Despite this seemingly major setback, Mariah has managed to find the light, all with the stroke of a charcoal pencil.
"I actually was dismissed from kindergarten because they thought it [her right eye] was pink eye," Iacovone said. "And so I wasn't able to complete kindergarten at all. And I think that's where the drawing stimulated from. So I was more at home. So I was more able to draw and do other things and kind of be in my own world in my own imagination at that point. That was something that was very impactful in my life where I would say that's kind of where art started, to where my imagination was able to more open up."
And like any great artist, Mariah uses what some might see as a negative, as inspiration.
"I drew all my art based off of blindness," Iacovone said. "And so I have a few pieces are actually what I see through this eye."
Mariah Iacovone's artwork
These drawings would eventually lead to the award-winning drawing of two officers, with the message of stopping crime.
It's drawings like these that inspires Iacovone's art teacher Mr. Elliott Lunson.
"I've never had a kid like Mariah who had an issue with blindness," Lunson said. "[...] to see her creating these artworks that she's creating. It's just, I don't know, it's kind of unbelievable in a way."
Mariah would win a cash prize of $400, which she’s investing towards her future by buying an Insta 360 camera. A way to see art through a new lens.
"I like to take photos of like different things," Iacovone said. "Like nature, sometimes art pieces, and then kind of go from there and edit it on like my tablet or different things so that way I can try enhancing it more."
And whether it’s turning a new page, Iacovone shows that no matter what life draws for you, there’s always a path to color outside the lines.
"She was literally using the art as therapy," Lunson said. "She was using it for what it's for. She wasn't just doing art to get a grade. You know, she was doing it because she had to. It's got to be very inspiring to others who may have similar conditions, you know, to see these things and I think it's great that her story is being shared."
Iacovone hopes that more people will see her story like her art teacher did.
"[To] have other people kind of look up to me and say like, 'hey, you know, even though it's a disability, it didn't affect what my abilities are or what I can do,'" Iacovone said.
Iacovone plans on using the camera she bought to further her art at Midland College next fall, while also pursuing a career as an anesthesiologist.
If interested in applying for the next Midland Crime Stoppers art contest, visit the Crime Stoppers website or email angie@midlandcrimestoppers.com for more information. Participants have until April 12 to send in their artwork.