Tilly Woodward is a walking, talking cliche. Her glass is half full, and those clouds? Well, Woodward sees the silver lining.

Tonight Big Brain Cafe, a University Museums program, offers “An Evening with Artist Tilly Woodward.”

Woodward will focus on her work as director of the Pella Community Arts Center.

As an artist, she has tried to deal with issues concerning racism and other stereotypes in society. Woodward’s work often deals with helping others see the uniqueness of humans as well as shedding a positive light on issues.

“My work has helped me meet a variety of people that I might not have met being from a small, rural town in lowa,” Woodward said.

Work on her first project, “I 70,” began her involvement with socially responsive art.

What began with historical images progressed to moral decisions depicted in the images. “I 70” is a response to strangers who needed to be seen for whom they were, Woodward said.

One of her tours, the Eighth Project, deals with meeting HIV positive individuals in Iowa and learning about their experiences dealing and living with the disease. Woodward wanted to illustrate how there is no stereotypical HIV person.

“There is a range of possibilities and it’s very inspiring and liberating,” she explained about the people that spark her creative pallet.

Woodward said growing up in a rural community has influenced the way she portrays people. She said her father strongly respected people and felt everyone should be treated fairly.

Her family has also helped her change her view on how to portray art in the world.

“One day my 2-year-old son was being really bad. … I thought: ‘What do I have to do to have a better day?'” Woodward said. “Then I realized just to catch him being good for a little while helps you focus on the good and have a better day.

“That is how I felt I should respond to my situations in art. Rather than showing the negative, like many, I choose to see positive,” she said.

Woodward said she hopes her artwork and talks encourage others “to go out and do what they can do best and work hard at it.”

“An Evening with Artist Tilly Woodward” begins at 7 p.m. in the Brunnier Art Museum, located on the second floor of the Scheman Building in the lowa State Center. Free parking is available directly north of Scheman.