“After witnessing the killing of George Floyd and watching the people take to the streets worldwide, I needed to add my voice to the outrage against injustice in a positive and loving way.” Barbara Arzt

“Sadly, the wearing of masks has become a political statement. In my mind, wearing a mask is a safeguard and a gesture of love and care for others. I made this piece to be shared and posted by those who feel the same.” Barbara Arzt

“John Lewis was my inspiration for this piece. He followed the intent of these Biblical words and I do this piece out of great respect and admiration for him.” Heather Barton

“The way to achieve real justice, love, and peace is to earnestly seek what God requires of us rather than what is right in our own eyes.” Angela Batchelor

"Claudia Rankine’s Weather was published June 15th, 2020 in the New York Times and was the cover of the June 21st, 2020 New York Times Sunday Book Review. I found the poem so stirring, both as a protest of grave ongoing injustice and as a call to work for better, that I wanted to write it out and thus share it here.” Anita Bigelow

by Anita Bigelow

by Anita Bigelow

by Anita Bigelow

“Walt Whitman’s timeless words expressed in Charles Rennie Macintosh’s simple style.” Judy Black

“To me, the word, ‘peace,’ speaks for itself. It is a very powerful word to think about and I have thought about it a lot recently.” Judy Black

“This statement has long intrigued me, and it gained relevance when I became a mother. Today, the tyrants of the headlines immediately come to mind. But whom do I tower over in my own vicinity? And will I surrender my strength to serve them? Stephanie Byrd

“The protests in downtown Portland, Oregon were ongoing when I made this piece. Behind the list of names the words say, “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot.” The Wall of Moms wore yellow. The unnamed troops were inciting violence. A cloud of smoke covers the names of memorialized Black people.” Carol Christ

“While I made this art I meditated on the possibility of our species learning to love each other as well as all other species on the planet.” Christine Colasurdo

“I wrote this definition after asking myself what justice means and how it is related to love and peace. The colors in the letters themselves – black, brown, yellow, red – stand for people of color.” Christine Colasurdo

“I was inspired to do this piece by the Portland protests against police violence.” Penelope Culbertson

“Praying for Peace.” Penelope Culbertson

“I have written some of the names of recent black victims of police violence on the backdrop of the Declaration of Independence. This is my statement of support for the Black Lives Matter movement and for the Constitution, which affirms equal justice for all. In writing the names of these victims, I remember and honor their souls.” Inga Dubay

“Thirty-six versions of something I believe. I decided to write these 3 words every day for 36 days. The challenge was excellent.” Carol DuBosch

“A mantra for us all, a reminder to consider a wider world perspective.” Carol DuBosch

“I wanted this piece to feel dreamy, that place where ideas and inspiration come from, a simple affirmation.” Faith Emerson

“This is a circle of consequences, one leads into the next, each supporting the other, over and over. The turkey is symbolic of we humans on our path – a bit flighty, but capable.” Faith Emerson

“The condition of the world, environmentally, politically, and culturally, has left me sapped of creative energy. Unknowingly, this piece was done the same weekend George Floyd was murdered.” Peg Falconer

“I love words.” Diane Flack

“I do genealogy and heavily rely on census records for information. The census is recorded ever decade. This is a census year. I created a piece with the names of victims of police violence that references or echoes census records of old.” Tatiana Gebert

“I am in a continual state of play and experimentation. I am still learning new things. How wonderful to blend my skills with my sister’s words.” Tatiana Gebert

“I love color and flowers and was trying to capture the essence of my lavender patch when it hums. Listening to bees in my lavender is gratuitous beauty that delights me.” Martha Gioia

“These words have been rattling around my brain for weeks and I needed to write them. Change is in the wind, and I want to be an active participant.” Martha Gioia

“Behind our dreams of justice are the names of the martyrs who witness that we are not there yet.” Roy Green

“I created two pieces of art, each composed of names of unarmed people of color, who were victims of police brutality in this country. I then cut them into strips and wove them together. The broken names suggest a dysfunctional society and the red splatters and bold red letters represent violence. I actually wrote all these names five times and created five weavings – it was a meditative and moving experience to write, cut, and weave these names over and over.” Sue Greenseth

by Sue Greenseth

“The best way I have found to resist, in a world bent on self-destruction, is to attempt to follow these ‘simple’ instructions from the 8th century B.C. prophet, Micah, as he addressed a nation facing similar circumstances to ours. I believe societal change starts with individual soul-searching and repentance.” Margaret Hespen

‘Allegiance.’ ‘With Liberty and Justice For All.’ People named on the white stripes of this flag died by horrific acts of racial violence. It is time to shout with one BIG voice - NO MORE!” Kay Hilt

“In creating this piece I looked to Corita Kent and the Bible for inspiration. Ms. Kent’s bold colors, graphics, and various lettering styles captured the mood of a tumultuous time, much like today.” Alysa Hilton

“It was an honor to be asked to do this piece by artist, Pam Crow. I cannot think of a more fitting message for these times, when we need each other more than ever to survive and where each is critical to the whole. Black lives matter, absolutely. All lives matter - and matter unequivocally.” Jo Hussey

“The title phrase embodies the strength we need during the pandemic through the 2020 election.” Leslie Hutchinson

“Juvenal’s question echoes down the centuries, through different times and contexts. It’s a matter of justice: Who ensures that the people we choose to watch over us actually do what we expect of them? In the end, there is no one to save us, no one but ourselves.” Bryn Keller

“The more totalitarian our society becomes, the more those in power dance around with justice. The blurring is the ambiguity. The gold foil is Justice trying to shine through.” Susan Marmolejo Kipp

“This piece was inspired by the poem ‘Bani Adam’ by Sa’adi, a Persian/Irani poet who lived in the 1200’s.” NFS. 8.5 X 11” Nesryne (Nadia) Lamarti

“May John Lewis inspire us all.” Celeste Lucas

"This is the second part of a three-part series united by the themes of justice, love, and improvisation.” Jan Madill

“This is the third part of a three-part series united by the themes of justice, love, and improvisation.” Jan Madill

“The words of Congressman John R. Lewis speak to the ongoing struggle for justice in the United States.” Paula McNamee

“This is a favorite quote, so appropriate for today.” Lorinda Moholt

“Three GOOD WORDS for a calligraphy show and for our families, country, and world.” Lorinda Moholt

“In 1976 Corita Kent wrote Pope Paul VI’s quote in colorful brush letters. Using her color palette, I wrote them in brush Neuland letters and arranged them in a circle to represent the globe.” Marianne Nelson

“Whether you are white or black, black lives matter so the words are written black on white and white on black.” Marianne Nelson

“Circles and words together bring energy, focus and calm – my hope is that this piece brings these things to the viewer to inspire and encourage us all to bring more of the lights of peace, justice and purpose into a very hurting world. My goal is to assist beauty, anger, action and justice to co-exist.” Laura Nissen

“ ‘What kind of world do you want to go back to?’ is a question many have been asking as we explore turning anger into action. This piece is about using this question as a meditation, with repeated inspirations of justice and love. I felt a deep connection to the intersecting lines of text as they wove in and through the original stenciled images.” Laura Nissen

“Only when we recognize the value of Black lives can we evolve to address our nation’s challenges.” Carol Orange

“The enhanced envelope is an art piece that promotes Justice, Love, and Peace.” Susan Paolella

“There are many ways we show love – some have changed with the arrival of the Covid-19 virus. Let me count the ways…” JoAnn Pari-Mueller

“There is something comforting about making a big swoop of a circle with Sumi ink using a simple balsa wood tool - it reminds me there is still a peaceful world out there – and watching the butterflies float among the flowers confirms it exists.” JoAnn Pari-Mueller

“My sketchbook has become an active practice; a place to draw, letter, and journal on a daily basis, and where I can be most free. Since moving to New England, our explorations are different from my native Oregon, and now, sheltering quietly at home, I consider the world at large, while in the sketchbook, find hope in the world ‘at small.’” Christi Payne

“This was a piece that simply evolved – first, the bird painting, then the addition of the words (from ancient Latin) about peace.” Sally Penley

“Great words from Virgil: Love Conquers All and We, Too, Shall Yield to Love.” Sally Penley

“These words are my prayer and they sit on a backdrop of Micah 6:8 where we are called to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.” Nancy Pickett

“This expresses the OUTRAGE I felt when I learned of and saw the video of George Floyd’s murder! The sense of injustice that was suffered.” Lucille Pierce

“This work was inspired by a bracelet I frequently wear that has the word ‘peace’ on it in nine languages. Writing the word in the round, over and over, became a soothing mantra and brought me deep peace.” Gema Sanchez

“These words are from a passage by Amos, a Hebrew prophet from the 8th century, B.C., and were quoted by Martin Luther King, Jr., in his 1963 letter from the Birmingham Jail.” Pete Schmidt

“These words are also from the Hebrew prophet, Amos, in the Hebrew (Old Testament) Bible and quoted by Martin Luther King, Jr., in his 1963 letter from the Birmingham Jail.” Pete Schmidt

“This piece is a riff on the design of Black Lives Matter graphics as well as being inspired by the hand-made signs on cardboard displayed in recent protests. I used found papers and created some of my own using a Gelli plate, then hand-lettered, painted, printed, cut, and layered onto cardboard.” Cynthia Shubert

“My intention is to communicate that Liberty and Justice is for ALL people, including people of color. At first my design started out as a creative way to combine the words Liberty & Justice. As the design evolved into the shape of a cross it became important to remind the Christian community to be the first to stand up for the oppressed!” Lisa Sloop

“As we confront cries for social justice amidst a global pandemic, John Lewis’ words express the hope we need to survive.” Heidi Stolp

“I believe that at its core art is about communication. I am delighted that I have found this expression that communicates my deeply held values.” Heidi Stolp

“Four words sum up an extraordinarily complex problem.” Karen Vanhatcher

“I came across the quote: ‘Peace is the product of justice and love,’ by Oscar Romero, and decided to illustrate it as a simple equation. I chose lettering styles I thought best suited these three words and the three colors symbolize blending. The BLM background is written in regular cursive to symbolize the unrest in the world, and graffiti.” Ellen White

“In a time where there is so much unrest and uncertainty, things would be so much easier and people would be so much happier if we could just be kinder to each other. I chose Ben Shahn lettering because it is lighthearted. The textured and colorful background represents the chaos going on in the world.” Ellen White

“Working on peace and equality issues can lead to successes and disappointments. In the moments of disappointments, I try to remember that there is hope for finding new ways to success.” Larry Whitson

“ ‘Let My Country Awake,’ was published in 1910 and even now has deep meaning for me. In Tagore’s prose poem I hear a song of great hope for a better world.” Larry Whitson

“This is a revisit to a previous commission. I’ve needed these words now more than ever. I intentionally chose a textured paper so the piece would be ‘bumpy’ – similar to the road to truth and love.” Alesia Zorn