Act With Love & Equality Art Initiative

NEVIN SPEERBRECKER

Colored Pencil, Digital, Watercolor Pen

In this world of continuing evolution we need to keep an open mind to change, in equity and for our diversity. We all come from the same vines and make up the world’s garden together. For a world of love and equality we will need to CATCH-UP our ability to be inclusive for all members of our world’s garden. We are the vines and the fruit come from within us for, all to partake to make up our world of diverse colors. The word CATCH-UP is to embrace the need for changes our world needs for us to grow together and flourish in the garden.

BRIAN WHITFIELD

Colored Pencil

At first glance, I want the viewer to be drawn to the colors, but after closer inspection the images inside each letter begin to create stories where empathy is desired. The “E” represents the sick, the families and hospital workers who have been so present throughout this past year. “M” represents the struggles of the intercity by gun violence in any form. “P” represents the violence against the Asian community (The Chinese lettering means love). “A” shows that everyone need a hug sometime. The “T” represents inclusion and the LGBTQ community. The “H” shows the loneliness of loss, and the “Y” stands for faith and hope through our beliefs.

LAURA DIXON, MIKE HOLCOMB, LISA O'CONNOR

Digital

Building a bridge over troubled waters —

Turbulent times have come to a head across America and in our own community. Racism, ageism, inequality, and injustice divide and threaten our society. If we can each take personal responsibility to bridge the divide on these and other troubling issues, we can begin to heal.

ALAYNA, BRIJA, KAYLA FRADETTE

Digital, Ink Pen

The background of this piece symbolizes different struggles and craziness that we face every day. We can spiral into negative thoughts, and go into a bad state of mind. It’s only when we have hope, that we can see the world in a positive, new light, and move forward. This is why we have the word, hope, in color because when you have hope, happiness and anything else is possible. We included the words pray, love, together, growth, believe, promise, and care into the background because those words give us a sense of hope, and are things that are needed to have hope.

ISABELLA SPAGNUOLO

Digital

I chose this word carefully, it stuck with me as the most important. The joining of compassion or generous acts is what makes human beings a successful collective. I wanted to show an example of how people can live and be sympathetic towards one another, and how every human being is valued and loved.

LARISSA MOYER, KELLIE SWIGER

Digital, Watercolor

Treating each other with kindness lifts us up so we can spread our wings and fly. It takes all of us together to make the world a better place, through big and small acts of kindness. When we show we care, we celebrate the beauty in our world and share the many gifts of humanity and love.

MADISON MILLER

Digital

Compassion, love, and gratitude are three simple words to act upon in this life. In the face of love, everyone is equal. Let everyone have the freedom to love and pursue their happiness. Doing so will irrevocably change our world forever. Love is a universal language from the heart. Where there is love in this world, there is life.

ERIKA NOUD

Acrylic

This image was made by weaving together two similar acrylic canvas paintings. Using natural colors, it represents how humanity is woven together in ONE world. There is something cathartic about cutting up finished paintings. When woven together, not everything lines up or is perfect and things get a little tattered, such as in life. But the final product provides a calm, repetitive pattern with a variety of color, shape and ONE showing strong.

RILEY GRIFFIN

Digital

I remember I learned in history doves were used as a symbol of peace, so I used that along with other common signs of peace.

THERESSA LEVETT

Acrylic, Digital

Just by looking at a person we can’t tell who they really are or where they are from. These birds and other winged friends represent all of us. Everyone is included whether they can fly or whether they are even a bird. Differences should be celebrated. Uniqueness creates unity