We learned about identity in first grade. Just like a quilt, the many pieces of our identity create something beautiful when you put us together. Our identity quilt includes drawings and words that represent our identities.
Dancing Away Our Differences
Dancing is universal! It has the potential to break language barriers and is a fun way to learn about other traditions.
Look another one…..I can’t believe they freed the slaves……
Being black, you walk around with many faces. Being a black artist you hope for many chances and see none. Being a black women artist, your chances are slim and the odds are against you. Over 20 years in this industry I am continuing to advocate for people of color and help maintain mental health through art. I am that black girl who does that black art.
Echoes of Amihan Whispers of Diwa
“This painting is a tribute to my Filipino heritage, drawing inspiration from Amihan—the northeast wind—and Diwa—the soul or spirit. These deeply rooted Filipino concepts symbolize freedom, inner strength, and the connection between nature and the self.
The gentle breeze of Amihan moves through the figure, representing the unseen forces that guide us forward. The ocean reflects Diwa, vast and calm, mirroring the depth of our thoughts and emotions. Together, they create harmony between movement and stillness, capturing the balance between the outer world and the inner self.
Through this work, I celebrate the resilience and quiet strength woven into Filipino identity and culture. It is an invitation to reflect on how nature shapes who we are and how, like the wind and sea, we can be both powerful and free.”
My Heart
“My Heart” is a testament to the enduring strength of family and the boundless power of love. This piece speaks to the deep, unspoken connection between a mother and child—a bond that nurtures, protects, and uplifts through every challenge. The warm, vibrant colors reflect the richness of our shared humanity and the beauty found in moments of care and devotion.
Family is where we find our strength. It’s where we first learn to love, to hope, and to fight for a better world. “My Heart” honors the families that build communities and the love that holds us together, even when the world feels heavy.
This work is a call to action for us all to create spaces where every family, every individual, is seen, valued, and celebrated. We each have a role in making our communities more inclusive and compassionate. Let this piece remind you of the importance of love, not just in our homes, but in how we treat one another out in the world.”
Look Up
Look Up captures a profound moment of reflection, self-care, and hope. This piece portrays the act of looking upward, symbolizing a shift in perspective, a moment of pausing to reconnect with oneself and find clarity amidst life’s chaos. The vibrant colors and expressive brushstrokes reflect the complexity of emotions we navigate on the journey toward self-awareness and healing.
The upward gaze is a universal gesture of seeking guidance, strength, or peace, reminding us of the importance of caring for our mental and emotional well-being. Look Up encourages viewers to take a moment for themselves, to breathe, and to find beauty in the act of slowing down and reconnecting with what truly matters.
Through this work, I invite others to embrace self-care and recognize the power of even the simplest actions in reclaiming balance and serenity in their lives.”
Home Where We Live
Here I explore the beauty of community and shared responsibility. Through the vibrant, imperfect homes nestled closely together, this watercolor and mixed-media piece speaks to the diversity and individuality of lives lived side by side. The uneven shapes, weathered textures, and varied colors of the houses highlight the imperfections that make each home and each person, unique. Yet, their closeness emphasizes a shared bond, a reminder that community is built on connection and interdependence.
At the center of the piece, a figure carefully balances the Earth, embodying the resilience and care required to sustain both our neighborhoods and our planet. Surrounding the homes are cosmic elements, soft galaxies and sparkling stars, blurring the line between the intimate and the infinite, showing how our everyday lives are woven into the fabric of a much larger universe.
This collective existence is where imperfections and closeness coexist to form something beautifully human.
Save the World
Our art is about how the world is bad and good. It’s about how people can change the world. It’s about helping to save the world.
Together We Build A Better World
I’ve always wished to share my thoughts and feelings with others in a way that makes them feel what I feel. This is especially true regarding issues that shape our world view. Words are not enough and in fact, for me, they are dense and inadequate. Expressing through visual arts goes straight to the heart, a short cut straight to the mind’s eye. It is my signature, created with my own hand. My favorite tools are color and contrast. Both of these generate excitement in my world.
What’s On The Inside Counts
I chose to create this piece for Embracing Our Differences because it does not matter what color you are, it’s about what’s on the inside that counts.
Group Pic
I chose to create three girls together taking a photo. This shows that we should embrace our differences because they are all different and have different skin colors.
What’s Gonna Happen To The Children
What’s happening to our children
what legacy do we leave
what thoughts of violence hate and distrust
do we teach them to believe
what’s happening to our children
growing up unwanted, abandoned
feeling they have no use
dying or suffering from starvation,
drugs, aids, sexual and physical abuse
what’s happening to our children
what laws protect them
before their cry is heard
without stripping them of their rights
their undaunted words
what’s happening to our children
is probably the same thing
that has happened too many
like you, like me
it is up to us to acknowledge it
to fight it, correct it
so our children can be free
Friends
The reason I drew this piece is to show that anyone and everyone can be true friends. For my piece I used colored pencils, watercolors, and a white and purple paint marker. The person who inspired me to draw this piece was my art teacher Debra Ennis. She is such a good art teacher and friend to lots of people.
Let Peace Begin With Me
My work represents a dove of peace filled with pattern. The black and white patterns serve to contrast the turbulent and troubling times in our world. The dove is shown to represent that we all have a role in creating peace around us. The song, Let There Be Peace on Earth, and its verse, inspired me in creating this work. The dove is illustrated as flying from the darkness into a rainbow of colors representing unity and love. Each day we must search for the positive things in our lives and keep our sights on those things. Within the pattern of the dove is the word “PEACE”. It’s repeated 7 times throughout the design. Research shows that if we hear or see something 5-7 times, it’s transfers from short-term to long-term memory. Hopefully my work will serve to inspire each person to find peace in their own lives and to work to find peace in our communities.
Friends
STOP
My artwork talks about no school shootings and I used colored pencils.
How do you feel about it? I feel bad because other parents do not want to hear that something happened to their kids.
Untitled
Thylicia Babumba is currently a 10th grader at Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She enjoys learning about the people and history of the world before her and after her and how it impacts her today. She is a participant member of the Girls Group and volunteers at Uganda Community of Michigan.
The art piece is about envisioning a future for African Americans without the binds of society. A time when being is so liberating to mind and soul. Weaving Afrofuturism, Spirituality, and the dynamics of African American Men and Women, to explore the achievable.
Using oil pastels wanting to give the illusion that what you see in front of you is a concept. This piece reflects the ideas of inclusiveness
Through Peace And Love We Unite
My picture shows different hands embracing love and peace.
Be Weird
I made this because people always want to fit in with the crowd, but they don’t need to they can just embrace themselves and be themselves. Being weird and being yourself is cool
The Feminists
I created this piece to show women coming together for equality and against discrimination because of their gender.
Celebration
Spots of Kindness
This work was created by students in Ms. Dodge’s 3rd grade class and Ms. Flynn’s Young Five’s class at Lawton Elementary School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The two classes are Reading Buddies and come together for weekly collaborative projects.
This art was inspired by the book, A Little Spot of Kindness by Diane Alber. In class, students followed Spot on his journey to show kindness. Students each made a dot to represent themselves and to serve as a reminder to always be kind. Students made the connection between their “Spot” of kindness and how being helpful and kind can help overcome discrimination and injustice in the world. Students were asked, what will your “Spot” of kindness inspire you to do?
“My spot of kindness inspires me to encourage people to reach for their goals.”
“My spot of kindness inspires me to help if someone is getting bullied.”
“My spot of kindness inspires me to help when someone gets treated unfairly.”
Together, we can make the world a better place.
Stuck In Your Mind
The reason I chose this piece is because I often find myself stuck in my mind. One side represents bad thoughts and the other side represents good thoughts and, in the end, she realizes she is human and she is good enough.
Woven Together
Students in Ms. Wier’s 3rd grade class at King Elementary School in Ann Arbor, Michigan created this artwork.
It’s inspired by the book, Drawn Together by Minh Le. This book is about a Vietnamese grandfather and his American grandson who don’t speak the same language, however, they both love to draw and find a whole new way to communicate.
In class, each student designed a strip of paper that described themselves. Students then wove their papers together to create this unique weaving. Here is what students said about the story and their work:
“If you can’t talk to someone, try to show it.”
“It was sweet and reminded me of my grandpa!”
“To me it means you can talk with drawings.”
“It is hard when you don’t know a family member’s language.”
“To me, it means that there’s more than one way of communicating.”
“Drawing connects people.”
“Art is a language in itself.”
We are each different but when we come together, we create a unique community. This work illustrates how art can connect us all.”
Cultural Diversity Flower Garden
“Diversity – Like a beautiful garden, we’re all different.
Explaining My Art: As an artist, I studied fashion illustration years ago. I love working with color and mixed mediums, such as acrylics, watercolors, oil paints, colored pencils, and markers.
Creative Process: I centered my painting collage on different cultures and fashions because I wanted to try something different. I love the variety of cultures and the clothes worn.
What The Theme Means To Me: Our country is a melting pot of diversity and we should value, respect and celebrate different cultures and cultural expressions.”
The Mess of Our Consumerism
As part of my multifaceted identity, I am both an artist and an environmental advocate. “The Mess of Our Consumerism” exhibits this intersection. I use the aesthetic contrast of waste and nature to express the negative impact of fast fashion on the environment. Oftentimes we do not realize the impact of the waste we produce or where it ends up after we are done with it. But it is in coming together, acknowledging our responsibility to reduce our impact on the environment, that the detrimental effects of overconsumption and climate change can be mediated. It takes bravery to stand up for what you believe in, and this painting presents a visualization of overconsumption that can spark action. “The Mess of Our Consumerism” is my passionate hope for a future for all, where we care for the earth we live on.
School Boys at the Detroit Institute of Art
Friendship is blind to skin color and ethnicity. These schoolboys were waiting to start their viewing of the James Barnor exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Barnor is a well known Ghanian photographer. They had a friendly but slightly guarded relationship with each other and they seemed a bit apprehensive, yet excited, about entering the exhibition. School friendships are certainly unique, and these boys demonstrate that.
My street photography attempts to show our humanity in its most positive form. We are all different and we relate to our environment differently. But we are connected in so many ways and in the end, we are more similar than different.
Occasionally, there are elements of our surroundings that need to be captured and displayed in hopes of leading to change and I will photograph these scenes and people when they present themselves.
My goal is to show humanity as it affects me in hopes that it will touch others as well.
Free?
“Self-awareness and self-acceptance as a Black American woman come from understanding the indestructible spirit of our origins. Free? exemplifies this by portraying five generations of my family (four generations of maternal lineage), each face representing a different era. From ascending to descending order, the work honors the past and present. From right to left, the faces include my great-great-grandmother Mary Ellen, my great-grandmother Freddie Lee, my grandmother Edna, my mother Karla, and finally, descending to infant me.
Each face carries the weight of history, resilience, and hope. Together, they symbolize the transgressions of time, and the dreams passed down through generations.
This digital photo collage and painting serves as a powerful reminder to the Black community to honor where we came from and celebrate the ancestors who paved the way for our existence.
Ultimately, ‘Free?’ reflects the sentiment: “We come from ancestors of greatness; we must live to honor them.”””
Love Is Not A Crime
My artwork is about LGBTQ+. This is an important issue because I want people to feel safe to be who they are and should not be ashamed for loving someone. To create this art piece first I sketched the layout of the hearts and words, then I painted it with water color. I really like how my art piece has so much color. Something I would do differently next time is do the words with sharpie because the paint smudged and made the red look bad.
Celebrate You
My artwork is about celebrating diversity. This is an important issue because there is difficulty in accepting diversity. To create this art piece first I made my draft and then sketched it out of the final paper. Then I added the outline, next, I added the watercolor, and finally colored pencils and small details. I really like how my art piece shows the emotions of the characters nicely and how the colors work well together. Something I would do differently next time is make the background lighter and do it first instead of last.
Bad Thoughts
My artwork is about mental health. This is an important issue because I have friends and family with depression. To create this art piece, first I sketched it out, then I put it on the big piece of paper and chose what color I should use. I don’t really like my art piece because it is simple. Something I would do differently next time is add details!
My Daddy Changes the World
My artistic mindset is predominantly positive black cultural representational images, with a spiritual (Christian) component. My guiding motivation is to not “bury” my God given “talent”! I choose and love themes and subject matter that I find interesting and thought provoking. My artistic training (some formal) has been lots of practice, failures, successes, patience, and determination. I use a host of multimedia processes including traditional and digital techniques. My submission “My Daddy Changed The World” was a quote from George Floyd’s daughter after the death of her “daddy”. Thank you for this opportunity!
One Bond
One Bond causes other bondage to break!
Unity in Diversity
“For over 30 years, I have explored various forms of artistic expression, engaging with different media to communicate my experiences and emotions. Currently a student at Maharishi International University (MIU), my practice is enriched by my love for nature, meditation, and the exploration of consciousness.
My art draws inspiration from concepts such as chakras and shadow work, exploring themes of unity within diversity. I believe in the power of art to transcend individual experiences, fostering a sense of connection to a larger, conscious divinity. Through my art, I aim to invite viewers to reflect on their own journeys, encouraging an exploration of inner and outer worlds. Ultimately, my goal is to create pieces that resonate with the viewer, reflecting the beauty and complexity of life’s shared experiences.”
Ramadan Meals Among Syrian Ruins
April 8, 2025Neither the war nor destruction prevented the people from holding a community breakfast, which is an important tradition in the month of Ramadan. They were determined to revive the community breakfast amid the rubble.
Give Boys Their Flowers
I navigate the affecting landscape of vulnerability in boys, acknowledging the profound strength that emerges when authenticity is allowed to flourish. I endeavor to contribute to the cultivation of a society that extends recognition and appreciation to boys, offering them the metaphorical ‘flowers’ they rightfully deserve. By challenging stereotypes and celebrating individuality, this aims to be a catalyst for change, fostering an environment where differences are embraced, and the unique essence of each boy is celebrated as a vital contribution to the diverse tapestry of humanity.
Do Not Remove This Book
It is the rare moment that an image appears right in front of you that exactly captures a critical issue. Then, if you have the presence of mind to shake off your amazement and act, you take that photo. When I was young, there were signs in my public library (which I visited frequently) that stated, “Do Not Remove This Book.” It meant that they were protecting that book. It was a valuable book, or they only had one copy. Now, that label has a harsher meaning. It cries out, “You cannot learn about diverse thoughts. You cannot learn about ugly truths or beautiful ideals.” The book is no longer being protected. We are being protected from knowledge.
Colors Matter
Colors Matter is a homage to Ruby Bridges and her famous 1960 walks to school which paved the way to end racial segregation in the US educational system. It is also inspired by Norman Rockwell’s painting The Problem We All Live With (1964). The title, however, is taken from recent horrors which show that even today there are still miles to go. In this case, however, the focus is moved to a wider perspective, celebrating not just the hope for the end of racial discrimination but also hinting that we cannot afford diversity to become an endangered species in a world that is increasingly dominated by mainstream culture. The picture belongs to my series Mousographs which follows the concepts of minimal art and graffiti.
To view more artwork by Alexander Kupfer from his mousographs series, visit his website: https://www.mousographs.com/
Are My Roots Showing?
My work explores the hardships of the female experience and the many forms it can take. I choose to create pieces investigating issues I am passionate about; they are universal problems that I want to represent through painting and printmaking. In my works, I am influenced by Latin- American artists and sculptors in combination with the influence of living in London and seeing so many creatives at work daily.
Championship
A young girl at the international swimming championship among athletes with disabilities. A second before the start in Minsk, Belarus.
Me, Myself, and I
My art explores self-acceptance and diverse human experiences through portraiture. Guided by the belief that eyes reveal the soul, I capture individuals’ portraits, witnessing their personal journeys. In my latest oil painting, I depict the transformative passage from self-loathing to self-acceptance. The left side portrays the struggle for true desires and authentic identity, represented by black, white, and blue tones symbolizing emptiness and despair. Moving towards the center, a confident figure emerges, embracing their unique identity. Vibrant colors and makeup symbolize inner liberation and self-expression, while a genuine smile reflects the joy of self-acceptance. Universal connectivity is depicted through stars below, while the rainbow sky above signifies acceptance and celebration of individuality. The transition from darkness to vibrant beauty is mirrored in the caterpillar’s transformation into a butterfly. Through my art, I aim to inspire viewers to embrace their uniqueness, embark on self-discovery, and find daily happiness.
Yearning to Breathe Free
While this image of the child with tear filled eyes is a product of my imagination, she represents the reality of what thousands of migrant children confront at the United States and Mexican borders. There is a humanitarian and moral disconnect between the worlds that embodies the national spirit and conscience: give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free (excerpt from the 1903 inscription on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty); and the continued dysfunction of our immigration and asylum system. As an increasingly polarized Congress continues to avoid approving humane legislative immigration reform, a child with pleading outstretched hands reaches through a barbed wire fence as to ask “what about the children yearning to breathe free?”
Children Raised by the Same Earth
There is an old saying in China called “fifty-six nationalities, fifty-six flowers, fifty-six brothers and sisters are one family.” My country has so many cultures and so much inclusiveness. I grew up in this environment. In my opinion every country, race, and person in the world is also many different flowers. These flowers can be the same family. I used flowers as the elements of my creation. I made these flowers grow from one root and I added several representative races with their national flowers. I also wanted to include people with disabilities, so I drew a beautiful girl with a prosthetic leg in the bottom left corner.
Friendship
Even though we live in the 21st century, we still see conflicts between people of different races. In my art, I showed the friendship between a Black person and a white person from their childhood to old age. So, if we live without comparing people by their outside appearance, we would be able to make a beautiful, happy society.
Our Warming World
March 7, 2024I want to communicate the idea of Climate change, and that this is what our world is turning into, with the amount of trash in the water, and how the water is heating up and the icebergs are breaking, and animals are getting separated from their families and dying, ultimately resulting in animals becoming endangered and going extinct.
Love Everyone
Through my art I want to inspire people to feel ok being different and to love everyone because we are all human and all trying our best. To create my art I used paint sticks, sharpie markers, bright colors, and shapes. The reason I used circles is because I find them to be very calming to look at.
You Are Beautiful
I wanted to communicate that being different or not being the “norm” is okay. People of color are constantly shamed for their traditional food, clothing, hair, history, and skin color. It has become so bad that every community favors lighter skin people of color with more “European” features. All around Africa, Asia, and Latin America there are creams and cosmetics to make your skin lighter and not only is it erasing your family bloodline but it also is very harmful. While I was designing my art work I thought it would be a good idea to draw 4 women from different countries that are all of color. I copied the stars for the American flag to get the right shape. I made their hands connected to show that they are all one. I put the women’s country flags behind them to show that you should be confident of your background and not try to change yourself to fit the beauty standard. I made sure to draw the traditional clothing on each of the women to show how beautiful their culture is.
Eye for Equity
Eye For Equity is a collaborative art project created by Mr. Solomon’s 4th grade students, Mr. Solomon and Peggy Leonard, the Lakewood art teacher. Each student created an eye and the shapes were collaged together inside the glasses. Mr. Solomon wrote this poem as our Artist Statement..
Glasses covered in children’s eyes
Half our size but twice as wise
Every gaze a unique view
A noble cause we must pursue
Through these lens a tapestry spins
Where justice and inclusion wins
Eyes that see a human, a whole
Nurtures our heart and cradles our soul
Without them I may not see
What works for you and not for me
But equity’s lens makes clear the light
Which guides the way towards what is right.
Just love me for ME
We chose to create the differences that each of us have with in our class. We learned that many of us come from different cultures, races, speak different languages, eat different foods, learn differently and have many different unique qualities. What we really want is…. for people to just love us as we are no matter our differences. Because we are all just human wanting to be loved and accepted no matter what!
Defending the Universe
She is a girl that defends the universe. She loves everyone, even if they are different from her. She tries her best to protect others from danger.
Smile
No matter how you sound look or act, you deserve to smile.
Generations
The color of our skin shows our diversity and yet we still all do things together. We are aware of our difference in ages and our ideas too but we still call each other family.
We Can Do It
March 5, 2024I have used the art form Mithila (which is an Indian folk art having its origins in Bihar and Jharkhand) to showcase sincere expressions for such inclusivity with different types of disabilities of people at school, in parks and in the workplace. Mithila folk art is a style of painting which is practiced extensively in India and Nepal. Colors are created using natural dyes and pigments. Since this Mithila art form has been in vogue for thousands of years, the themes of Mithila paintings are generally religious practices and culture. I used this art form to depict the social scene which signifies how differences can be embraced and inclusivity practiced.
Who Do You Think I Am?
My artwork is a criticism of society’s tendency to judge people based on appearance. To initiate this project, I asked people around me “if you could express yourself through a painting, what would it look like?” I created their portraits based on their responses and then I designed doors that allowed viewers to open the panel of each portrait to reveal the true self of each person. The portraits focused on viewable features, while the inside reflects the person’s dreams, thoughts, and personality. The biggest panel has an unfinished painting of a frame, and viewers will find a mirror inside. The last confrontation of the viewers is with themselves as I want them to reflect and recognize that no one perfectly fits a stereotype and deserves an unjust judgment made of them because of their eyes, number of wrinkles, how curly their hair is, or which shade of foundation they use.
Whose Doll
When we separate toys into gender groups, we limit the possibilities and interests of our children. My favorite part of my picture is the shocked robot. He represents yesterday’s mindset and has been programmed how to think about toys vs. gender.
Women of the Bluest Eye
I’ve developed a unique art style which I’ve coined, “Indie Pop Art,” which celebrates the noble beauty and divine nature of people of indigenous descent and contemporary American culture. Incorporating my love of aboriginal dot painting and the use of negative and positive space to weave across canvases, I draw power from roots deep in sacred African and Native American art, spirituality, and ritual. This art piece was inspired by my favorite book and the character “Pecola,” whose story resonated with me and millions of other little black girls who struggled to fit the typical standard of beauty thus wishing for “blue eyes,” including Oprah Winfrey and Viola Davis.
To me “Embracing Our Differences” must also include embracing and celebrating what makes every individual beautiful, unique, and worthy of love. You never know, they may grow up to be an Academy Award winning actress or the first black woman billionaire.
We Are the Family
Bicycle World Tour: twin boys spent 3 months with local uncles – street painters in Dakar, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean by ship. They became a family through humanity. A moment in Africa will remain in the boys’ hearts and memory for their whole lives, as we are all one family.
We are all Pearls
This drawing shows representation. No one is the same; we all have quirks. The drawing shows eight or more women who are looking at the board and each feels represented. It doesn’t matter what you look like, your race, orientation, or sexual identity, where you’re from, or whether you have a disability. We all bleed the same, and we deserve to be respected and represented. Representation matters and makes a difference in the life of each person. I used the painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring” by Johannes Vermeer as a reference for the paintings placed on the wall, so that they would look similar with the girls who watched them. Embracing our differences is a very important step for change–we are all pearls; we need and want to be represented.
Two for You and One for Me
Sitting in the grass on a brilliant, sunny day, a large ladybug shares her ample supply of black spots with a small giraffe who has an extra long space to fill and a dwindling supply of brick shapes, one of which he happily gives to his generous friend.
The Girl Who Broke the Rules
With this art, we bring into the diversity discussion the face of an Arab woman who is not bound by all the stereotyping that surrounds Middle Eastern culture. Our woman is multi-layered, symbolically pieced together by different media reflecting the many perspectives that have left their mark on her and made a unique, individualistic self. Having already broken with many traditional rules, she stands ready to tell her story; her image speaks for itself and allows the viewer to enter the artwork and explore the meaning of the objects of which she is made. What is the common connecting denominator and how is she related to us? Our goal for this work is to help people find the connections and question their built-in and often-unexamined attitudes/unwritten rules.
They all still Draw
My picture shows multiple markers side by side. The message of my artwork is we all may have different traits, but at the end of the day we’re all labeled as the same species.
Tuned Out
My art piece shows a woman who is wearing headphones tuning out all of the hurtful words that are surrounding her. I made this to show people to be confident and not to listen to the hurtful things others say. I sketched this on a sheet of paper, then took a picture and traced it digitally. Then I added details and the words, and colored the whole piece. This artwork represents the way we reject negativity and feel confident in ourselves no matter what people say about us. No matter how mean people are, you can always find the good, and create your own happiness.
Self Image
Self Image is about a young Black girl appreciating her hair and skin. She sees herself as a princess because she is confident, strong, intelligent, and beautiful. There are mixed feelings about a Black girl being cast as Ariel in The Little Mermaid. My artwork illustrates why it’s important for people of all races to be represented equally in all areas.
Shadow of Bullying
To express the sadness and mental pain of alienated humans, I used various languages and bullying keywords to show the faces hidden in the shadows of several perpetrators.
Smart Cage
Smart phones make our life more convenient, but they are not smart enough for some elderly people.
Stretching Beauty
Using acrylic paints I created a painting representing body dysmorphia. I decided to make the figure a ballerina because many dancers fall under body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and body image issues due to the strict ideal body image represented and taught from childhood. In my painting, the ballerina is very malnourished and thin, but as she looks into the mirror she sees herself as much larger than she actually is. I added a nutrition wrapper for the background of the mirror to represent counting calories which is something I did for a period of time when I didn’t feel confident in my own skin. Body dysmorphia is something so many people go through as they try to reach the extremely demanding beauty standards of society which usually leads to eating disorders. I currently have a close friend in the hospital recovering from anorexia, so this theme means a lot to me and I definitely think that there should be more body positivity in today’s society.
Playmate for Life
A disabled boy plays with his friend in rural West Bengal, India. Through sports, disabled people can express themselves to the fullest and live a normal, happy, healthy life, fully integrated with society.
Neurodiversity Is Beautiful
The word ‘neurodiversity’ is colored in by the different-colored ‘seeds’ floating up from neurodiverse minds, depicted by multi-racial black and white ink drawings with green, yellow, red, and blue dandelion overlays. It is intended to illustrate how beautiful and different our minds are, and how important those differences are. We need to recognize, normalize, and celebrate neurodiversity!
Peeking Sides
Power, wealth, influence: with these three shiny things abused, you can buy all the cars and diamonds and exit passes from jail. When it becomes easy to be above the law, to bend the rules, and to play God in a broken system that is rigged to be in one’s favor; justice becomes seemingly ‘exclusive’ despite upholding the very guise of fairness itself. This might not be the case in a more ideal society, but our reality behind rose-tinted windows is that Lady Justice has not always been blindfolded from prejudice and corruption. In countries like mine, you would turn deaf from the amount of times you hear the creaks of the scales being tipped out of balance. I hope to simply portray and acknowledge such rotten injustices.
Perched Above the World
Women and girls as actors and builders of an equal world over which they watch and deploy their full potential. This work reminds us of the important value of the contribution of women and girls to society when their rights are respected. It symbolizes a fair and shared world where everyone contributes to equality; it also represents the possibility for everyone to participate in the different spheres of society without discriminatory barriers. It means equal opportunities, an end to violence, harassment, and prejudice against women.
Mother and Son
This painting is inspired by a picture taken during a climate protest of an indigenous family from the Guajajara ethnic group. This is a very powerful representation of the culture, humanity and strength that emanates from the indigenous people in Brazil. This was created using acrylic paint over coated paper.
Love Is Love
If We All Held Hands
We all possess great gifts enabling us to bring comfort to others. Whether it is just a smile when passing a stranger on the street, a casual wave or holding a hand to reassure or show affection. We can’t forget the things that make us so uniquely human. We are endowed with a great power to ease the suffering of others through the simplest human expressions. Use these wonderful gifts every day!
Free Hugs
I guess they say you can’t buy love;
So instead, I’m giving out free hugs;
For no reason at all, I’m doing it just because;
I’m embracing our differences to create the vision that Martin dreamed of;
Because we live in a world full of hate, division, and people that judge;
But I give love because I need love;
And I know it exists because I’ve seen love;
And to be loved, you have to be love;
So here, Love, here’s a free hug.
Good Trouble
This digital collage is titled Good Trouble, a phrase often used by John Lewis to describe nonviolent activism. Lewis was an American politician and civil rights activist who devoted his life to racial justice and equality. Good Trouble represents progress. It reminds us of how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go. Like many John Lewis quotes, Good Trouble is intended to empower people to use their voices and stand up against all injustice. I hope this artwork will encourage conversation, enlighten, and influence positive social change.
Heart Puzzle
Every single person in this world has a heart; and we feel connection and love through our hearts. As we try to understand each other, our small pieces of relationships are put together, creating a whole art piece. I’ve always thought that to understand and embrace our differences, we need our hearts to see and feel the other’s heart. My artwork depicts the moment of connecting people worldwide by putting their hearts together while having smiles on their faces.
Equity for All
My artwork showcases interesting, expressive subjects to evoke strong emotional connections. Equity for All includes collaged cheesecloth with paper strip wordplay for hair, cheesecloth garments and a tote bag made from applied, painted canvas, with a hand painted Equity for All button. This painting is a portrait of a real person. He epitomizes the next generation of talented and skillful problem solvers with big dreams for a better America. A country that stands for freedom must provide true equity to all people. We need leaders to help create broad based solutions to the polarizing divides in our country and lead us toward building a more just and civil society. Only with such changes will we achieve the promise of real HOPE.
Embellish Life
I witnessed a girl in the news who lost her right leg, and she would decorate her prosthetic and show it off confidently. I feel her courage and strength, and hope everyone can ignore the gossip and bravely embellish their own lives.
Different Is Better
In a world where you are asked to fit in, stand out and do it proudly. Our differences make us unique, they should be celebrated and acknowledged. This artwork depicts a dull, grey billboard being pasted over with a vibrant portrait of a very happy bunch of people.
Detrás de una Máscara (Behind a Mask)
My drawing shows how people who suffer from bullying live. Most of them hide behind a mask, showing happiness on the outside, but inside they are broken. Everything she hears, hurts her. I created my drawing using digital art. I used colors that represent bumps, bruises, and pain.
Clipped Dreams
Almost all immigrants have their dreams cut short; they can’t do what others are able to do, because they are not citizens. Many were brought to America against their will; my mom is an example of that. Her parents brought her here at the age of 10, and she’s still in the process of becoming a legal US citizen. She could have been a lawyer, a nurse, a teacher, or have gone to college and been able to get a job, but she couldn’t. Coming to America, in a sense, clipped her wings and many others’. It feels like the government often turns a blind eye to those wingless souls, leaving them in the darkness and letting them watch their dreams die. I made this art piece is to show the suffering and cruelty of this process. Isn’t America supposed to be the land of freedom? The land where hopes and dreams are accomplished?
Body and Voice
Women have been fighting for rights their whole lives, including voting rights, equal pay, career opportunities, and reproductive rights. I tried to show the frustration that women feel. My artwork is about reproductive rights and showing how their voices aren’t being heard. These are all real life problems that women face on a daily basis.
Being Different Is Beautiful
In this artwork, I created stereotypes. One of the people I drew is a female firefighter. Some people might say that this job is not feminine. Another person is a male makeup artist. People will say that it is not a common job for a male. Being different is nothing to be afraid of, stand out and show them who you are!
Be You
In this collaborative artwork, we wanted to portray the idea that all the things that make us different should be celebrated because our uniqueness makes the world a more colorful place. The students represented this idea as crayons, but instead of making their characters one solid color, they reflected their uniqueness with a variety of colors, facial features, and design elements. While we were positioning the crayons on the poster, the students joined the crayons together so that they were holding hands.
Beauty of the World
A Conflict of Interests
A Conflict of Interests seeks to present the multifaceted identities we hold as mothers, and the diversity of the mothering experience. Through deconstructing the word “mother” itself to present the inner words ‘other’ ‘her’ and ‘me’ it speaks of collective maternal identity and the need to listen to mothers’ voices. Mothering is a verb, and each of us has the capacity to mother: ourselves, those we care for, our communities and our earth. Only through mothering, can we mend fractured communities and relationships, heal ourselves and repair our world.
All Girls Deserve to Dream
As a woman who loves to dream and create—I believe it is important to remind my inner girl that it is okay to have big dreams. When I was younger I definitely had big dreams but they weren’t necessarily encouraged or fostered in the ways that I needed them to grow to where I am now. Overcoming some of those fears that were instilled in me has allowed me to nurture my inner girl. Furthermore, when I was a young girl and teen, I knew that there were differences in the world and that not everyone was as fortunate as I was. BUT it was not until adulthood that I learned how not all girls around the world got to go to school or have the same kinds of opportunities that I had. So much happiness in my childhood came from school and learning or achieving. To think that not every girl is afforded that same opportunity all around the world, in 2024, is beyond me. I hope for this piece of art to raise awareness and spark conversations with young people who will grow up and want to see better for young girls all around the world because when young girls everywhere are afforded an education—we all benefit.
Peace Party
If only we could have a world wide “Peace Party”! I see the world taking time off from war, bigotry, greed, and territorialism. People would be toasting to a new partnership that calls for peace and understanding. I believe it can be done through curiosity, love and an open heart. My hope and joy is that I might be a positive influence through my art.
This artwork is mixed media: Collage & acrylic paint.
Shadows of Bravery
As a black female artist, my photography confronts the premature adultification of young black girls in America. Through the intimate lens of black and white imagery, I spotlight their complex emotional journeys, often marred by societal demands to mature too soon. This portrait captures the silent resilience and the forced maturity they carry, juxtaposed with the innocence that should have been their right.
The stark contrasts in my work are deliberate, symbolizing the emotional landscapes these girls traverse—rich with unspoken stories, yet shadowed by experiences that age them beyond their years. My art advocates for their right to emotion, to the vulnerability and joy of youth, insisting on visibility and empathy for their struggles.
In presenting this narrative, I aim to empower and validate the emotional truths of these young individuals, challenging the viewer to honor their childhood and to confront the biases that rob them of it. My camera is my tool for change, demanding a reimagined future where their lives are fiercely protected and celebrated.
The Strong Feminist
I created this piece to embody my strong feelings of feminism as a young college student. Ultimately, my feminist artwork is a testament to the strength, resilience, and unity of women worldwide.
Spirit of Our Ancestors
Spirit of our Ancestors is a homage to a lineage unknown, envisioned by me, a Black woman artist longing for connection to my roots. The canvas presents imagined ancestors, each a testament to resilience and dignity, symbolizing the rich diversity of my heritage. Their varied expressions and hues articulate our shared humanity and the complex weave of individual and collective histories.
The faces, portraying a blend of strength and gentility, wisdom and curiosity, represent both a forgotten lineage and the relentless spirit that survives in their descendants. They invite viewers to ponder our lineage perspective on our contemporary lives, our challenges, and our triumphs in the pursuit of equality and recognition.
This artwork is a dialogue across time, urging reflection on personal heritage and the wider human saga. It’s an interweaving of historical imagination with current introspection, aimed to empower and deepen our sense of community and self-awareness.
Car City Magic Carpet
Our imagination is unlimited. So many of us adults and kids have created adventures on a Car City Carpet. Racetrack images cut from Hour Detroit magazine 2023 Detroit Grand Prix wind through this paper collage from found images, creating a magic carpet of adventures. In the background, a cartoon kid, made by a stadium of North Korean children holding up colored boards. Overlaying this background of conformity, uniformity, and lack of diversity, kids from diverse backgrounds play, explore, and chase their dreams.
Allostatic Overload
My art celebrates the unique beauty of black features, focusing on eyes, noses, and lips to forge a deep, intimate connection with the viewer. Utilizing a vibrant palette, I aim to mirror the emotions of my subjects, transcending mere aesthetic appeal. While none of my portraits are self-portraits, each piece resonates with fragments of my identity, acting as mirrors to reflect and engage the viewer’s own sense of self.
This painting is more than just a image; it represents the diverse emotional spectrum of black women, challenging the monolithic stereotype often imposed upon us. This portrait, with its subtle nuances, speaks to the individuality and spirit of black women. Historically marginalized, our beauty and features have been overlooked or ridiculed. My work seeks to rewrite this narrative, to honor and celebrate our inherent beauty and strength. It’s a visual testament to our diversity, dignity, and the profound depth of our experiences.
Our disability Pride Journeys
We are “Link’d 2gethr”
when we make Paper People cutouts, every individual is the same size, shape, width, length. But in reality, we are not the same, individually but we are from the same cut.
Perspectives
In “Perspectives,” faces blur, stories hush. Fragments whisper, urging you closer, not to see, but to hear. Each hidden narrative, a thread in the tapestry of understanding. Lean in, listen, and together, we rewrite the canvas of our assumptions.
Fantastic Afronauts
The Fantastic Afronauts are on a poetic mission to find friends and work on their gardening skills while sailing through space. The Fantastic Afronauts learn lessons about bullying and friendship, horticulture and equality. I was inspired by Afropunk and Cyberpunk art styles, past current events that revolved around space travel. I want to represent people like myself who aren’t necessarily shown in specific arenas like “space/space travel.” The Afronauts are a representation of possibilities and inspiration for black and brown children.
Self Talk
If only we all could learn to see the positives within ourselves? This artwork represents the personal inner turmoil I go through within myself. I deal with depression, high anxiety, self doubt, an eating disorder and Dyslexia daily. It was a hard journey, but rewarding to go through this experience.While the positive words are plentiful and always represented in the art itself, they are not as easy to read as the negative words are and definitely not if you were to recall in real life. The negative words are well defined in bright white. They are easily chanted through my head, often making them seem true. The use of the yarn and zipper ties the whole thing together while allowing them to be separate at the same time.
Spiritual Rising
The art was created by embracing my own peace and spirituality, Arms are raised, cobalt blue sky, white dots representing stars/star people. moving rising up embracing peace, love and spirituality
I am a Man
This piece is 1 of 13 pieces for the 3/5th Series Exhibition Set to open Feb. 2025. This is a moment we can see a Black man adoring his daughter as she adores him.
The 3/5th Series is a series of moments captured to show people of color still written and amended in our constitution for all to see.
Thank you sister Bee! You really are sent from the ancestors. UBUNTU