I am moved by stories of individuals and communities, those who find the strength to stand up against injustices and work to demand human rights, forging a better future for their children and our world.
Significant Souls is an expression of American stories. Our story began with aggression toward indigenous peoples, harrowing travel from other lands, hopeful homesteading to escape persecution, unthinkable human abuses as commerce and the rise of a fledgling democracy locked in tension with economic growth, ever growing population, wealth and power.
My work found inspiration through the engaging text, A People’s History of the United States 1492 – Present authored by historian and activist Howard Zinn. Dr. Zinn’s moving narrative honors those who stood up and resisted, demanded, by offering their well-being and lives to make the changes that allowed all to benefit. He surmises that real change comes from the people. Child labor laws, worker and human rights where established by individual voices speaking together, strongly for justice.
Howard supported my work and I am grateful for his generous spirit and legacy. Howard wrote,
“He wants to reach people with his paintings…to inspire them to think for themselves about our society, to tell them about the way people through the centuries have behaved with compassion and kindness, against all odds, have thought for themselves, have organized and agitated, and refused obedience to laws and practices that offend common decency”.
This is the hope that continues today for millions around the world who are challenged by war and poverty they often feel powerless to change. By engaging our American story, we revisit our relatives and friends, our ancestors in discovering our common journey. My goal for Significant Souls is to illuminate, nudge, inspire, agitate and move people to action while encouraging the viewer to question, think, act and express their own truth, in their own way.
