Wiley-Janota, Rachel

Rachel Wiley-Janota
Galveston, TX

When Nick told me about his idea, I immediately wanted to be a part of it. I've always seen art making as a way of connecting with other people, using visual languages to reach our universal truths. There is a trend in the United States to often use language like "us and them," in our politics, which only separates us, and this deeply concerns and saddens me. Some people may want to build walls, both physical and psychological ones, around themselves and their country, but they are choosing to do so out of fear or ignorance. We all have choices to make every day, and I believe we need to choose to listen and learn from each other more often. In this country we can celebrate our right to disagree, but we must not forget there is beauty in our history of differences. I hope that we can work towards removing walls of prejudice and fear, and this project is a wonderful way to start more of these important conversations.