HEATHER ATKINSON:

This broadside was donated to Kennedy Jr. High School at the request of the artist.

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Artist's Statement: (see text below image)

The design for this piece is based off symbolism and each represented culture’s respective language; two things I find very interesting. The birds in the piece are pretty universal as symbols of peace and the aspiration of higher knowledge. They are also thought of as the link between Heaven and Earth. The tree in the center, meaning the Tree of Life, represents the Earth and our being a part of it. Snakes are often depicted with birds, representing the struggle between Heaven and Earth. Peace in this world is a struggle, and we can only obtain this higher knowledge and, ultimately, peace, if we overcome how the world believes in “every man for himself” and focus on what is right and true – the Golden Rule. In this piece I chose to represent all the cultural differences through their languages, because I wanted to point out that practically every nation on this earth has these similar beliefs in the Golden Rule. In difficult days such as these, it is important to remember that every individual, no matter what country they live in, wants peace and respect for everyone.