Artist: Jaida Hancock
Title: Peacemakers Needed
Medium: Original drawn with graphite, digitally added music, then Riso printed
Size:
Artist Statement: 
I had been asking God what my next art piece should be about because none of my ideas felt right. Then I attended my ninth grader’s choral concert. With one student on the cajón, another on guitar, and the choir teacher at the piano, the choir began singing “Zombie” by the Cranberries. I was overwhelmed by the message of the song. Written in 1994 by lead singer Dolores O’Riordan, “Zombie” expresses the grief, anger, and loss of innocent lives during the Northern Irish conflict. As I listened, I felt that same grief rise up in me—not only for the wars we see on the news, but also for the quieter wars happening every day: the hostility online, the division between “us” and “them,” and the growing inability to see each other with compassion. In that moment, I knew I was meant to create a piece about peace. My sincere hope is for this piece to stir a longing in us to love a little harder, listen a little longer, and choose tenderness wherever we can. I believe that is what the world needs most right now.