In times of division, art brings us together, reminding us of a shared humanity that connects us all. It’s not just about capturing the here and now. It’s about opening our eyes to empathy and helping us see the world from different perspectives. STAND 2024 captures the heart of these important conversations, addressing the challenges of our time and the rise of movements pushing for real change. This is where creativity meets activism.
STAND 2024
Best of Show- Born into waste
Fabienne Meyer
charcoal
Birmensdorf, Switzerland
“Born into waste“ - Imagine being born into a world where plastic cling wrap is your cradle. That’s the reality facing our planet. Millions of tons of plastic waste choke our oceans, suffocate wildlife, and leach into our food chain.
We are drowning in a sea of plastic. Our planet is suffocating under the weight of our pollution. It’s time to wake up and take action.
Together, we can create a world where children are not born into waste.
Director's Choice- Freedom Isn't Free Is It? A Tribute To Gordon Parks
Tony J. Smith
oil
Oxnard, California
"Freedom Isn't Free Is it? A Tribute To Gordon Parks" represents people and subjects that stand for issues that are front and center in these times. The inspiration gained from the word hope cannot be overestimated.
Director's Choice- Bound by her weaknesss
Tracy Frein CPSA, CPSX
colored pencil on drafting film
Chicago, Illinois
As a portrait artist, my inspiration is drawn solely from my subject’s beauty and their hidden emotional truths. Even though it is difficult to prove a definite link between art and mental health, it is not unlikely that psychological disorders can – like any other state of mind – shape individuals and their creative work. My art uniquely reflects my subjects struggle and psychological condition along with their beauty.
Oh Canada!
Pamela Bower-Basso
mixed media on canvas
Norwell, Massachusetts
My recent artwork consists of mixed media works on paper, maps, and canvas that explore the reproductive rights of women in the US and the ways in which politics can, and have, affected those rights. These pieces are meant to bring attention to the dangers of recent legislative policies in many states and to highlight places where women's health care is protected. My goal is to spread awareness about the crisis around reproductive healthcare in this country and to make a case for more equitable practices within the U.S.
Social Distortion
Stephanie Anderson
oil on canvas
Hillsboro, Oregon
Center of the Universe, Tulsa, OK. The inspiration behind this piece was from a photo taken in 2015, but the random vandalism that was on the original photo was removed and instead the artist included twenty five individuals whose lives have impacted human rights in some way.
Social Distortion was based on a photograph taken while the artist was skating the Mary C Greenway trails in Denver, CO during the Pandemic. These painted signs began to show up along the trails reminding us to all stay six feet apart. The piece is meant to exhibit the continued conflict and separation of the BIPOC/LGBTQIA+ communities in America.
Always Myself
Denise Cerro
mixed media acrylic
Encinitas, California
Multi layered mixed media piece representing the multi layered female form, emotions, psyche...and being in my power. This was a day I struggled with taking my power back…though in looking back I had never really lost it…it was there all along, I just needed to stop giving it away!
Fight Like A Girl
Loco-Motive
Aaron Pickens
oil on panel
Greentown, Indiana
This painting is part of a series entitled ‘Capture the Flag,’ which critiques the cozy relationship between big business and governing agencies. ‘Loco-Motive,’ shows a wooden train set that encircles a pond comprised of toy fish, and a rubber duck to address the environmental impact of the East Palestine train derailment. Many of my toy tableaux paintings are a cathartic response to contemporary sociopolitical issues and allow me to express my observations in a lighthearted manner, and, hopefully, with a degree of wit.
Quo Vadis
The Last Tree
Chuck Jones
acrylic on paper
Knoxville, Tennessee
Humans evolved in a richly variegated world. As we trigger the tipping points toward collapse, THE LAST TREE offers an expressionist reflection on humanity and extinction. Is the person looking at the last little tree? Or is the tree gazing at the last person?
I, Too, Am America
Norman Aragones
moving photograph
San Jose, California
This moving photograph is a visual commentary detailing the experiences of Asian Americans victimized by hate crimes in current American society.
We Won’t Go Back!
Joyce Wynes
digital
Davidson, North Carolina
Many women are upset about the restrictions the government has put on their decisions about their body choices. And are concerned about how far representatives of the government will take this. Many females are saying now, “We won’t go back.” And are determined to fight for their freedoms.
Wonky – Grifter in Chief
Dare Porter
assemblage- plywood, wire mesh, hand-cut and painted letters, carpet nails, spray paint
Oakland, California
WONKY: unstable, shaky, crooked, off-center, lopsided, askew, misaligned, faulty, weak, unsatisfactory. Donald Trump and his mismanagement of America and, in extended disruption, the world order came to mind. I made a typographic interpretation of the word, and as I researched fonts, Trump’s influence kept influencing my choices. I have ended with a typographic story of his dismal activity in office. W represents the world he’s infected, the infection referenced by the yellow streak running through. O became the Corona virus he so thoroughly ignored and helped spread. N became Trump with his flip of yellow/orange hair and a red MAGA hat. K became Trump’s fascist political base which in this case are dressed as Storm Troopers, trying to kick peace and freedom out of our social structure. Y became America represented by stars and stripes. The gridded background suggests the cages immigrant children and adults were held in.
Hanging by a Thread
Francene Levinson
digital painting
Bainbridge Island, Washington
Hanging by a Thread reflects my feelings of the existential crises our country is facing. A severe threat to Democracy is clearly facing us here in The USA. We are at an inflection point and must literally take a stand to protect our form of democratic society by physically voting. Our government is hanging by a thread and will collapse without all of us taking a position on the right side if history, truth, and justice.
WomEn THE PEOPLE
Shelley Baird
mixed media- vinyl political yard signs adhered to felt
Columbus, Ohio
They sprout from residential lawns and along city streets. They stand in both victory and defeat, awaiting harvest and a one-way trip to the landfill. I intercept them and reduce them to fragments of text. I reassemble the fragments to reveal larger truths beyond the conflicting positions they represent.
Health Disparities
Is THIS U.S.?
Virginia Mahoney
reused mixed materials, words
Brockton, Massachusetts
“Is THIS U.S.?” is a ghostly, ragged form, created from reclaimed materials, covered with embroidered phrases describing occurrences in our country that make me ask the question that is the title of the work. Have book banning or insurrection really happened in today’s America? Is THIS REALLY the U.S.? The piece should make people think about the fact that we, as citizens, MUST do all we can to stop these existential threats to our democracy.
F-words
Candace Hackett Shively
fiber art
Fayetteville, Georgia
Our nation is tearing apart word by word. We rely on our chosen news source or two, to the exclusion of all others. Do we ever dig into the source and motivation behind it? We are victims of our own F-words: Fact. Fiction. Faction. Friction. Fracture, Fragmentation… Fragment Nation.
The Social Experiment (Acronyms)
Nikyra Capson
ink and acrylic on canvas
Pocatello, Idaho
The Social Experiment is a series of paintings depicting problematic internet culture and trends that teens/tweens are exposed to by popular influencers and why parents and the general public should be paying attention.
I am a Divisive Issue
Jill Kerttula
original photos and fiber art
Charlottesville, Virginia
This is a portrait of my brave and beautiful daughter who is transgender. This election will turn into either hope or fear for her and us.
Taken Away
Joer B.
ballpoint pen
Calgary, Canada
Family planning is a basic human right. No law, politician, religious leader or controlling partner can take that away from you. Selfishness has been normalised and even praised through political rhetoric, social media, the news and competitive ‘survivor’ type entertainment. Recent events have demonstrated our current society’s lack of empathy and compassion as it relates to people who are deemed ‘other.’ We have forgotten the basic tenets in being human.
(187) Act One: Scenes from an Insurrection
James DePietro
mixed- oil / acrylic / spray paint / wood
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Act One: Scenes from an Insurrection captures the act of sedition and those harrowing minutes of an attempted coupe of our government, encouraged by our disgraced former president. Fragmented images show the chaos as a superimposed flag, an ironic symbol of police support, went unheeded by “so- called” patriots.
MASALA (Make Abortion Safe and Legal Again)
Judy Takács
oil on canvas with collage
Solon, Ohio
MASALA is a self-portrait, the pose I took upon hearing the National Anthem after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. My hand not on my heart, but on my hips; it’s the classic Mom is disappointed pose.
Now it was up to each state to fight or cement, rejoice or lament… their own laws on abortion rights. My home-state Ohio, triggered the Heartbeat Bill. It was time for us to fight. An army of highly driven, post-menopausal women…myself included…took to the streets collecting signatures for Ohio’s Reproductive Rights Amendment.
In addition to wielding my pen and clipboard, I also brandished my weapon of choice; a paint brush. MASALA is the most graphic of the eight Pro-Choice paintings I created during this pivotal time.
Project 2025
Marcia Yerman
paper, fabric, thread, paint, printing
Bronx, New York
Project 25, an initiative overseen by the Heritage Foundation, is a 900-page plus document that will be implemented if Donald Trump is re-elected. Seven out of ten Americans don't know much about it, and four out of five Americans have stated they have never heard of it. Its goal is to deconstruct the United States government as we know it. This piece is my vision of what will occur if this "Mandate for Leadership" is put into play.
WAR
Bob Conge
hand cast resin from original sculpt
Wayland, New York
A repulsive image of WAR created with the death and destruction it is made of.
FLAG DAY SELF-PORTRAIT
Dan Borden
Polaroid instant print
Warwick, Rhode Island
There are political forces in the USA whose players are working to limit peoples' rights, reduce the access to public education and healthcare, and sow division among Americans. These players wish to take our country backwards to when "things were great" - perhaps great for people like them, but not for most of us.
These ultra-conservative groups have been successful in co-opting the imagery of the American flag, which as become a symbol for their culture of intolerance, and false love of country, when in fact it has always been a visual emblem of liberty & resilience, representing democracy & the pursuit of peoples' right to choose their own paths in life, and a symbol of this country's fight for freedom over tyranny, here and around the world. My photographs are about this.
Where Are They Now? Gig #2
David Chatfield
toner transfers and oil paint on panel
Denver, Colorado
The Where Are They Now Series addresses economic history as it relates to the current economic justice movement. It began during the Great Recession of '08, a crisis compared to the Great Depression. I wondered, why aren't we implementing Great Depression Era solutions? Even though there was a recovery, it did not seem to touch those most affected because their uncertainty did not subside — the working poor remained. For example, Uber and delivery drivers' precarious work lives were a major focus of the COVID-19 shutdown, but they seemed to have been forgotten as soon as things returned to "normal."
This uncertainty often inspires some to vote for an uber-wealthy candidate who talks a big economic populist game, but his only economic legislation was a tax cut for his rich peers. While politicians lament housing and food costs, they never address solutions that could help the working poor. This series attempts to inspire conversation, activism, and change for those most in need.
AGNUS DEI
Rowan Raskin
charcoal, acrylic and oil paint on canvas
Boston, Massachusetts
Queer bodies exist as the roadkill of American Society.
This piece is dedicated to Kitty Munroe, a Latine trans woman who was murdered on the first day of 2024 in my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. This was not the first instance of violence perpetrated against her due to her gender identity and expression –but it was the last. There are currently 652 anti-trans bills that seek to block trans people from receiving basic healthcare, education, legal recognition, and the right to publicly exist. This is the reality of America –”land of the free”.
This painting acts as a reminder to not look away. See the pain, see the beauty –feel how uncomfortable it is to have the line be blurred between the two, and whatever happens; please don’t look the other way. A quarter of all proceeds made from any sale of this image (painting or otherwise) will be donated to One N Ten, an incredible organization that works to support LGBTQ+ youth throughout Arizona.
Devastating Flood
Joy Saha
photography
Narayanganj, Bangladesh
In this photograph, a mother in Kurigram, Bangladesh, wades through floodwaters, clutching her child as their home is submerged by severe flooding. Her expression—determined yet desperate—captures the fight for survival amidst environmental devastation. This image reflects the resilience of a community standing firm against the increasing threats of climate change, symbolizing the urgent need to protect future generations. It highlights how the most vulnerable are forced to take a stand every day against forces beyond their control, underscoring the critical global demand for change.
Equal Justice for All
Brian McBean
Martin's dye and mixed media on Strathmore watercolor paper
Agoura Hills, California
I am interpreting "Stand" as moral and legal justice for all peoples of the world, so "Equal Justice for All" is strongly emphasized by my close-up watercolor of the Statue of Liberty.
Reproductive Rights in US Travel
Jennifer Kowalski
cross stitch on perforated paper
Emmaus, Pennsylvania
US Travel is hazardous if you are or may become pregnant. A patchwork of different laws across the United States can mean vastly different health outcomes for people who are or could become pregnant.
Survival Camp with Water Collectors, Kale, and Oil Pipeline
Zachary Skinner
oil on canvas
Beacon, New York
As we grapple with shifting away from fossil fuels permanently for the sake of halting Climate Change, there is stubborn resistance from those wishing to capitalize on its' continued extraction and consumption. In this painting, I am to visualize a glimpse into the future beyond the 'Tipping point.' It depicts a dried and oil-scarred landscape, where a fragile human outpost clings to survival with water collectors, kale, and a rusting pipeline. Taking a stand for Earth, means first confronting the damage we do to it in the name of "progress."
The Claw
Amanda Sarasien
mixed media encaustic
Chicago, Illinois
A wry critique of institutional failures in response to the ongoing Covid crisis, "The Claw" imagines our everyday reality as a frustrating arcade game. Absent a systematized approach to controlling spread, the prize we most desire is the reassurance of a negative Covid test. But no matter how hard we may work to take precautions, more often than not, the claw closes around nothing.
Zuckerberg At His Morning Toilette
Howard Rome
oil, acrylic, plaster on panel
Novato, California
No development in our society approaches the impact of the internet and social media on politics, culture, and our mental landscapes. This series of paintings, panels from the The Silicon Valley Altarpiece, are dark allegorical satires reflecting the pernicious aspects of the online world. Zuckerberg At His Morning Toilette satirizes how Facebook has morphed from a benign place for social connection to an algorithmically driven and exploitable juggernaut illustrated by Putin. The anachronistic motif is a visual oxymoron placing these most modern of characters in an ancient setting. The portraits are in oil; the low relief surrounding the portraits are raised stencils in plaster incorporating themes relevant to the subjects.
Butting Heads
Marcia Babler
archival pigment collage
Libertyville, Illinois
Voting is an important right that must be taken seriously. Despite the lack of solutions and actions of leaders, the individual voter’s actions are paramount. The choice is ours to make.
No Child Left Behind?
Tony J. Smith
oil on canvas
Oxnard, California
"No Child Left Behind?"represents people and subjects that stand for issues that are front and center in these times. The inspiration gained from the word hope cannot be overestimated.
Mind Control
John Diephouse
digital collage
Lansing, Michigan
An artist is both an observer and a participant in the world around them, and is both impacted by and attempts to impact the surrounding environment. This image reflects direct observation of the current events we are experiencing and may, in some small way, help to influence the world to create a more positive and inclusive community.
Voting is Magical - To the Polls
Sarah Burris
analog collage with digital text added
Panama City, Florida
While often feeling 'voiceless' in the state of Florida where there is a Republican Supermajority, my voice is my vote. This piece was created for an art exhibit I co-hosted in the very red Florida Panhandle to encourage voter registration and getting out to the polls. I am incredibly proud of all of the artists in the exhibit for taking a stand for democracy and the future. There is joy in the act of voting and we vote stronger together.
Bliss of Fire
Don Manderson
digital photography augmented with fabricated imagery
Pensacola, Florida
My work examines the simultaneous and insistent nature of the human sensory experience in a society that is increasingly technical and transitory. This is exemplified by society’s expectations for individuals to simultaneously process and act on input from multiple digital and analog sources while experiencing the spectrum of human interactions (conversation, advertisement, entertainment, social media, education, art, journalism, etc.). The imagery in my work is inspired by my subconscious and dream state attempts to reconcile this relentless sensory bombardment, which often distorts important social and political information. The resulting digital montages present multiple translucent image layers that interact visually and metaphorically requiring viewers to infer a piece's social and/or political narrative in a manner that is reminiscent of their own simultaneous sensory experiences.
Renaissance Man 2.0 (Science)
Robert Obier
mixed media
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power.
We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
Dr Martin Luther King 1963
The Vitruvian Man represents the Renaissance and the origins of the Modern Era of science, invention, technology and art. Much like Leonardo placed his Vitruvian Man at the center of a circle representing God's creation of the universe, Renaissance Man 2.0 exists at the center of the metaverse - a universe of our own creation governed by a new god – Artificial Intelligence.
We have entered this new Post Modern Era with unlimited scientific and technological power at our command. The unlimited power to create and the equally unlimited power to destroy.
The spiritual power, of which Dr. King spoke, must not become victim to the seductive power of the metaverse.
This work of art is part of a collection meant to provoke meaningful conversation and inspire important questions concerning our technology, our art and our future.
Tocq Wisdom
Linda Reymore
acrylics and acrylic skins, and cheesecloth on canvas
Stuart, Florida
TOCQ WISDOM captures the essence of a poignant quote from Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America (1840) through a fusion of abstract imagery and text. Tocqueville conveys his deep belief in religion’s pivotal role as a moral compass in American society. He illustrates how embracing a higher spiritual power is crucial for individuals to steer through life’s complexities, while warning against the perils of indifference and detachment. By doing so, he underscores the necessity of active engagement in preserving personal, political, economic, and religious freedoms within a free society.
Up Against The Wall (In Paynes Grey)
Ralph Miller
acrylic on canvas with motion sensored sound effects
Kentfield, California
"Up Against the Wall is in a two part series of paintings with sound integration. This series, produced in collaboration with Peter Lewis of Audisee Sound in Seattle and Dave Duca of Full Spectrum Productions in Minnesota, use motion-triggered sound recordings to elicit a visceral response transporting the viewer to an active arrest scene evoking Stevie Wonders’ “Living in the City”[respectively].
www.studiodoorz.com/listings/united-states/california/ralph-miller-collages/
United We Stand
Janet Jaffke
burlap, gauze, stitch
Blotzheim, France
This artwork responds to the growing political divisions in the United States and across the globe. The degradation of democracy and the increasingly toxic political discourse are fracturing our institutions and tearing society apart. Through life, I’ve come to understand the crucial need for unity, even as we celebrate our diversity.
This piece represents my symbolic act of mending and repairing a society in turmoil. The key to overcoming today’s challenges lies in compromise and collective action. Without unity, no remarkable achievements are possible.
Gospel from me #1
Vanane Borian
photography
Yerevan, Armenia
Gospel from me is a series of "theological" iconic photo collages, inspired by classic Christian icons. This series are criticizing the modern structure in gender, political and social fields. The image of Saint Maria is a representation of cultural pressure of how a woman has to be. Caring, loving mother. I converted the image of Maria to an "ideal saint sexual woman" according to the modern patriarchal gaze by using symbols from Classic Christianity art mixed with elements from modern daily life, trying to express the absurdity of how the archaic postulates impact modern women.
Strangers in a Strange Land, 1906
Heather Stivison
charcoal, chalk & rusty barbed wire on rough, reclaimed wood
South Dartmouth, Massachusetts
"Strangers in a Strange Land, 1906" is from a series about the boundaries and divisions that divide us today. The works are driven by seeing the rampant "othering" that prevents acceptance of those who are not like us. Fear, anger, and hatred pervade the discourse between the "haves" and the "have nots." Without cultivating empathy, there will never be the simple recognition that those whom we fear simply want what any human wants: the right to live their lives in freedom from want, in a safe and peaceful home. The biggest question behind these works is "What kind of world are we leaving our children?"
Opression
Lynn Alker
oil, mixed media
Raleigh, North Carolina
American women are being oppressed, even dying, by the rollback of Roevwade and the loss of their ability to make decisions about their own bodies. Many men (and some women supporting these men) want women to return to traditional roles as caregivers and birthers, with less opportunities and rights. Some have even suggested that women shouldn’t be allowed to vote.
Refuse
Tamara Poff
oil on canvas
Tucson, Arizona
"Refuse" is part of a series expanding on polysemous words (words spelled one way with multiple meanings). The woman in this piece strikes a posture of denial, refusing to be treated as worthless (refuse as a noun conveyed through the overlay of discarded material). This work arose as a response to the amplification of misogyny in the contemporary discourse of far-right extremists.
End the Wars! Negotiate Peace!
Cynthia DiDonato
digital
North Providence, Rhode Island
End Wars! Negotiate Peace! Too many innocent lives have been lost. #Israel #Hamas #Russia #Ukraine #US
INCONSOLABLE
Telagio Baptista
watercolor on paper
Omaha, Nebraska
INCONSOLABLE is a monochromic painting that speaks to our hearts, portraying the agony, suffering, and death that have been felt universally.
Watcher
Rex Barron
scratchboard
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Coming up with a figurative composition that reflects one's own time and hints at a political message without clubbing the viewer over the head is quite a challenge, these days.
It is worth a BETTER look.
Megan Mickael
photography
Palos Verdes Estates, California
LA housing crisis.
Truth, Politics, Lies
Marlene Siff
acrylic on linen
Westport, Connecticut
Inspired and frustrated by all of the troubles in the world, I decided to create a body of work entitled “Elements of Peace.” I embarked on this mission as a personal way of involving myself with issues outside of painting, with the hope a making a difference and creating awareness through art.
Bullet Hole
Nichole Spates
photography
Orlando, Florida
Bullet Hole is a photograph captured while I was taking a walk through deserted downtown Orlando in 2020. A mid-century building with a thick glass brick wall had been punctured by a bullet hole right next to the building's front door. I created several variations of Bullet Hole because I can't grasp how gun violence remains such a huge issue in our country. There has to be a solution, and it needs to be addressed now. I STAND for gun regulations and abolishing the Second Amendment to the Constitution.
IVI
Robert Ste. Marie
mixed media
Essex Junction, Vermont
At the heart of this recent work lies a profound concern for the state of American democracy. Inspired by the tumultuous events of January 6th in Washington D.C., I've crafted a piece that serves as a stark metaphor for the dissolution of our democratic foundations. Through a visceral interplay of form and void, my sculpture embodies the widening chasms among Americans. Jimmy Carter once remarked, "We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic: different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different dreams." Today, as false information spreads and stubborn ideologies persist, our democratic system is suffering. We're shifting from a vibrant mosaic to a melting pot. Despite America's roots and core values of religious and political freedom, our hard-nosed attitudes now threaten these essential liberties. My hope is that my art will provoke a visceral response - a moment of genuine discomfort that leads to profound reflection and a desire to change.
What's Plan A?
Nina Sidneva
photography
Seattle, Washington
What’s Plan A? addresses woman’s reproductive rights debate in the U.S. I take a STAND in 2024 for women to be in control of their bodies. We often hear about getting rid of Plan B contraception and limiting abortion. I often wonder, “What is Plan A then?” Plan A can be Abstinence, Adoption, Condoms, Calendar Method, Prayer … No matter what the answer is the burden of preventing unwanted pregnancy or dealing with one ultimately falls on a woman.
Not My Problem
Heather Stivison
pencil and red acrylic paint on archival paper
South Dartmouth, Massachusetts
The simple picket fence sits on a background of a home-buyer’s property map. Stamped across the fence, is the only non-graphite element in the series— small letters in red acrylic paint ask us to step closer and examine our own positions of privilege in society.
Let Me Speak
Penny Shuman
clay, ink
Plymouth, Massachusetts
In the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution, the vote for women. In 1970, Jane Roe filed a lawsuit against Henry Wade, the district attorney of Dallas County, Texas. She challenged a law-making abortion illegal except by a doctor's orders to save a woman's life. Roe rendered these laws unconstitutional, making abortion services more accessible to women. We need to protect these rights!
I chose the “wife beater” undershirt to express my thoughts on women’s rights. The terminology started in Detroit in 1947, where a man wearing this undershirt beat his wife to death. Hollywood encouraged this by having so many low life bullies in their movies wearing them. The freedom of Graffiti “Let Me Speak” through its art, a functional way that is meant to warn or inform people.