The Story.

Hi, my name is Lorie Lewis. I’m an arts manager/marketer from Milford CT. I love all types of artists and everything related to the Arts. I’ve been immersed in the Arts in one way or another my entire life. After the Uvalde shooting (how many mass shootings ago was that?) I lost it. Like punching pillows, screaming, crying lost it. A total breaking point. On the other end of my melt down, I took a deep breath. In an odd instantaneous moment, I felt inspired to contact David Hogg, the Parkland survivor and gun policy advocate of March For Our Lives. So I did. He answered. I told him I wanted to use the power of the arts to help end gun violence and inspire peace. He put me in touch with Gracie Lee Pekrul of Artists 4 Peace and our journey began.

With the seed of an idea for wing art from Lorie’s partner in the arts, Paige Miglio (E.D. of Milford Arts Council in CT), I created a three-phase creative plan to:

Phase 1) build a unified coalition of pro-peace citizens through a nationwide art project (Wings4Peace)

Phase 2) get people to vote for pro-peace candidates through nationwide arts initiatives

Phase 3) raise money for pro-peace/anti-gun violence organizations

I proposed the plan to Grace and we immediately started building a team of artists, activists, graphic designers, and marketers* who would prepare and plan for the launch of Wings4Peace. It seemed like the perfect inaugural art project for Artists 4 Peace.

*Special thanks to Darcy Hicks, Peter Propp, Paul Livornese, and Erin Whitten

Wings are a symbol of safety, freedom, & new directions.

If you’re like me, then you believe in the power of the arts and creativity to heal, connect, bridge divides, inspire, and move people to action. Art movements work. Throughout history, public art has both reflected and instigated change. Through the Wings4Peace project, we hope to do just that.

We want to address the urgent crisis of gun violence and inspire peace through this national, unified art initiative. If you are here, maybe you do too. Maybe you found us because you need a way to turn your anger and despair into action. Maybe you want to be seen and heard. Maybe you want to be part of a community who gets it… gets you… gets going.

Let’s build that community together. Let’s do everything we can to create peace.

Please register for our mailing list so we can get an idea of how many people plan to spread their wings with us. We promise not to flood your inbox. Give us a follow on Facebook: Wings4Peace and on Instagram at wings_4peace to follow along.

Please share with everyone you know. We need everyone’s voice.

We just need everyone.