Works of Heart: Building Village Through the Arts celebrates the “essence of place” that is created when artists work with their communities to express shared visions, drawing on diverse cultural heritage and imagination to advance the cause of social justice, health, human rights, and environmental stewardship.

Often with little resources beyond their own creativity, communities are shaping their stories of social change and vision, using the only materials available to them—recycled and raw materials, organizing skills, plants, and the most common building material at hand: the earth itself.

The wonderful thing about these projects is that they are about “fostering the capacity to see.” In contrast to the problem-focused approach of civic leaders and nonprofits, artists tend to focus on the strengths and power of a community, celebrating the richness of culture. A common aspect of these community art projects is the healing that takes place in a community, where people with very different histories find a way to connect through the shared process of creation.