Illuminating Peace

Hanging Fabric Art Exhibition

UNF Fine Arts Center
2nd Floor Lobby

About the Art:
The artist’s intention is to offer this “dimensional vocabulary for peace” as a strategic counter-force to current violent conflicts taking place on our planet.

In 2005 she began exploring other world  cultures’ use of imagery and symbolism regard­ing “peace” and, then interpreted the essence of these discoveries into eight artistic fabric pan­els that are exhibited here at UNF. The artist created six of the panels to capture the vision of the phrase, May Peace Prevail on Earth, and in fifty different
languages. Her aim is to demonstrate and honor the hope that con­nects our one world family. The other two panels incorporate the word “peace” in 168 languages.

As she describes it, LaMantia has made a p

ersonal com­mitment to be a participant, rather than an observer, in global current events. She believes it is her human responsi­bility to stand-up for peace during this particular time in history, ensuring that a vocabulary for peace maintains a vibrant pres­ence in our daily human experience. With thousands of people and organizations working toward this goal, she sees herself as one of them. Her artwork is meant to affirm and build upon all peace initiatives.

This exhibit simultane­ously offers an opportu­nity for visitors to con­template the oneness of our diverse world family while highlighting that peace is “powerfully alive” in human hearts around the world.

About the Artist:

Merridee LaMantia describes herself as an equal-parts artist, communicator and graphic designer—someone who understands different audiences  and who has the varied skills to communicate over multiple mediums.

She has 26 years experience as a visual communications problem-solver, which she describes as "utilizing critical thinking skills and creative visualization techniques." She has studied architecture and has lived and worked in Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Boston. In these cosmopolitan settings, she began to think three-dimensionally as she worked with building materials incorporating light, color and texture to solve design assignments. Her deep personal interest in world cultures and their indigenous architecture began to evolve during these years.

During the 1970’s and 1980’s, she came to see the field of architecture becoming increasingly commercial. In her words, "the more it became an expression of the business model, the less it was an expression of artfulness." She changed gears and shifted into the two-dimensional field of graphic design. In Boston, she began work as the art director of a national magazine, The East West Journal.

LaMantia now lives in Bloomington, Indiana, with her husband and child, and works as the senior designer at an international educational association. Throughout her life, she has been deeply inspired by the diverse artistic expression of cultures around the globe, and this has deeply influenced her art. She describes her fabric art here on exhibit at UNF as a sort of "sculptural vocabulary for peace." Her goal in this project is to amplify her "voice" as a more articulate global citizen.