marker and colored pencil; 18×24″

“My art piece focuses on the concepts of freedom, peace and justice. It represents unfair and unequal jail sentencing between the sexes for comparable crimes. For example, a man could get 4+ years in jail for committing rape, while a woman could get a few months or a year for the same crime- or possibly never even facing a conviction based solely on gender. The wacky or bright coloring brings an unsettling sense to the piece since the subject of rape isn’t the lightest topic- let alone unequal jail sentencing due to gender.”

WINTON WOODS HS BIO: Winton Woods City Schools partnered with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in its ‘Gifted and Talented Introduction to Art’ for ninth grade students to focus on projects upon the theme of “Freedom.” Under the guidance of art teacher Megan Smarda, students explored “what freedom meant to them.” They researched, investigated, thought in-depth about the question and created artistic solutions to their thoughts. The project became personal for the students and sparked great passion in them.