I struggled with an idea for this project until I thought to myself what if I lived in a society where my career path was chosen for me? What if someone said Lauren, "you are going to be an artist for the rest of your life." a lightbulb went off in my head and I thought about my passion for global humanitarian activism. I would want my art to be a billboard promoting action for the numerous global humanitarian disasters around the World.

This image is of the Umayyad mosque in Damascus, Syria. The country of Syria has been ravaged by a brutal civil war and the constant progression of the terrorist group ISIS. The Umayyad mosque is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the oldest place for continual pray since the rise of Islam.

The mosque and almost the entire country has been reduced to rubble. There are over 9 million Syrian refugees in desperate need of assistance.

Self-Portrait

I chose photos that represent me as I grew up - photos as a kid, horseback riding as a preteen, dances and events from high school, my first year of college and then moving to Washington. I then used tools to shape the photo collage into the state of Pennsylvania. I chose to shape the photos into the shape elf PA because that is where I grew up. No matter where I go Pennsylvania will always be home.