Over the past several months, participants across Chicago—and from around the world—have joined Ripples for Peace workshops, creating personal peace flags that reflect their hopes and commitments. On World Peace Day, Sunday, September 21, 2025, the project culminates in a powerful public installation along DuSable Lake Shore Drive between Diversey and Fullerton, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Ripples for Peace invites people of all ages to reflect on peace—not as an abstract idea, but as a daily practice we can nurture in our lives. This participatory public art initiative, led by artists Catherine Schwalbe and Indira Johnson, brings communities together through dialogue, creativity, and collective action.
At the event, participants will have the opportunity to:

• EXPLORE what peace means personally and identify everyday actions
that can sustain it.

• CREATE a peace flag featuring an “I will …” statement—an individual pledge to practice peace. Hundreds of flags will come together as a collective tapestry of commitment and hope.

• ENJOY evocative music and dance performances by Michaela Marchi and Juliann Wang.

“Peace is more than the absence of conflict—it is something we create together, moment by moment,” added artist Cathi Schwalbe. “Through art and community, we hope to spark ripples that extend far beyond Chicago.”

The culminating installation will feature a striking circle of peace flags surrounding the emerging Buddhas along the lakefront—a moving, global expression of collective hope and commitment. The public is warmly invited to witness and participate in this celebration of peace.

Special thanks to the Chicago Park District, South Asia Institute, the Learning Lab at the Chicago Cultural Center, Marketplace Handwork of India, Wicker Park Lutheran Church, Lill Street Studios, Ripple Studio and the hundreds of participants worldwide whose creativity and vision helped bring Ripples for Peace to life.
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About Indira Freitas Johnson
Indira Freitas Johnson is a sculptor, peace activist, educator, and cultural worker whose art reflects her belief in creativity as a catalyst for social change. She earned her BFA from the University of Bombay and MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Johnson’s honors include awards from the Kohler Company, PEW Charitable Trust, Arts Midwest NEA, and the Illinois Arts Council, with work in collections such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the Library of Congress.

About Catherine Schwalbe
Catherine Schwalbe, a Chicago-based artist for 40 years, creates mixed media, sculpture, installation, and relational works centered on peacebuilding, food systems, and connection. A graduate of UW Milwaukee (BFA, Sculpture), she continued her studies at Columbia College. She has curated major art shows across the country and teaches widely, including her popular summer course The Art of Food at Lillstreet Art Center. Her Haptic Studio also hosts an urban artist residency.

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Tags: #Peace #publicart #RipplesforPeace #10000Ripples, Catherine Schwalbe, Indira Freitas Johnson, Juliann Wang, Michaela Marchi, Ripples for Peace, Ripples for Peace in honor of World Peace Day