Choose 180 is a Seattle-based arrest diversion program, transforming the lives of youth and young adults by partnering with institutional leaders, connecting them with community, empowering them with choice, and teaching them the skills necessary to avoid engagement with the criminal justice system. With the success of their program (see the recent front page feature in the Seattle Times), and the expansion of their services to include school-based diversion, Choose 180 is moving from a 400 square foot office to a 1000 square foot office in the summer of 2019. Sean Goode, Executive Director of Choose 180, approached me for an art donation this past winter and we worked together to select a piece for their new space. Displayed in the new meditation room, this piece of art will be available to encourage all who visit Choose 180.

The art piece selected is Finding Hope (2018, mixed media on BFK, 42" x 78”). This large work on paper is about choosing to search for hope in the midst of adversity. There is no better place for it to have a home than Choose 180’s office, where young people choose each day to pivot and find new hope.