Cities of Peace Illuminated Auschwitz Initiative 2019-20:
“Honoring the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz”
Inaugurating the Cities of Peace Commemorative Series
Visual Arts, Education and Cultural Diplomacy
Painting is the Language through which we speak Peace.
Cities of Peace Illuminated Auschwitz was a peacebuilding and healing initiative involving local Polish artists and scholars in the creation of a collaborative monumental gold-illuminated work of art to honor the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz.
Cities of Peace was conceived and developed by visionary founder and artist Ellen Frank, PhD. In 2018 she was awarded the title of Fulbright Specialist in Peacebuilding and Reconciliation by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs for her work in Kosovo.
The 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz provided a historic occasion for implementing this initiative in Poland. Cities of Peace Illuminated is forward-looking, we seek to foster engaged and active citizenship that recognizes, respects and celebrates the multi-ethnic, multi-religious world in which we live. Cities of Peace Illuminated Auschwitz brought together American, Israeli, German, Russian and Polish participants in a shared enterprise involving the visual arts, education and cultural diplomacy.
POLISH & INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS include: JCC Krakow; The Galicia Jewish Museum; The Academy of Fine Arts Krakow, MOCAK (Museum of Contemporary Art Krakow); US Consulate General Krakow; International Youth Meeting Center (Auschwitz);. BLICK (US); Golden Artist Colors (US); Global Institute for Arts and Leadership (US); Giusto Manetti Battiloro (Italy); Ibrahim Kodra Foundation (Switzerland For full list contact: ellen@citiesofpeace.org
Cities of Peace in Pristina 2018!
See Ellen Frank interviewed about the project here!
Cities of Peace®/Qytetet e Paqes/Gradovi Mira
June 12, 2018 at the Museum of Kosovo
Unveiling of the work of art/Zbulimi i veprës së artit/Otkrivanje umetničkog dela: “The Flowering”/”Lulëzimi”/”Cvetanje”
This monumental painting is illuminated with 4 precious golds including Palladium leaf to celebrate the 8000 year history of the region. Created with participation by students, artists, scholars, people from all the ethnicities and 38 municipalities, Pristina: The Flowering traces with the finest lines of filigree the past, present and future of this growing city.
On its 10th Anniversary, we rejoice that the world will know through art this city, a place of life. May peace continue and freedom flourish!