Below is a slideshow of artwork from the Choosing to Participate San Francisco exhibition.

To view a description of the art, double-click on the image.

pARTicipation: Visions and Voices of Bay Area Students is an exhibition of creative expressions by young people in grades 7–12 that reflect central themes of Choosing to Participate: Facing History and Ourselves. The pieces on display were chosen by a panel of artists, educators, and community members from over 350 pieces submitted by students representing independent and public middle and high schools from all over the Bay Area in early 2005.

The art varies in subject and approach. Some students highlighted societal problems both in the U.S. and abroad that they felt needed more attention. Others celebrated positive actions of others to make our world better, or lamented historical silence in the face of injustice. Still others expressed abstractly the desire for more harmony between people of different races and cultures. In each case, the students have called on us to be thoughtful and to act—whether to learn more, care more, give more, or do more. By their very act of submitting art for this project, these students expand our understanding of what it means to choose to participate.