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There is this voice in the back of my head always whispering….What good is your art? What does it accomplish? Does it matter?

I started to broadly explore victims of violence, bigotry and addiction. Viewers interpreted my work within their own subjective context related to their own experiences – which is what I wanted. But again the voice returned and asked, “How can you honestly relate to these issues?” Well, I can relate to addiction. Not as a victim but as a witness, and I know about stigma.

Stigma suffocates discussion, impedes action, causes pain.

My sister OD’d but, maybe to the millions affected, I could be part of a solution. Stigma was the place to start.

With alcohol and drug abuse, it’s never just one person that is impacted. And so the faces I now paint are the faces of all those affected – the victims, witnesses and survivors.

-William Stoehr