When I was a kid, I loved cowboy movies. In a frequent motif, the handsome sheriff, wounded in a duel with a nasty desperado, whom he had killed, limped into the town’s saloon and wincingly asked the tipsy doctor, “How bad is it, Doc?” A pretty woman of sketchy repute, who worked in the saloon […]
On September 22, 2025, at 7 p.m. ET, AWTT artist Robert Shetterly will join Brandon Bauer, Rosie Davila, and Becky McIntyre to talk about art and non-violence. The program kicks off a series of online panel discussions sponsored by Pax Christie International’s Catholic Non-Violence Iniatitive. “How can visual arts be used as a tool for […]
We like balance, fairness in everything we do. A square deal. Our financial lives are based on the notion of equivalency—getting what we pay for. Equivalence is used as the basis for settling a score—He did it first! It’s the central tenet of physics—for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Ethical equivalencies, […]
Outdoor, large-scale image projections of AWTT portraits in Belfast, Maine on September 12, 2025.
Author’s note: I wrote this piece when I was painting John Brown’s portrait back in 2012. It was my attempt to sort out the complex aspects of his character and clarify my attraction to legacy, my admiration for his fierce courage and commitment despite his darker reputation. Once the portrait was completed, I set these […]
The justification for erasing America’s historic injustices, claiming that knowing them causes kids to feel guilt or shame, is a high priority for our current right wing government. Trump and his ilk make this sound like a noble cause—protecting kids from carrying the factual and emotional burdens of history. Think how much more uncomplicated and […]
“. . . an act of cruelty . . . was the ancient irresistible rejoicing of power over weakness.” – Tony Hoagland “You cannot follow both Christ and the cruelty of kings. A leader who mocks the weak, exalts himself, and preys on the innocent is not sent by God. He is sent to test […]
The John Brown Lives! organization is hosting an outdoor exhibit of AWTT portrait reprints, from July 17 through October 31, 2025 at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site, Lake Placid New York.
The organization John Brown Lives! will be hosting a dinner at 5 p.m. on August 2, 2025, with AWTT artist Robert Shetterly, in conversation with musician and AWTT portrait subject Reggie Harris and activist writer Eleanor Stern.
Surry Arts and Events at the Barn will host AWTT Robert Shetterly for a talk and discussion on Sunday, July 27, 2025 at 4 p.m.