Art Campaign Will Make Colorful Point Against Violence
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The corner of Hoover Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will get an explosion of color today when a Peter Max-created billboard is unveiled, the first in a nationwide campaign aimed at stopping violence in inner cities.
Called “Stop the Violence / Start the Peace,” the billboard is a psychedelic rendition of a dollar bill with a portrait of slain Centennial High School student Corie Williams replacing the picture of George Washington. Williams was shot to death Jan. 16 on an MTA bus.
Max, who gained fame in the 1960s for his vivid paintings, said he was so moved by Williams’ death that he wanted to get involved. In addition to creating the billboards, Max has helped start the Corie Williams Scholarship Foundation, which will award a Centennial High senior with a $2,000 scholarship.
Smaller versions of the artwork will be placed at 60 bus kiosks throughout the city.
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