The Canvas Peace Project is a grassroots effort organized by artists inspired by Gabriel Bol Deng, One of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Gabriel founded the organization Hope For Ariang to bring primary education to his war torn village in South Sudan. I met Gabriel in 2008 and became a board member of Hope for Ariang. Watching the development in Ariang has been life changing for me;​ beginning with seeing the villagers have clean water for the first time, to having their first protected area in which to learn. The children will be the first literate generation in Ariang.  Gabriel truly believes that the empowerment of the mothers in the village will bring about the biggest change for the children and education. Through their training we hope to teach the women to run a small food market and school food program beneficial to the children's education.  As an artist I believe that art can inspire and empower as well. Through our expression of art, we hope to tell more of the story of the lives of these women.