Claudia Bernardi is an artist whose artwork is impacted by war and post war periods. In 2005, Bernardi founded Walls of Hope in a war zone in El Salvador, a community-based art, education, and human rights project that has been replicated in many countries around the world. She designs and facilitates collaborative art projects with survivors of political violence.

Art Against Brutality brings a much-needed contribution to the field of community arts. It outlines truly collaborative approaches, based on ideas from the community participants, rather than being shaped by the facilitating artist. Often the form of the art project is a mural, in which the participants decide on the theme and storyline. These collaborative, community-based art projects engage children, youth, and adults to converse and to find a common thread of intention.

Bernardi will give a talk about her debut book Art Against Brutality followed by a book signing and opportunity to meet the author.