Ambassador of Peace Art Exhibition – Peace Pals International for IDP, Phillipsburg, NJ, USA

September 24, 2025
IDP 2025

My journey began in my hometown of Phillipsburg, NJ, when a friend who owns Lee Services, a local nonprofit, offered to help. Lee Services focuses on skill-building and community-integrated support for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Their participants helped prepare some of the prints for display and created peace doves and circular hangings designed for windows. One of their counselors even designed a beautiful collage.

I was delighted when the owners of Invertase Brewing in Phillipsburg, NJ, warmly agreed to host the exhibit on 9/19, 9/20, and 9/21. While a brewery may sound like an unusual place for a children’s art exhibit, Invertase is a family-owned and operated business, run by kind, caring people (and dog lovers!) who immediately stepped forward to support.

An unexpected gift came from the Firth Youth Center. Their after-school program created a peace-themed window display after I shared information about Peace Pals, the International Day of Peace, the dove symbol, and the UN article and website. It became a meaningful learning experience for the kids.

Attached, you’ll find photos of the print displays and the window hangings created by Lee Services.

I’d like to close with a quote from the Exceptional Women of Peace Awards I recently attended:
“Peace cannot be imposed from outside; it must be composed from within.”

Thank you so much for your support.
Gayle Rogers