Felicia Follum’s social justice-themed art, “#TheLilyPadProject,” will be displayed in the University of Wyoming Union Gallery 234 through Friday, April 12.

A reception is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. April 12 in Gallery 234. Refreshments will be provided.

The exhibition combines social justice-themed fine art and graphic design techniques and is part of a series dealing with human trafficking and sex slavery, Follum says.

“Raising awareness is not about making people feel guilty; it is about empowering others to make an impact in your community and ultimately the world,” she adds.

To explain the comparison between lily pads and human trafficking, Follum says: “Though water lilies are beautiful plants, the ecosystem that they have adapted to survive in is not so glamorous. The root system and underground workings of the plant are extremely complex and parallel the system that supports human trafficking. The most basic, yet significant, comparison is the function of the lily pads. Each pad takes back energy to the root, which would otherwise shrivel up and die.”

For more information about Follum’s “#TheLilyPadProject” and other work, visit the website at www.feliciafollum.com or follow her blog at feliciafollum.blogspot.com or Facebook page.

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