Florence Reed is the Latest Subject of Robert Shetterly's Ongoing Series Americans Who Tell the Truth

Surry, ME, October 01, 2009 --(PR.com)-- What do Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, and Florence Reed have in common?

They are all Americans who have spoken the truth.

And they are all featured in Robert Shetterly’s series Americans Who Tell the Truth, http://www.americanswhotellthetruth.org/, a collection of portraits and quotes of those who have helped to make America strong. Shetterly, a Brooksville, ME-based artist, recently added Reed to his collection because of her work with Central American farming families; as the Founder and President of Sustainable Harvest International (SHI), Reed has been working to lift them out of poverty and restore the planet’s tropical forests since 1997. When asked why she has committed her self to her decades-long mission, she explains in the quote that accompanies her image: “A farmer in a remote village in Honduras is providing us with organic coffee, providing winter habitat for our song birds, stabilizing our global climate, preserving the forests that are the source of most of our medicines, creating oxygen to breathe and protecting the coral reefs from siltation as a result of deforestation. So if a poor farmer in Honduras can do all this for us, what can we do for him?”

Shetterly is hoping his inclusion of Reed will draw more attention to her cause. “I chose to paint Flo because I think her work is right at the intersection of the food, environmental, climate change, and economic exploitation problems. She does not simply describe a problem but implements a solution. And her solution has both local and global ramifications,” he says. “All the issues around food ---- health, local autonomy, pollution, pesticides, deforestation, climate change, transportation, soil loss, poverty, malnutrition, economic imperialism, etc., are key issues that we must solve if we are going to live sustainably.”

Apparently, his plan is working. Before the paint on his acrylic painting was dry, Reed’s portrait was selected to be part of an upcoming show at Bar Harbor, ME’s College of the Atlantic (COA): "Food for Thought, Time for Action: Sustainable food, farming and fisheries for the 21st century." http://www.coa.edu/html/foodsystemsconference09.htm Organized by Maine Farmland Trust, and running from October 2nd through 4th, the show is designed to bring together a diverse range of practitioners, farmers, fishermen and scholars to discuss current issues and chart a course toward a sustainable future. Reed’s portrait will share the stage with Alice Waters’ portrait, another one of Shetterly’s subjects. Anna Witholt Abaldo, Gallery Coordinator for Maine Farmland Trust, thought Shetterly’s portraits could help make a link between the cause and those who dedicate their lives to it. Both Waters and Reed were chosen for their major contributions to food and sustainability; Reed’s ties to Maine also help to make her a particularly relevant choice, says Abaldo.

Shetterly began painting this series of portraits several years ago as a way to channel his anger and grief after the events of September 11. The process of painting these “truth tellers” helped transform those emotions into pride and hope, he says on his web site. Reed admits to being a long time admirer of Shetterly and his work, and is honored to be included in his series. “I hope that together we expand peoples understanding that we can all have a role, big or small, in making the world a better place."

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