Our Mission

To empower communities to create solutions to gun violence by fostering visionary thinking through the power of art, education and systemic change efforts.

Our Vision

Our impact catalyzes communities and schools to address the root causes of gun violence in underserved neighborhoods to create safe and equitable communities.

We train youth and community members in:

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Leading A Visioning Beyond Violence Workshops

Hosting Exhibitions & Community Dialogues

1D.C.Ashland Middle School students taking quilt to US Captiol

Catalyzing Systemic Change Efforts

Book A Training

Our History

In 2015, our Visioning Beyond Violence team (formerly known as Vision Quilt) began working with organizations and schools to help communities create their own solutions to gun violence through the power of art and dialogue. Partnerships have always been at the heart of our work. We believe that people who experience violence hold the keys to break the cycle. We train community leaders to integrate the Visioning Beyond Violence model into their ongoing work.

This video highlights how we invite youth and communities to become visionaries, storytellers, and change-makers through our multidisciplinary approach, blending art, education, and trauma-informed practices to inspire resilience and foster inclusive, community-driven solutions.

Our Instructors

Orion Rodriguez

Orion Rodriguez (he/they) is an Indigenous Two-Spirit artist, writer, activist, and Art Therapy graduate student at Lewis & Clark College. Their clinical focus is working with queer and BIPOC victims of trauma, with an emphasis on supporting transgender survivors of domestic abuse and targeted violence. Prior to joining the mental health field, he spent over a decade in nonprofit advocacy, where he fought to advance social justice and environmental policies nationwide. They have also worked and volunteered in K-12 special education as a visual and language arts tutor.

Nichole Champion

My name is Nichole Champion, and I am deeply committed to supporting high school students through health and wellness initiatives, particularly via the VQ art therapy program, which aligns with my life’s mission to provide the kind of support I wished for growing up in underserved neighborhoods. Losing friends to gun violence while living in Texas highlighted the lack of safe spaces to process such tragedies, which now drives my work to create platforms where students can openly share and heal. Art, as a therapeutic tool, allows students to express emotions beyond words, fostering emotional processing and community building. The growth of VQ reflects its vital role in addressing the emotional toll of gun violence, offering teenagers opportunities to engage in meaningful conversations, showcase their creativity, and realize their potential as future leaders. Watching students share their stories, break down barriers, and embrace vulnerability has been profoundly moving, and empowering them as activists and organizers remains a core goal of this work.

Kirk Charlton

My name is Kirk Charlton, and I am the creator of the Art Inside Out program, which uses art as a powerful tool for personal growth and self-discovery. As an artist with a lifelong passion for creating, I have personally experienced the transformative benefits of art in building confidence and self-worth. Sharing my own journey of overcoming feelings of insignificance inspires others to recognize their value and importance. Art Inside Out fosters positive dialogue and meaningful connections, emphasizing that it’s the connections we make that truly matter. This evidence-based program is implemented in the Department of Corrections, BHS groups, and drug and alcohol treatment facilities, empowering participants to regain their sense of value. Knowing our worth is a critical step in bettering ourselves. The impact of Inside Out has been affirmed by professionals.

DeVante Brooks

DeVante Brooks a.k.a Aeos One (pronounced Ayos), is a calligrapher, sign painter and muralist born, raised, and residing in West Oakland, CA. Aeos has a background in style writing ("graffiti") that spans over a decade with philosophical and mythological elements intertwined into his work.

As he is constantly refining his craft, so too is his perspective keeping up with the times. Being a visual artist/creative messenger allows him to serve as a means of communication for underserved people/those with a suppressed voice. Having the ability to manifest intangible concepts/ideas and transform them into tangible/observable works is a skill few utilize.

While his focus is primarily oriented towards representing Black and Brown youth (coming from that background himself), his work speaks to the fundamental aspects of being human.

J Jesus Prado Macias

J Jesus Prado Macias is a visual artist, music producer, and entrepreneur who has been a lifelong resident of the West Coast, from Washington State to California. Now living and serving the Oakland Bay Area, J brings a wide range of life experiences—from working in the fields alongside his parents to serving as a social worker, and now as a visual artist, web designer, and music producer. His passion lies in community building and helping youth find their voice through creative expression. J has also volunteered his visual services to nonprofits, offering a platform for underrepresented voices and stories through art and design.

Dr. Kathleen Carlson

Our Advisory Board

The Visioning Beyond Violence Board

Tanya Dennis

Chairperson for the Board of Directors

Tanya is a writer, educator, reporter, activist and thought leader. She is a reporter and editor for the Post Newsgroup and was a school administrator for 4 years and a teacher for 45 years. Ms. Dennis has led social justice campaigns and art presentations for over fifty years. Dennis has been involved in social justice issues for housing, probate reform, education, reparations advocacy, and COVID-19 response. As CEO of Black Leaders Coalition, she advocates for reparations for Enslaved Africans. As Director of Media and Communications for Oakland Frontline Healers, she organized her team to produce marketing materials for 26 non-profits and two medical facilities. As board chair of Adamika Village, she created the "Peace in the Streets" campaign, a year-long violence prevention initiative for Oakland.

Leon Pyle

Board Treasurer

Leon is an analytically trained clinical psychologist. He has worked in federal prisons, low-fee urban therapy centers, in schools, and with patients in private practice. Leon is also a philanthropist, targeting small nonprofit organizations involved in social justice and educational issues with underserved individuals and communities. Leon was previously a real estate developer in Germany and in the U.S. and is passionate about learning foreign languages. His current work includes creating a micro- finance partnership in Senegal for underserved youth, women and men.

Herb Rothschild

Board Secretary

After earning his Ph.D. from Harvard, Herb taught English literature at Louisiana State University for 22 years. While there, he founded an ACLU chapter in Baton Rouge and later served as state president and legislative director. In 1978, he founded the Center for Disarmament Education in Louisiana. From 1987 to 1990 he served as executive director of New Jersey SANE/Freeze (now Peace Action). After returning south to work at the University of Houston, in 1999 he founded the Houston Peace and Justice Center. Until recently, Herb chaired the board of Peace House, serving as de facto executive director. He also frequently teaches courses in the Lifelong Learning Institute at Southern Oregon University.

Michelle Fitch

Board Member

Michelle Fitch was always deemed, “A natural. A teacher at heart.” However, she wanted to learn business and worked her way up from a little office in Ohio to the headquarters in Pleasanton, CA. But when her daughter was in kindergarten, her teacher labeled her and peers shunned her. So Michelle decided to study literacy, and concentrated on teaching her daughter. Michelle obtained her master's degree as an educational specialist and studied brain research in metacognition, emotional intelligence and character development. Michelle then felt compelled to give other struggling students the same advantages that she was able to give her own. Her desire to give back to Black and Brown kids in underserved communities led her to training teachers in the Tenderloin in SF. Currently, she teaches at Lighthouse Community School as an Academic Intervention Specialist and an Alder resident mentor.

Margaret Hoffmann

Portland Outreach Coordinator

Margaret Hoffmann is a retired trial lawyer having practiced in Los Angeles for eight years before moving to Portland, Oregon, where she was a partner at the Schwabe Williamson Wyatt law firm for 28 years. Before becoming a lawyer, Ms. Hoffmann was a social worker in Los Angeles working in the criminal justice area, first with juveniles in a residential treatment setting and then with adults in a pre-release program from federal prison. In retirement, Ms. Hoffmann is volunteering with Visioning Beyond Violence to further her passion for social justice.

Our Partners

See the Results of Our Partnerships