Peace at the End - A Contemporary Fine Art & Culture Celebration

On Friday, August 21, ETHOS Academy will publicly unveil Peace at the End, the acclaimed conceptual installation by internationally recognized Japanese-born Ashland artist Wataru Sugiyama, now part of the academy's private permanent collection as a mission statement art piece in the classroom. The unveiling, Peace at the End: A Contemporary Fine Art & Culture Celebration, will take place from 4:00– 9:00 p.m. at ETHOS Academy, 4414 S. Pacific Highway in Phoenix, and will feature an artist presentation by Sugiyama, live Japanese music, and an opportunity to experience the installation in its new permanent home. Sugiyama's work has been exhibited internationally and is represented in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution. His conceptual art piece Peace at the End, featured on PBS, has become one of his signature works, using hand-built ceramic sculpture to explore universal themes of conflict resolution through self awareness, compassion, and peace. The artwork was introduced to ETHOS Academy by curator Beca Blake, whose office is located on the ETHOS micro-enterprise campus. After experiencing the work, ETHOS co-owner Greg Costanzo immediately recognized it as a defining artistic statement for the academy and acquired the art piece for its permanent collection. ETHOS Academy works with executives, first responders, and organizational leaders of all industries while also helping restore wounded service men and women through transformational and purpose-driven leadership education. Sugiyama's visual narrative reflects the same principles that guide the academy's work—making Peace at the End more than an artwork, but a visual statement of ETHOS's mission.