Peace on earth is Greenland Hills resident Polly Gessell’s ultimate goal, but she has learned that, in the words of non-violent revolutionary Mahatma Gandhi, people have to be the change they wish to see in the world. This lesson emerged from the artist’s latest project, the peace compass, a silver dollar-sized medallion etched with verbs and adjectives that convey peaceful action. The project was inspired by the death of a family friend Gessell had known since childhood, a U.S. Army sergeant who died serving in Iraq. “I wasn’t for the war in the beginning, and when that happened I thought, ‘You know, there has to be a better way. There has to be,’” Gessell says. “I’ve always been a big believer in words, and if you get those words in your head, they can turn into actions.” Gessell calls the compass a “contemplative tool” that people can wear as a necklace or bracelet, or simply keep in their pockets. “If I’m having a problem, I can find a word that can start to help me find a way out,” Gessell says. “It started out as a protest against the war, but I have come to believe through this project that we cannot make the world a healthier place unless we have that health inside us.”
The Ole Moon, 3016 Greenville, is selling Gessell’s peace compass at cost. Prices range from $10-$30, and 50 percent of the proceeds are donated to the Dallas PeaceMakers. For information about Gessell’s work, visit gessellstudios.net.
