Northwest Harvest Launches Artist Series Exploring Food Justice with Seattle Muralist Stevie Shao

#ArtistsForFoodJustice Initiative Debuts Original Artwork Examining Food’s Role in Building Equitable Communities

SEATTLE, Wash. (January 13, 2025)—This Week, Northwest Harvest launched #ArtistsForFoodJustice, a yearlong artistic collaboration exploring food’s meaning in Washington communities, featuring acclaimed Seattle muralist Stevie Shao as the inaugural artist. Shao’s original artwork interpreting “Food Is Justice” debuts this month across Northwest Harvest’s digital platforms, launching both the artist series and The Meaning of Food, a broader community conversation about hunger and food justice.

Known for her bold colors and nature-inspired murals, Shao brings her distinctive creative vision to the complex topic of food justice. Her piece weaves together vibrant imagery that celebrates food’s universal importance while highlighting the intricate systems behind its growth, harvest, and sharing.

“My approach was to create an energetic illustration that represents the entire food system—from growth and harvest to sharing meals in an urban setting,” Shao explains. “I wanted to capture how food connects us across cultures while celebrating its colorful, life-giving essence.”

Through her intricate design, Shao reminds viewers of the many hands that touch food before it reaches our plates and the diverse cultural significance food holds across communities. Her artistic process evolved as she grappled with food justice’s multifaceted nature, balancing celebration of food’s beauty with a call for systemic change.

“Food is such a big part of how we care for others and an essential aspect of quality of life,” says Shao. “Being part of this project feels meaningful because it centers these ideals while addressing the systemic inequities tied to food access.”

“Stevie’s ability to use art as a catalyst for social change made her the perfect artist to launch this initiative,” says Natasha Dworkin, Director of Communications at Northwest Harvest. “Her artwork doesn’t just tell a story; it invites people to see food justice as a collective responsibility.”

The #ArtistsForFoodJustice series will feature twelve artists from Black, Indigenous, People of Color Communities (BIPOC) and marginalized identities to this vital conversation. Throughout 2025, each interpreting a monthly theme that explores food’s role in building just, healthy communities. These artworks serve as visual anchors for deeper dialogue about how hunger stems from systemic inequities, not personal circumstance.

Shao’s artwork premieres on Northwest Harvest’s Facebook and Instagram at @NWHarvest, and at northwestharvest.org/meaning-of-food, where community members can also share their own perspectives on food justice.

Media requests: 

Media interested in following this yearlong community dialogue or partnering on sustained coverage can contact Zomi Anderson at ZomiA@northwestharvest.org or 772-924-8555. High-resolution artwork and artist interviews available upon request. 

About Stevie Shao

Seattle-born and raised, Stevie Shao captures the energy of the natural world and the mysticism of earthly experiences through murals, paintings, and illustrations. Her work has been featured by renowned brands like REI, Nordstrom, and Google and in galleries worldwide. Passionate about creating art that reflects environmental stewardship and social equity, Shao continues to amplify local causes through her creative lens.

About Northwest Harvest

Northwest Harvest is an anti-racist, anti-oppression organization committed to transforming an unjust food system into one that is more responsive and accountable to the communities most impacted by discrimination. In addition to distributing food to more than 350 partners throughout Washington state, Northwest Harvest aims to shift public opinion, as well as impact institutional policies and societal practices that perpetuate hunger, poverty, and disparities in our state. www.northwestharvest.org

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