Interviewer: Good morning, Lin Evola. How are you doing?
Lin Evola: I'm good, Juan. How about you?
Interviewer: Thank you so much for this interview. I'm thrilled to be here because it's not every day you get to interview an artist with a political agenda focused on promoting a peaceful world with fewer weapons. Let's start with your background. Where are you from, and where did you study, Lin?
Lin Evola: I was born in Chicago, Illinois. My parents immigrated from Italy, and I had a wonderful childhood. I started making art as a young child, encouraged by my mother, and our family and friends. By the time I attended Santa Clara University in California, where my uncle was the Dean of Students, I had already developed a strong passion for art. There, I met my best friend, Lyn Jason Cobb, who remains a significant part of my life and has always supported my artistic journey. My art career began in grammar school with exhibitions by high school. In college, they even replaced my teacher's artwork in the windows with mine, which was a huge honor. Art has been a core part of my identity my entire life—I’d say I was creating art before I could walk or talk. It’s deeply integrated into how I think and who I am.
Interviewer: Off the record, you mentioned you also have an economics background?
Lin Evola: Yes, that’s right. While doing art performances in San Francisco, I became a stockbroker and commodity broker. I received a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute after transferring from Santa Clara University, which provided a more intellectual and foundational approach to learning art, including training in anatomy and color theory. At the San Francisco Art Institute, I honed my craft further. Meanwhile, I got involved in real estate and later pursued an MBA at Golden Gate University, though I didn’t complete it, I earned a perfect score in my coursework. Two years after my BFA, I also earned a master’s degree in art from the San Francisco Art Institute. That’s when I started the Peace Angels Project, which was incredibly challenging—not just in conceptualizing it but in making it economically viable. Funding something like the Peace Angels Project is extraordinarily expensive. It requires a constant flow of people committed to creating a better world. The creation of the monuments themselves reflects this balance, blending art and economics. My economic background allows me to effectively communicate with accountants, lawyers, and public relations teams. For example, to create a 64-foot Peace Angel monument over four years, we hire around 65 artists, which involves significant salaries. My goals with the Peace Angels Project: first, to create high-end, inspiring beauty that encourages people to lay down their weapons and fosters mutual understanding to advance humanity; second, to employ as many artists as possible to spark a renaissance of creativity, both within our project and in their independent work.
Interviewer: What were the themes of your artworks during your studies and before you started the Peace Angels Project? Are you solely focused on the Peace Angels Project now, or are you creating other types of artworks with different themes or imagery?
Lin Evola: Everything I do now revolves around the Peace Angels Project, but it encompasses various perspectives. The Peace Angels Project, which I’ve worked on for 32 years, was the culmination of a lifetime of creating art. Looking back, it feels like everything I did was preparation for this. The project includes over 10,000 works of art that tell its story. Because I traveled extensively, much of my work consists of watercolors, graphite, and inks, which were easy to carry. My art has always explored themes of life, spirituality, sexuality, and humanity, often incorporating words because of my intellectual nature. From the beginning, I drew and painted my environment. In the 1970s, I ventured into conceptual art and performances, collaborating with a scientist who helped invent the laser to project laser lights onto the moon. This intellectual and thought-provoking approach freed me from traditional drawing and painting, though they remain my first love. It gave me the strength to convey concepts purely through art, which I believe opens up our chakras and connects us as humans. Art transcends the limitations of words, giving life and power to both the creator and the viewer. I believe in art’s ability to open people’s hearts, foster respect, and inspire love—not in a superficial way, but in a profound, real way that helps us move forward.
Before the Peace Angels Project, my art was shaped by my studies and experiences. By the time I was 40, I had read every major religious text to understand different cultures and their views on spirituality—what makes us feel bigger than ourselves. The Peace Angels Project was born from a spiritual experience, coupled with the shocking realization that a thousand children had been killed in Los Angeles the previous year, mostly due to gang violence and other issues. As a single parent to my eight-year-old son at the time, I was terrified I couldn’t protect him in such a world. As an artist, this struck me deeply, leading me to spend two years writing the framework for the Peace Angels Project, including how to fund it. I faced countless rejections initially, which I expected, but they helped me refine what was truly important. Remarkably, the core vision of the Peace Angels Project has remained unchanged since its inception.
Regarding your second question, all my current work ties back to the Peace Angels Project, but it’s multifaceted.
Interviewer: I’d love for our listeners to visit your next exhibition. You mentioned it’s happening in the Hamptons. Could you share the address or location so those who red this can attend?
Lin Evola: I don’t have the exact address right now, but I’ll provide it soon. The exhibition will be held at a mansion in the Hamptons in July. I’ll follow up with the precise date and location as soon as I have it from the art dealer, as this opportunity came together quickly. I made three promises to myself when starting the Peace Angels Project: first, to create the best art I possibly could; second, to use only real, destroyed weapons from law enforcement or the military, ensuring everything is above board; and third, to break down those weapons to the atomic level. The sputter pieces, created using the same technology as circuit boards but on a 10-by-20-foot scale, are super-mirrored artworks.
Interviewer: As we typically do on the Jupiter American Post podcast, we’re curious about your cultural consumption. What are you listening to, reading, or watching?
Lin Evola: I work constantly and don’t have much spare time right now. We’re launching two major monuments in the United States, so most of my time is dedicated to that. I wish I could give a more exciting answer, but I read unusual things like business and scientific literature because I’m fascinated by information. Occasionally, I pick up a book, but I don’t have a specific title to share at the moment.
Interviewer: I’ll follow up in December to see if you’ve read, watched, or listened to anything new. Don’t worry!
Lin Evola: That sounds wonderful.
Interviewer: Now, I’d like to give you the opportunity to say a few words to our readers without a specific question. What would you like to share with those who encounter this interview?
Lin Evola: Thank you for this opportunity. To everyone reading, we who are alive today have the chance to make the world better through our daily choices. Building as I did a monument like the Renaissance Peace Angel at the National September 11th Museum, where millions can see it, is profoundly meaningful. One night, after returning from California during COVID when visiting wasn’t possible, I went to the museum. I asked a staff member for directions and casually mentioned I created the sculpture there. She started crying, and soon others did too, thanking me. It was the only time I’ve been at the site of my art, and it struck me deeply that my intention—to create art powerful enough to change hearts and inspire hope for a better, united world—was resonating. The Peace Angels Project is about fostering hope that we can coexist and build a brighter future. It would be an incredible honor to create a Peace Angel for Bogotá, Colombia, as I’ve read about the inspiring ways its people are uplifting their community. That’s the kind of thing I read, and it means a lot to me. Thank you, for this opportunity. I’m grateful and look forward to future interviews.
Interviewer: It’s been an honor to have you. JupiterAmericanPost.com. Have a great day, Lin.
Lin Evola: Thank you so much. Speak soon.
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