Author: Grace Li, San Jose, CA
Recently, San Jose’s City Council unanimously approved the largest arts donation in San Jose history, to create a peace monument to reside in San Jose’s 6th District, in Arena Green.
The Peace Monument envisions a monumental figure standing behind six children and a penguin, who are lifting the Earth together, a powerful symbol of unity, hope, and global harmony.
Towering and nurturing, the female figure holds a dove and olive branch, universal emblems of peace. Her presence embodies strength, compassion, and guidance, symbolizing peace as the foundation for a just and thriving world. The six children represent the continents, highlighting the diversity and shared responsibility of all people. A penguin, symbolizing Antarctica, reinforces environmental themes and reminds us that peace extends to the stewardship of our planet. A sweeping circular shawl flows from the woman’s head around her body, sheltering the children and the Earth. Adorned with cultural symbols from around the world, it represents protection, interconnectedness, and the richness of global diversity. This design reflects that peace is not unique to any one culture, it is woven through all.
The inclusion of children conveys innocence and the promise of the future, reminding us of the urgent need to instill values of respect, love, and cooperation in younger generations. This sculpture calls on viewers to reflect on their own role in building peace and caring for the Earth. As a public monument, it can serve as a gathering place for community events, intercultural dialogue, and collective reflection. By celebrating global cultures and shared values, the Peace Monument affirms that everyone has a role in the pursuit of a more peaceful and united world.
Intertwining symbols of peace, protection, diversity, and shared responsibility, the Peace Monument tells a story of our shared human journey. The central figure represents the strength and potential of humanity to shape a better future. More than a work of art, it is a call to action, one that invites reflection, inspires connection, and reminds us that the work of peace belongs to all of us.
The Peace Monument is to be sculpted by Mario Chiodo, an artist dedicated to creating sculpture and monuments that center history around those who have made sacrifices to help others. He has been commissioned to create a multitude of monuments around the country, including the Slave Memorial in Alexandria, VA called the “Path of Thorns and Roses”, The Harriet Tubman Memorial in Wilmington, DE, a tribute to the Ohlone Native Americans in Fremont, CA, and The Dalai Lama monument in Ithaca, NY. He believes that embellishing our cities with meaningful art is a critical step in opening positive dialogue and reminds us to not forget history.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Kimberly Mulcahy, the Project Manager of the Peace Monument, on how the peace monument is set to change the artistic, social, and cultural landscape of San Jose.
“The Peace Monument grew from Diane Brandenburg’s lifelong commitment to peace and the arts. Working alongside her, I’ve had the privilege of helping bring her vision to life; a civic project that unites art, education, and community purpose and truly reflects San José’s heart. Diane commissioned world renowned Artist Mario Chiodo who together they created the design. The project is being realized through a public-private partnership with the City of San José, combining civic leadership, philanthropy, and community collaboration to bring the vision to life.”
The Peace Monument is aimed at representing an integral piece of San Jose culture, diversity, and how it brings unity. “San José’s diversity is one of its greatest strengths”, Mulcahy says. “We are a city made up of many cultures, faiths, and histories, and that mix gives us depth and character. The Peace Monument reflects this by depicting seven figures from seven continents holding up the world together. It’s a visual reminder that unity isn’t about sameness, it’s about shared purpose.
Diane and Mario believe ‘Peace starts with understanding.‘ That simple truth sits at the heart of this vision. San José’s diversity has always been a source of creativity and innovation. The monument honors that spirit by showing that peace can emerge from difference, and that empathy and connection are what hold a community together.”
The Peace Monument is to be titled “Seeds of Peace”. We asked Mulcahy how she envisioned planting this seed in San Jose might create a ripple effect in building peace in our area and across the globe.
“Diane describes the beginning of this project for her as a ‘seed of thought‘ that came to her one Sunday morning in 2024, when she asked herself, “What can I—we—do to stop war?” That question grew into action and ultimately into this monument.
She often quotes Margaret Mead’s question, ‘When are we going to devise a system that creates peace instead of war?‘ That idea has guided the project from the start. Diane’s hope is that this monument becomes both a physical and symbolic starting point, a place where the idea of peace can take root, grow, and spread from San José to the world. She often says she wants ‘the wave to begin right here in San José.‘
Diane also draws inspiration from Jimi Hendrix’s timeless words: ‘When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.‘ That sentiment captures the heart of her vision for this monument, a reminder that peace begins when compassion outweighs control, and love becomes our driving force.
The title Seeds of Peace captures that spirit. This is more than a monument; it’s the beginning of a movement that starts at the grassroots level and grows outward. The City of San José is standing up and declaring, ‘We want peace,‘ and this monument is how we plant that declaration in the heart of the city.”
One aim of the Seeds of Peace Monument is to instill values of respect, love, and cooperation. “Surrounding the female figure and children are words and symbols of peace from cultures and languages around the world”, Mulcahy states. “To our knowledge, it’s the first public artwork to gather this many global expressions of peace in one place. At its center stands a female figure surrounded by seven children representing the continents, Collectively, they show that peace is a universal language, expressed differently across cultures yet rooted in the same human desire for compassion and understanding.”
When asked how she envisioned the monument inspiring younger generations, whether through peace rallies or school field trips at the location, and if she believed that the monument would foster an environment for youth dialogue and will create a hub for advocacy for peace, Malcuhy responded: “The monument was designed with education and community in mind. As we begin activating the space we will work with schools, cultural organizations, and local partners to make the site a destination for reflection, learning, and connection. Students will have a place to explore what peace means to them and how they can carry it forward.
We’re already collaborating with the Arena Green neighbors, the soon to open Shared Arts Space and the San José Sharks organization, to activate the amphitheater space. Together, we envision performances, peace rallies, and youth-led gatherings that bring energy, creativity, and shared purpose to the park year-round.
As Diane believes, ‘Children are our bridge to the future. If they can learn peace, they can lead peace.‘ “
“Our shared hope is that every visitor walks away understanding that peace isn’t an abstract idea. It’s something that begins within each of us, something that can be planted, nurtured, and shared until it grows into a community.”
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