Morgan O’Hara is an artist (like many others) who was compelled to create art in response to the election of Donald Trump. So, on the eve of January’s inauguration, she began to hand copy the U.S. Constitution in her own personal form of artistic protest.
O’Hara reportedly copies passages that she particularly enjoys, and as a child practiced penmanship as she copied poetry and other important texts. She chose the Rose Reading Room at the main branch of the New York Public Library as the hosting place for the project.
“Hand copying a document can produce an intimate connection to the text and its meaning. The handwriter may discover things about this document that they never knew, a passage that challenges or moves them,” wrote O’Hara in the New York Times. “They may even leave with a deeper connection to the founders and the country, or even a sense of encouragement.”
O’Hara’s project, “Handwriting the Constitution,” has continued on a monthly basis. “My goal with it is to get away from all this negative, toxic stuff and do something that’s positive, educational, grounding, and potentially encouraging,” O’Hara explained.
For more information go to www.handwritingtheconstitution.com.
