The Garfield Station mural had the sole prompt of featuring President Garfield somewhere in it and being funny or playful. I knew Pete Goldlust would be painting the building’s opposing wall and was inspired by his designs which seemed to contain simple playful line or pattern of colorful characters. This gave me the idea that Garfield might be floating in space or an alternate dimension with various diverse beings. I tend to try to find symbolism and relevant meaning to the context of current times in any work I create. I saw this intermingling of diverse beings as a symbol of a community rich in cultural diversity, rather than one divided by it. The phrase, ‘we come in peace,’ is often featured in tales of visiting aliens attempting to make peaceful connection in foreign land. This phrase and title, therefore, seemed like the perfect symbolic sentiment to encourage a community that welcomes and celebrates its own unique and diverse population, which is something I hope for in the world and also in my home town, Eugene.