John Lewis, painted by Rob Shetterly

Client: Kane-Lewis Productions

“What defines a great American?”

For artist/activist Robert Shetterly, it’s a citizen with the moral courage to confront issues of social, environmental and economic fairness. Shetterly has painted 250 portraits of such Americans, past and present, with their words inscribed into the dark background of the portrait. These Americans Who Tell the Truth have been exhibited throughout the United States for almost two decades.

A Kane-Lewis production, Truth Tellers is both a story of Shetterly’s art and activism and a history lesson in what it means to be a citizen of a democracy. In bringing Shetterly’s message to a wide audience, Truth Tellers will spark a national conversation on truth telling.