Maggie O’Neill
TOPIC
Art of Power + Power of Art
ART is not a luxury. It is not décor. Art is civic infrastructure.
Art is how a society makes meaning. It’s how we practice empathy, process complexity, and see one another more clearly.
What we choose to support culturally ultimately shapes who we become civically. As an artist and designer working at the intersection of culture, space, and civic engagement, I’ve seen this firsthand. While helping redesign historic spaces at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C.—a place where figures from Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King Jr. once gathered—I was reminded how culture, politics, and diplomacy have always been intertwined.
Artists play a vital and magical role in shaping, producing and conducting the outcome of the experience of spaces and the stories they tell. Yet today we often ask artists to activate neighborhoods, build community identity, and create vibrancy—without fair budgets, contracts, or long-term support. When we celebrate the outcomes of art but fail to support the process, we undermine the very culture we rely on.
Science now confirms what artists have long understood: exposure to art reduces stress, lowers inflammation, improves cognitive health, and strengthens social connection. In a time of fragmentation, art literally helps regulate our nervous systems and restore our capacity to relate to one another.
Art doesn’t simply follow change—it rehearses it. Before laws shift, culture shifts. Before communities heal, they must first be seen. The health of our culture ultimately determines the health of our democracy.
ABOUT
Maggie O’Neill is a creative visionary, artist and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience shaping the cultural and design landscape of Washington, D.C. She co-founded SWATCHROOM in 2013, leading the creation of immersive environments for over 80 restaurants, nightclubs, hotels, and commercial spaces. Today, she is committed to designing spaces and creating experiences through art that foster engagement, connection and civic engagement. Maggie’s signature pop-impressionist artwork is collected across the U.S. and internationally, and she collaborates with brands, cultural institutions, and communities to create impactful public art, murals, and immersive experiences. Maggie’s portfolio includes major projects such as the renovation of the historic Willard Hotel, international collaborations in Morocco, and a wide range of commercial and hospitality spaces. She has been recognized with the 2024 Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts, serves as a Commissioner for the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, The Washington Post, Modern Luxury, ABC, and NBC. Maggie continues to lead with bold creativity, bridging the worlds of design, activism, and cultural impact—one vibrant space at a time.
As the founder of the Vote For Your Daughter campaign, the arts nonprofit Our Daughter’s Futures Fund, and the FOREVER FEARLESS exhibition, Maggie champions civic engagement and social change. These initiatives harness the power of art and artist networks through a grassroots approach—sparking action, raising awareness, and educating American voters on critical issues that directly affect women and girls.