Peace by Design: Posters, Poems, and the Spirit of the Peace Corps
October 4, 2025 – January 6, 2026
Opening Reception: October 4, 2025 | 5:00–7:00 pm
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20001, 5th Floor
Register here
The Museum of the Peace Corps Experience (MPCE) is proud to present Peace by Design: Posters, Poems, and the Spirit of the Peace Corps, opening October 4, 2025, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. The exhibition runs through January 6, 2026.
This landmark exhibition reveals how peace takes shape—in bold posters, in acts of service, and in the words of poets. Peace by Design transports visitors into the early years of the Peace Corps, where idealism met design, citizen-to-citizen diplomacy, and the enduring power of art.
Rare Peace Corps promotional posters are paired with photographs, artifacts, and stories from the Peace Corps Iran program from the 1960s and 1970s Poetry in English and Persian illustrates how design and imagination shaped a movement of young people determined to build peace across borders. Highlights include iconic works by Norman Rockwell and Peter Max, original photographs from Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and stories from the nearly two thousand Americans who served in Iran during this period.
“Peace Corps posters are more than recruitment tools—they are cultural artifacts that embody shifting ideals of service, citizenship, and diplomacy across generations,” said Zack Klim, Ph.D., Executive Director of MPCE.
Presented in partnership with the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on how art, service, and human connection shape the meaning of peace across time. The Museum will launch a second exhibit in at the Library in 2026 to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of America and the 65th Anniversary of the Peace Corps.
Opening Reception: October 4, 2025 | 5:00–7:00 pm
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20001, 5th Floor
Register here
Greetings NoVA RPCVs,
I’m pleased to share that the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience (MPCE) is preparing a landmark exhibition at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., opening in October 2025 and running through early January 2026.
Peace by Design: Posters, Poetry, and the Spirit of Peace Corps will open Saturday, October 4 and you’re invited to the celebration from 5-7pm. Register here if you plan to attend.
This exciting collaboration bringing the citizen-to-citizen diplomacy of the Peace Corps to life here in D.C. is the first of two exhibits, with a second larger-scale exhibit in fall of 2026 as part of America 250 celebrations.
Advisor to the Museum Board of Directors and longtime Peace Corps champion Peter Deekle (Iran ’68–’70) has generously donated $5,000 to bring this exhibition to Washington, D.C.
Will you join him with a contribution of $100 to match Peter’s gift?
Together, we can ensure that the stories of Peace Corps Volunteers—and the communities they served—continue to inspire empathy, curiosity, and civic engagement for generations to come.
In the addition to fundraising efforts the Museum is seeking expressions of interest for:
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Volunteer docents to support visiting school groups
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Public programming ideas
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Long-term volunteers interested join the Museum team
We hope to see many of you at the opening celebration Saturday, October 4th!
With gratitude,
LISA MARTIN (Estonia 96-98)
NoVa RPCVs President