We recently reconnected with SabbaticalHomes member Morgan O’Hara. Since we originally profiled her in 2017, this accomplished artist has expanded her artwork, her activist art and her experiential social art projects.
O’Hara updated us on her Handwriting the Constitution project, which has been going strong internationally for eight years. An article by Henry Alford in the New Yorker, Activism for Introverts! Copying the Constitution (April 28, 2025), details the monthly sessions hosted at the Old Stone House in Brooklyn throughout this year.
O’Hara also shared how she has been curating a live performance series out of her Venice, Italy art studio and working on a compilation of her works of visual art. Throughout her successful career, O’Hara’s work has been inspired by:
“An aspect of living catches my interest, and I begin to work, approaching life as a problem solver whose job it is to pay attention and to render ideas visible. First, I develop a foundation as a conceptual framework, then create a system to work with specific details of daily life. I then go about collecting data, the visual accumulation of which makes the idea visible through art.”
Related: Morgan O’Hara’s Work, Exhibitions, Press and Biographical Information
Introduction: A Continuing Journey
Born in Los Angeles, raised from 1948-1954 in post-war Japan, and having earned a Master’s Degree in Art from California State University, Los Angeles, O’Hara’s career reflects a lifetime of cross-cultural influences. She describes her practice as “Life-Based Conceptual Art,” work that emerges from everyday human experiences and transforms them into structures for reflection, connection, and dialogue.
From her early Tell Us a Story in Japan, Italy, and Chile, O’Hara began exploring what she now calls social art practice. She invited participants to share written reflections on their personal experiences of peace, often in multiple languages.
In Santiago, Chile, for example, these stories were suspended in mid-air throughout the Chilean National Art Museum in 2017, creating a physical space filled with collective voices. On the final day, participants read these reflections aloud into a microphone, transforming individual writings into a shared performance of peace.
These Peace Projects laid the foundation for the civic and communal ethos that continues in her current work in Venice and in Handwriting the Constitution.
Handwriting the Constitution: Civic Engagement Through Art
Launched in 2017, Handwriting the Constitution invites people to slowly transcribe the founding documents of their countries by hand. This seemingly simple act has become a global social art practice.
The New York Times published an opinion piece written by O’Hara, The Constitution, By Hand (June 30, 2017). O’Hara’s words are better than any paraphrasing, so the introduction of the NY Times opinion piece follows:
“In January, as the inauguration of Donald Trump neared, I felt the need to protest. As a concerned artist, I had marched many times, but this moment seemed to call for something else. I wanted to stay clear of the campaign’s toxic excesses and take action silently.
On Jan. 5 I woke up with the idea of copying the U.S. Constitution by hand. While I often hand-copy texts as part of my art practice, I hadn’t thought much about the Constitution before. I only knew I needed to do it, and to do it with others in a public space.
I love the openness and beauty of the Rose Main Reading Room at the New York Public Library. On Inauguration Day I went to the library with a small suitcase of pens, a few Sharpies, papers and copies of the Constitution. I brought old notebooks, half-used drawing pads and loose sheets to share with anyone who might show up. I began writing.”
The global reach of this project has been significant, with sessions having been held in the United States, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Latvia, Lithuania, and beyond. Over 167 sessions in the last seven years have engaged more than 2,500 participants worldwide. For many participants, the act of writing transforms what may seem like a dry, outdated text into personal memory, bridging art and democracy.
O’Hara also notes “the cultural value I see in this is that it calms people down and focuses them on essentials. It is very grounding during this disturbing time in the world. The process is not partisan nor aggressive. It is quietly calming through focusing on essentials. I intend to keep it going for the next three years…at least. It has grown and now people are organizing handwriting sessions in Europe and Japan and Taiwan as well as in the U.S. We all have a need to focus on documents that protect human rights, no matter our nationalities.”
Venice Performance Series: Art Across a Canal
Since relocating to Venice six years ago, O’Hara has transformed her historic art studio into a stage for live performances. The space is a former boat garage that opens directly onto a canal, with gothic doors that set the stage perfectly.
She invites performance artists from around the world to use the studio as their stage, transforming the intimate space into a site of creative exchange. O’Hara is friendly with many musicians and often suggests this after she’s seen another performance.
The informal series has already featured over 46 concerts, ranging from contemporary dance and flamenco to medieval vocal music and experimental string instruments. All performances are offered as a gift to anyone who can attend. O’Hara describes the series as both a public service and an exploration of how space, architecture, and environment shape artistic encounters. Spectators gather on the opposite side of the canal, turning the waterway into both a natural divider and a poetic frame for the unfolding performances.
These free events reflect O’Hara’s commitment to accessibility and inclusivity in the arts. She loves that people are able to explore genres that they may not be familiar with; neighbors, travelers, and fellow artists sit together along the canal’s edge, experiencing live art in a way that is deeply tied to the rhythms and architecture of Venice itself. The performances echo O’Hara’s broader artistic vision: that art is at its most powerful when it invites participation and cultivates a sense of community.
Related: Explore Places to stay in Venice, Italy on SabbaticalHomes
Fast Forward Percussionist, Performing from Morgan O’Hara’s Venice, Italy Art Studio.
Teaching, Residencies and New Work
Beyond these projects, O’Hara continues to expand her artistic and educational reach. She has taught courses on the psychology of creativity. These are practical and hands-on explorations of how creative thinking can enrich any profession, something that is not always valued in non-artistic fields.
Just before the Pandemic, O’Hara taught a course called “Life and Meaning” at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen. It was designed as a course to develop creativity at a university very focused on science and technology and was a rewarding experience.
She is also open to artist-in-residence invitations and guest lectures, particularly in interdisciplinary contexts where art can dialogue with science, technology, or medicine. Her drawings and prints remain available for sale, reflecting the wide variety and depth of her visual practice.
A Personal Note: Living in Venice and SabbaticalHomes Connections
For O’Hara, Venice is more than a backdrop — it is a community. She describes life there as “very human,” a place where good food, walking, and everyday rhythms create a sense of village life.
Venice holds a special place in the SabbaticalHomes team’s heart as well, with the landmark San Michele Cemetery Island in Venice honoring the home page of our website and inspiring our work to connect Minds on the Move globally.
O’Hara has also been one of those Minds on the Move; years ago, she rented her New York apartment to tenants who came from London. In their reference letter, it included information a about their French home that they had renovated by hand.
O’Hara was herself in the process of fixing up her New York apartment at the time the tenants were coming, so as a joke, she left them a note with a list of projects to finish. The tenants took on the list as a challenge, finding local hardware stores for paint and materials and finishing the list! They later became lifelong friends, and their open-mindedness and willingness to jump into the project turned the stay into both a cultural exchange and a collaboration.
Related: O’Hara’s Testimonial about a Match Made in DIY Heaven
Why Morgan O’Hara’s Work Resonates with the SabbaticalHomes Community
Like many SabbaticalHomes members, O’Hara’s life blurs the boundaries between home, work, and cultural exchange. Her Venice studio exemplifies how living spaces can transform into platforms for creativity and community.
Her projects remind us that sabbaticals, residencies, and even short-term stays can become opportunities for civic engagement and shared cultural growth.
Conclusion: Art as a Living Connection
Through projects that combine writing, performance, and teaching, Morgan O’Hara embodies the belief that art is not confined to museums or studios. It is a living, participatory way of life that connects people across cultures, disciplines, and borders.
Throughout her career, Morgan O’Hara continues to ask a central question: how can creativity connect us more deeply to one another and the world? We celebrate her ongoing contributions and invite readers to learn more: join a Handwriting the Constitution session, attend a Venice performance, or explore her portfolio at Morgan O’Hara’s website.
We enjoy catching up with our notable members and writing about their multifaceted adventures and accomplishments. Let us know what you think! Connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.