Street artist Todd Drake, known as the Quaker Pirate, took to plastering boarded-up New York City storefronts with prints during the pandemic, offering messages of hope and empathy to strangers. This summer, his work is on view at Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh. The museum explores the story of Rachel and Rowland Robinson and the people escaping slavery to whom they offered shelter as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Like Drake, the Robinsons were Quakers whose abolitionism was rooted in their faith. In the exhibition, he showcases the philosophy that guided their actions: simplicity, peace, empathy, inner light. Visitors encounter simple folding chairs and “dandelion graffiti” signs throughout the property that quote notable Quakers, such as Isaac Penington. Bold woodcut-style prints offer imagery celebrating togetherness and community activism. “Holding the Light” was made following the shooting of Palestinian students in Burlington; “The Struggle to Help Another” is based on a Red Cross lifesaving manual; “Ready!” commemorates the 1830s Temple of Free Discussion created by a multiracial group of abolitionist Quaker women.
Many of the works carry clear directives that remind us of our most foundational ideals. Among them: “Help Each Other.”
‘Help Each Other’ by Todd Drake. On view through October 11 at Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh.
This article appears in July 1 • 2026.
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