Meet  2026 ‘Peace Portraits’ Honoree Nicole Reed

Meet Peace Portraits honoree Nicole Reed, Executive Director of the Still Searching Project. The project honors missing and women girls in Chicago through a public art initiative that mounts vibrant murals in the memories of women and girls who have disappeared in the very places they were taken. She also operates a community clothing drive for the families of missing women and girls, My Sister’s Closet.

Peace Portraits, presented by the Illinois Peace Project, is a visual project dedicated to spotlighting the incredible individuals making a difference in Illinois. This year’s six honorees embody the spirit of Peace Portraits, as they work tirelessly to strengthen their communities, empower residents, inspire change, and foster peace and harmony in their communities.

Reed says that as long as Black women and girls continue to go missing in Chicago, she has no intention of stopping her work.

“The families have taught me resilience — to be able to go through one of the most traumatic and excruciating situations and still fight to have hope, fight to believe that your loved one can still be found, fight to even go throughout your day still trying to maintain your household, your other children, your job. To see that kind of tenacity — that’s been priceless for me,” said Reed.

“I refuse to compromise on giving up.”

Read Reed’s story and check out the entire project here.