Steven and William Ladd led two Oregon Scrollathons, first with the Office of Senator Jeffrey A. Merkley in Washington, D.C. in 2022 and later at David Douglas High School in Portland in 2025, marking the state’s contribution to America’s Cultural Project and the national goal of Uniting America. This expansive, nationwide collaboration will culminate in 2026 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States—the Semiquincentennial.

The 2022 Scrollathon with Senator Merkley’s team brought together 61 staff members for a hands-on retreat designed to strengthen connection and collaboration after the pandemic. Participants created individual artworks and contributed to Creating Connections, a Collaborative Masterwork now displayed in both the Washington, D.C. and Portland offices of Senator Merkley.

On October 30, 2025, 65 participants from across Oregon engaged in sessions where they created individual artworks expressing their personal stories, contributed to a Collaborative Masterwork—a legacy artwork representing Oregon for the Semiquincentennial—and had their photographic portraits created as part of the initiative. The program concluded with the unveiling of Ordinary Mystery, the Collaborative Masterwork, which was installed at David Douglas High School alongside a Portrait Mural and a Signature Plate bearing the names of all participants.

Rooted in the belief that every human being has creative potential and that there is power in coming together and working in community, Scrollathon was founded by artist-brothers Steven and William Ladd in 2006. Partnering with hundreds of stakeholders and institutions, Scrollathon has since engaged more than 10,000 participants nationwide.

The National Scrollathon extends this mission on a monumental scale, uniting people of diverse ages, backgrounds, and abilities across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and five U.S. territories. This unprecedented initiative will culminate in 2026 with a historic national commemoration of art, community, and collaboration for America’s 250th birthday.