Pedro Reyes is a widely celebrated multi-platform artist, activist and educator. Reyes uses all aspects of visual art and education to address political and social issues. His focus is to use the arts to reduce gun and drug trafficking across Mexico. In 2008, Pedro commenced Palas por Pistolas, a project that collected over 1,500 guns from donors in Mexico and melted them down into shovels. With those shovels, Pedro and his studio planted the same number of trees. The program’s success garnered attention from the Mexican Army, who donated 6,700 weapons. Reyes lives and works in Mexico City.