The Ware Center for the Arts, 42 N. Prince St., Lancaster, will present a We the People First Friday on Oct. 2.

At 7 p.m. in Steinman Hall, Voices of Peace will present a free performance. The five artists and activists come from diverse backgrounds and use poetry to promote peace, justice, and unity. Through a selection of global poems, they highlight the impacts of war while emphasizing hope, resilience, and solidarity.

The eighth annual Peace Kids to the Rescue Art Show and Silent Auction will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. in the atrium. The event features artworks donated by more than 70 children, ages 3 to 18, giving young artists an opportunity to use their creativity to make a difference in their communities. Proceeds from the art auction will benefit Church World Service and the Arch Street Center.

A reception from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Regitz Gallery will celebrate the opening of Carolyn Harper's Prison Portrait Project. Hand-sewn, large-format quilts and hand-embroidered batiks portray incarcerated individuals with the aim of drawing attention to a population that is often overlooked.

We the People First Friday is free and open to the public.