Celebrating 50 Years of Hope
Hope for the Flowers • 1972–2022
50 Years of Recognition, Reach & Radical Sharing
4+ million copies sold in English • 20+ languages • 50 years of Hope
Hope Turns 50! Yellow Turns Gold!
1972
Hope for the Flowers received the Christopher Award as the year’s most inspirational book.
2022
The New Jersey Senate honored Trina Paulus with a resolution recognizing her achievements and the 50th anniversary of Hope for the Flowers, presented by State Senator Nia Gill.
2022
Trina was also honored by her hometown of Montclair, New Jersey, during the Golden Anniversary celebration of Hope for the Flowers.
In 2022, Hope for the Flowers turned 50!
What began as a small book about two caterpillars searching for a better way has traveled quietly from reader to reader, generation to generation, and country to country for more than half a century.
To celebrate this remarkable milestone, Trina Paulus and the Hope community gathered around the stories, friendships, and enduring message that have carried Stripe and Yellow so far. On this special 50th anniversary, the celebration placed particular attention on the art of Hope for the Flowers. Trina has long been celebrated as the book’s author; this time, the spotlight also turned to Trina the illustrator.
The celebration began in Trina’s hometown of Montclair, New Jersey, and continued through community exhibits and gatherings that eventually brought Hope back to Grailville in Ohio — a place deeply woven into Trina’s own story.
Come Celebrate The Art of Hope
Across three special gatherings — from Montclair to Grailville — The Art of Hope invited readers and communities to celebrate Trina’s work, the journey of Hope for the Flowers, and the enduring spirit of Stripe and Yellow.
The Art of Hope at Loopwell
Montclair, New Jersey • November 2022
The 50th Anniversary celebration of Hope for the Flowers came alive at Loopwell in Montclair, New Jersey, with a joyful gathering of friends, readers, artists, family, and members of the community.
The Art of Hope exhibit was curated by the late Mary Scotti, also known as Mary Z See, and hosted by Loopwell owners — and Trina’s dear friends — Debbie and Sean Looney.
The celebration included live music, speeches, proclamations honoring Trina and the book’s 50-year journey, time with longtime friends and supporters, and plenty of storytelling, laughter, and Hope.
Step Inside the Exhibit
Take a 360-degree walk through The Art of Hope and explore the images, artwork, and spaces that surrounded Trina as friends and readers gathered to celebrate 50 years of Stripe and Yellow.
Scenes from the 50th Anniversary Celebration at Loopwell 🦋
The Art of Hope at Montclair Public Library
Montclair, New Jersey • June 2024
The celebration of Hope for the Flowers continued at the Montclair Public Library, bringing The Art of Hope into the heart of Trina’s own community.
During the exhibit, Trina welcomed readers for personal tours, conversation, storytelling, and reflections on the art and ideas behind Stripe and Yellow.
Follow Trina on a Personal Tour of her art and the story of Stripe and Yellow
Scenes from The Art of Hope at Montclair Public Library 🦋
The exhibit also became a gathering place for readers to listen, reflect, ask questions, and share their own connection to Hope.
Hope Comes Home to Grailville
Grailville Oratory • Loveland, Ohio • October 2024
More than fifty years after Stripe and Yellow first found their way into the world, Hope for the Flowers returned to a place deeply woven into Trina’s own life.
Trina came to Grailville as a teenager in 1949, and it became a spiritual and creative home that helped shape the woman, artist, activist, and Grail member she would become. In 2026, she celebrated her 77th year as a member of The Grail — a remarkable lifelong commitment to faith, community, justice, and service.
Claire’s First Interview: A Conversation with Trina at Grailville
Claire Mirkowski-Purdy visited the HOPE Celebration at Grailville and sat down with Trina to talk about Hope for the Flowers, art, Grailville, and the remarkable life that brought them all together. Click play below to watch Claire’s very first interview — with Trina Paulus!
Read Claire Mirkowski-Purdy’s reflections on meeting Trina at Grailville →
A Celebration of Hope
In 2024, the Oratory was filled with 36 large panels of Hope for the Flowers artwork, butterflies aloft, music, prayer, dancing, crafts, and generations of people gathering around Hope.
Trina’s Grail Sisters Bring the Celebration to Life
Trina’s Grail sisters were hands-on from the very beginning — hanging artwork, preparing displays, arranging the space, and bringing the celebration together with the kind of shared effort that has marked Trina’s life in The Grail for decades.
Scenes from the Celebration 🦋
Once the doors opened, Grailville filled with friends, readers, music, conversation, and generations of people gathered around Hope for the Flowers.
50 Years Was Only the Beginning
Hope for the Flowers has spent more than half a century moving quietly from reader to reader, classroom to classroom, and country to country.
The anniversary celebrations looked back with gratitude, but they also pointed forward. New readers are still discovering Stripe and Yellow. New editions continue to appear. Trina continues to create, question, imagine, and share Hope in new ways.
The story is still unfolding.