USA Today reported 10 mass shootings from Feb. 17 through Feb. 19, the most of any weekend so far in 2023. An exhibit during the March 3 First Friday Art Walk reacts to gun violence in the United States and asks the question, “How Many More?”
Rebecca Miller is the artist for the exhibit at Drury University’s Pool Art Center Gallery (900 N. Benton). She’s not only a mixed media artist but also a professor and program chair for art, art history and arts administration programs at Drury. Miller also serves as the director of the Pool Art Center Gallery.
“This work is about remembrance, grief, nostalgia and loss,” Miller said in a press release. “When will our national tragedy strike you or me? Or has it already done so?”
The exhibit features acrylic on canvas paired with items from Miller’s childhood. Paired with the paintings are photographs from the 2018 and 2022 March for Our Lives protests in Washington D.C. It reflects on how quickly gun violence can change one’s trajectory and how innocence and potential are lost through mass shootings. A reception is scheduled from 5-8 p.m. at the gallery.
“We are a country of violence,” Miller said. “The question is, do we want to remain a nation of bloodshed or seek a better alternative? Brutality can be perpetuated or broken. It is our choice to balance the desire to protect ourselves and those we love with the freedom to limit the insanity that has become guns in America. How do you choose? Columbine, Paducah, Aurora, Sandy Hook, Charleston, Parkland, Las Vegas, Orlando, Buffalo, Uvalde, Highland Park. The list goes on and on. When will it be your city that suffers a mass shooting and when will there be enough senseless acts to make real change?”
Ten other venues open for First Friday Art Walk
Ten other venues will be open for March’s First Friday Art Walk. a monthly effort in which galleries and businesses line up arts-related events across downtown Springfield. The public is encouraged to walk downtown and pop into many of the galleries in what organizers call a “self-guided tour.” Venues are open variable hours between 5 and 10 p.m. for March.
Head over to the Creamer Arts Center (411 N. Sherman Parkway) to see the Artists Empowerment Collective’s third annual “Show Your Colors: Artists Showcase.” It features work from local and regional artists of color. The evening will include live music by local band Unessential Jane from 6-7 p.m.
The Artists Empowerment Collective is a committee of the Springfield Regional Arts Council. It works to empower and amplify the voices of local artists of color.
See juried exhibits at Fresh Gallery, Brick City
Fresh Gallery, meanwhile, will host its “2023 Fresh Gallery Jury Art Show” artist reception and awards ceremony from 6-9 p.m. The show features some of the best local and regional artists. Fresh Gallery is located two blocks north of Park Central Square, at 401 N. Boonville.
Missouri State University’s Brick City Gallery (215 W. Mill) is also hosting a juried show. MSU’s annual “Juried Student Exhibition” features work from across the school’s undergraduate and graduate students. The show was juried by Kansas City-based artist Caleb Taylor.
Other venues for March’s First Friday Art Walk are:
- BookMarx, 325 E. Walnut St., Suite 101
- The Carolla Arts Exhibition Center, 326 N. Boonville
- Formed: An Artist Collective, 210 E. Walnut
- Hold Fast Brewing, 235 N. Kimbrough Ave.
- Obelisk Home, 214 W. Phelps, Suite 101
- Park Central Branch Library, 128 Park Central Square
- Transformation Gallery, 330 E. Walnut
For more information on First Friday Art Walk, call 417-862-2787 or visit the organization’s website.
