The Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum on campus held the inauguration of a new exhibition on Friday, Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism, almost two years after the mass shooting at Michigan State University on February 13, 2023.
Until Thursday, the two-year anniversary of the shooting that claimed the lives of students Brian Fraser, Arielle Anderson, and Alexandria Verner and left five others injured, the exhibition will remain on display. On Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the exhibition will host a community resource fair.
There are pieces regarding gun violence and its victims that were written by activists and survivors, such as Marco D. az Mu azin, a professor at MSU whose classroom in Berkey Hall was the scene of the 2023 shooting. and Manuel Oliver, who lost his son Joaquin in the 2018 school massacre in Parkland, Florida. The presentation also features artwork from the well-known song Right Gun (Knot for Violence), which was performed by former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr.
The Soul Box Project, an interactive installation with soul boxes from locals representing their experiences with gun violence and their aspirations for healing, is the show’s focal point. Participants are encouraged to design their own soul box there.
The show is co-curated by MSU professor Scott Boehm and MSU alumnus and End Gun Violence Michigan organizer Maya Manuel.
Although the shock and anguish caused by gun violence never truly go away, we can try to alter our perception of it. For me and others, action and art have both been crucial means of transforming our suffering into strength. Manuel added, “I want survivors everywhere to know that you’re not alone.”
At the Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence via Artivism exhibition on February 7, 2025, visitors gaze at the artwork by Marco Diaz Mu oz, an MSU professor of language and humanities and a survivor of the February 13 shooting. | Erick D az Veliz
The public cheers the authors’ presentation on February 7, 2025, as the Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence via Artivism show comes to a close. | Veliz, Erick D.
The makers of the short film What’s Left Behind, Cassidy Howard (left) and Aidan Tripp (right), speak to the public following the film’s screening on February 7, 2025, at the opening of the Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism exhibition at the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum. | Veliz, Erick D.
A brief video discussing the psychological effects of gun violence The Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence via Artivism show, which opens at the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum on February 7, 2025, will screen Cassidy Howard and Aidan Tripp’s “What’s Left Behind.” | Erick D. az Veliz
Reactions from the audience during the artists’ comments at the Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism exhibition, which opened on February 7, 2025, at the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum. Veliz, Erick D.
Before the authors’ lectures at the Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism exhibition at the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum on February 7, 2025, visitors examine the many small boxes of the Soul Box Project. © Erick D. az Veliz
On February 7, 2025, the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum’s Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism exhibition featured a glass reflection of the boxes with the names of the MSU students who were shot dead by a shooter at Berkey Hall two years prior. | Erick D. az Veliz
Scott Boehm, an associate professor of Spanish and global studies at MSU, and Maya Manuel, an MSU alumnus and founder of the Soul Box Project, just before their speeches at the Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism exhibition that opens at the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum on February 7, 2025. | Erick D. az Veliz
Maya Manuel, a 22-year-old MSU alumnus and the founder of the Soul Box Project, holds her hands during the Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism exhibition, which opens on February 7, 2025. Veliz, Erick D.
Speaking at the Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism show, which opens on February 7, 2025, Marco Diaz Mu ez, 65, a language and humanities professor at MSU and a survivor of the February 13 shooting,
Speaking at the Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism exhibition that opens at the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum on February 7, 2025, Marco Diaz Mu ez, 65, a professor of language and humanities at MSU and a survivor of the February 13 shooting. © Erick D. az Veliz
During the Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism exhibition at the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum on February 7, 2025, boxes from The Soul Box Project bearing the names of the MSU students killed by a shooter in Berkey Hall two years ago were on display. © Erick D. az Veliz
At the Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism exhibition at the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum on February 7, 2025, people stroll and gaze at paintings by Marco Diaz Mu oz, an MSU professor survivor (right), and Manuel Oliver, a Parkland activist and the parent of a student killed in the Parkland shooting (left). | Erick D. az Veliz
MSU alumnus Maya Manuel, who founded the Soul Box Project, gives a statement at the Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism exhibition, which opens on February 7, 2025, at the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum. Veliz, Erick D.
On February 7, 2025, the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum’s Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism exhibition featured the Knotted Gun sculpture by former Beatles member Ringo Starr. | Erick D. az Veliz
Before the Art in the Aftermath, visitors view the Soul Box Project’s stack of boxes: The Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum’s Healing Gun Violence through Artivism show opens on February 7, 2025. © Erick D. az Veliz
During the opening of the Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism exhibition at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum on February 7, 2025, a visitor points out boxes in the Soul Box project. © Erick D. az Veliz
February 7, 2025, at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum. Veliz, Erick D.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.