IMPACT

On Sunday February 24th,  artists Anne Hartzell and Lisa Domenic had the opportunity to be a part of a community Panel Discussion: Disrupting the Narrative of Gun Violence. The afternoon event was organized by students involved with IMPACT Igniting Purpose in Youth.  An audience of 60 students, parents and local residents filled the AME Church in Ardmore. The program lasted approximately 2 hours. The students from local high schools and colleges asked questions from the panel of activists and artists to speak about some of the statistics in Philadelphia and throughout the country, if we thought the media accurately represented and understood the issue of gun violence we were trying to bring attention to and if what we believed about the state of gun violence in America and if that was what drove our volunteerism.  General follow up up questions  were followed by refreshments.  While the  portraits were not individually talked about, the Souls were on display reminding us all this issue is not only a public concern but a very personal one. All of the panelists had different opinions and experiences that had brought us to the table; gun safety, suicide, gun legislation, urban violence, mass shootings, school safety and activism.