ARTS TO END VIOLENCE

Arts to End Violence 2013: The Collection

We are in the process of sharing every piece we received. As we post them, we will update the list of names and titles below, adding links to the pieces and artist statements. You can also scroll down to see the submissions, beginning with the winning pieces.

Winning pieces:

1st place: Jose Armando Cedillo Rodriguez: “What Is His Dream?”
2nd place: Patricia Stortz: “Guns Weren’t on the Supply List”
3rd place (tie): Khristen Wilson: “In Loving Memory”
3rd place (tie) Mario Escamilla: “Love and Respect Go First”

Other youth artists:

Adelin Pimentel: Untitled
Alex Velez: “When Things Don’t Go Your Way”
Andrew James: “I Have a Dream of Peace”
Angel Saldivar: Untitled
Arden Restrick: “Iconic Figure of a Woman”
Bertrand Blaise: Untitled
Carl Freycinet: Untitled
Cecilia Emy: “Crying Woman”
Chris Colon: Untitled
Christeline Velazquez: “Pregnant with the World”
Daury Moran: Untitled
Dieuverson Joseph: Untitled
Dion Harvey: “Avoiding Violence”
Dylan Quow: “The Bully Problem”
Edgar Rojas: Untitled
Ethan Edwards: “The Vortex of Violence” and “Death in Disguise”
Fatoumata Balde (9th grade): Untitled
Fatoumata Balde (10th grade): Untitled
Gabriel Nunez: Untitled
Grace Morenko: “Woman Atlas”
Hamlet Margarin: Untitled
Idealenid Jimenez: “Peace, Love & Happiness”
Isaiah Sullivan: “The Streets Today”
Jahquan Frazier: “Change of Mind”
Jaquan Jordan: Untitled
Kassandra DeJesus: “It’s Just That Little”
Keshani Whint: “Lost Ones”
Khalil Lunsford: Untitled
Lawrence Murray: Untitled
Lesly Bronfield: “The Transformation”
Liza Kruth: “Earth Mother/Tree Woman”
Lydia Martin: “Deciding What to Keep”
Maftuna Saidova: Untitled
Mandy Peng: Untitled
Manuel Ventura: Untitled
Miguel Tapia: Untitled
Mott Hall Bridges Academy: Margot Dorn’s 6th grade class: Anti-violence logos
Nasima Happy: Untitled
P.S. 8: Catherine DeWan’s 2nd grade class: Anti-violence drawings
Rainell Hernandez: Untitled
Raymondy Ciceron: Untitled
Ricardo Faustin: Untitled
Roshaun Anderson: Untitled
Sam Luria: “Biggest Gun Sucker in the World”
Samia Abedin: Untitled
Sergino Bordenave: Untitled
Shahzod Halimov: Untitled
Shumaeya Abedin: Untitled
Stephanie Hu: Untitled
The BCCP After-school Art Program at Ronald Hayes I.S. 291: “Peace Zone” and “How Does Violence Affect Our Lives?”
Tiffany Tracey: “Speak”
Trevaughn Taylor: “Keep Calm Don’t Shoot”
Xianna Quadrozzi: “Eye of Despair”
Yu Bin Li: Untitled

Adult artists:

Alexander Reynoso: “City of Peace”
Anthony Cunningham: “I Surrender All”
Edwardima Haymes: Untitled
Francie Scanlon: “Eddie’s Birthday”
Janet Griffith: “We Will Not Forget! End Gun Violence!”
Jason Das: “Kingston Avenue Festival, May 18, 2013”
LaRonz Murray: “Guns Are Killing Our Community”
Leon Tillman: “Maybe Hearts Will Work”
Maribel Mejia: “Walk for Peace” and four others
Mary A. Mulligan: “First Day of School, 600 Block of St. John’s Place, September 13, 2004”
Patty Eljaiek: “Melancholy Is a Loyal Muse”
Susan Wells: Untitled
Traci Molloy: Selection from “Kids That Kill Kids”

Armando Rodriguez: “What Is His Dream?”

This piece was the first-place winner of the Arts to End Violence 2013 contest.

“Growing up in the hood the sagging pants style came naturally to me. I really thought as a young kid that if I sag then that meant I have style, that I’ll be popular, basically become somehow cool. As I got older it became a habit to do it anywhere, even on a job interview. I applied to a job where I was perfect for it, I had all the requirements, all the skills, but I didn’t get it because of the way I presented myself. I was dressed appropriately but somehow I still needed my pants to sag. Biggest mistake!

“What I’m expressing in my artwork is that you are how you present yourself. It can affect everything and just the way you present yourself to others. It doesn’t even matter if you have the highest score in the SAT or your IQ is 130, it will affect you. No one would like to work with a person that shows his/her butt all over the office. I mean look at us now: we are basically all equal but some of us don’t appreciate the type of society we are in today. People like Dr. Martin Luther King went through a lot, some were killed, some suffered a lot. They did all that just to see one day in the future, where children of all colors work together. Dr. Martin Luther King is one of my heroes and I think if I would have kept doing what I was doing then that would be like a slap to his face. He did a lot for us, he really wanted equality, and I truly think he would be ashamed that we are finally at that level of equality. I’m very sorry if I offended you, but I really want to be part of that beautiful speech he gave on August 23, 1963, in Washington D.C. At the end, change starts with you. So show some respect for the person that stood up for us and pull up your pants.

“Did you know that sagging pants originated in jail, and that inmates sagged their pants as a sign that they were ‘available’ to other inmates for sex? Did you know 82% of inmates in prison are high school dropouts, and that high school dropouts are 3.5% more likely to get arrested in their lifetime?”

The entire Arts to End Violence 2013 collection can be found here.

Patricia Stortz: “Guns Weren’t on the Supply List”

This piece was the second-place winner of the Arts to End Violence 2013 contest.

“This piece was originally created as a protest poster against a cause that I feel strongly about. I chose gun violence in schools, particularly school shootings. After hearing the famous song “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People, about the Columbine shooting, I was inspired to create a protest poster in support against gun violence. I decided to have the gun pointing at a backpack with a target on it, to inform the audience that students are the target during school shootings. The line “Guns weren’t on the supply list” is the phrase I chose particularly to remind the audience that these situations could be prevented if there was more emphasis on gun control in the United States.”

The entire Arts to End Violence 2013 collection can be found here.

Mario Escamilla: Love and Respect Go First

This piece tied as a third-place winner of the Arts to End Violence 2013 contest.

“Many teenagers in real life are destroying their lives and future just by being in gangs. Some of them are dead. I do not want this for our future teenagers. I want them to be something different. With this simple painting I want to show respect and love to stop violence and gangs. My cousin was killed by a gang member when he was only 15 years old. All his dreams and thoughts were gone in one bullet. I do not want this for our future teenagers.”

The entire Arts to End Violence 2013 collection can be found here.

Zoom

Khristen Wilson: “In Loving Memory”

This piece tied as a third-place winner of the Arts to End Violence 2013 contest.

“As a teenager, specifically of African-American descent, violence and ignorance plague my world. Death and violence are sadly a constant in American society, leading to individuals accepting death as a part of everyday life. The killings of Kimani Gray and Trayvon Martin could have occurred to the very people I go to school with, as they all ‘fit the profile.’ Fearful to accept death, but less willing to make a public change, I turned to my favorite form of expression, art. This piece not only acts a memorial to those we lost, including Kimani and Trayvon, but it serves as a reminder to the unjust actions that are around us. Additionally, the expression through art revealed the negative effect of violent protest that happened in the wake of these tragedies. Violence is never the best way to express emotions, despite how accessible of a facet it is. Art is always here for me, we are all artists, and we all have our own forms of expression.”

The entire Arts to End Violence 2013 collection can be found here.

Shahzod Halimov: Untitled

“We can’t stop the increase of gangs, but one thing I like about gangs is when they draw on the wall with spray paint. It’s really cool, but when they do crime and break the law, it’s bad and can be dangerous to our lives and families.

“In my artwork, I used markers and watercolors. I drew two men working together and drawing a peace sign on the wall to show people that life can be peaceful.”

The entire Arts to End Violence 2013 collection can be found here.

Leon Tillman: “Maybe Hearts Will Work”

“My artwork derives from feelings I have about the social, political, and cultural issues of the world. In my piece “Maybe Hearts Will Work,” I depict a prominent figure in our society, President Obama. The president is wielding a gun that has a heart-shaped barrel, symbolizing the use of harmless weapons. The title implies that every fight has been with destructive forces, but we continue to have no resolution. I chose the president because, generally, people follow those who are famous or have a huge influence in our lives. In a perfect world, firearms would shoot hearts, having cupid-like effects. If our president used such weapons, maybe people would eventually replace their grenades and missiles that do harm for handguns and assault rifles that produce love and harmony.”

The entire Arts to End Violence 2013 collection can be found here.

Kassandra DeJesus: “It’s Just That Little”

“I was born and raised in New York City. Growing up I dealt with witnessing and being a victim of abusive relationships. At a young age my outlet became my passion for art. I didn’t only admire the beautiful works of art, I painted and drew out my emotions, believing that when I was done with any of my pieces all of my problems would drift away.

“Hearing about the Arts to End Violence event I instantly wanted to be able to be a part of it. To be able to express myself and how I felt about the violence done to women in our society, and to have it seen by the public is an honor and great privilege. In my art piece every mark and color is placed with an purpose and symbolizes the thoughts and feelings from deep within. Through my work I express how the abusive part of the world is viewed to be small yet so effective to our souls.”

The entire Arts to End Violence 2013 collection can be found here.

LaRonz Murray: “Guns Are Killing Our Community”

“Since the early 2000’s, I have been a poet/writer/performer utilizing artistic skills in mirroring social conditions that affect our community. My initial foray into issues profoundly affecting urban America is the moral conditioning of ‘black-on-black’ crime. My poetical trilogy approach was organically produced from the genesis of a previously written poem. Using ‘Guns Killing Our Community’ as a centralized theme, I was able to assimilate different perspectives in the totality of a brutally urgent message. Incorporating collage techniques and poem cut-outs along with scrawling controversial white text against horrid bloodshed strokes of crimson red, I was suggesting the destruction surrounding the young black male.

” ‘Calling All Killers’ and ‘Faceless Bullets’ adopt surreal ground-zero viewpoints while taking on the genocidal morality of ‘white hoods 2 black hoods; blacks are killing blacks in black hoods,’ whereas the center piece, ‘Save the Young Black Male,’ exemplifies a ‘cool urban youth’ encased within a white box representing angels watching over him. Even with the ‘X’ on his back under constant attack, it is vitally important by all means to uplift, empower, and save our young kings. Thus, it is of great personal interest to support the Arts to End Violence movement in my enduring artistic campaign to bring voice to a subject so highly needed.”

The entire Arts to End Violence 2013 collection can be found here.

Miguel Tapia: Untitled

The entire Arts to End Violence 2013 collection can be found here.

Lawrence Murray: Untitled

The entire Arts to End Violence 2013 collection can be found here.

Jahquan Frazier: “Change of Mind”

“I am from Far Rockaway, Queens, but grew up in East New York, Brooklyn. I am working to achieve my GED at East River Academy on Rikers Island, where I am a senior.”

The entire Arts to End Violence 2013 collection can be found here.

Maribel Mejia: “Walk for Peace” and four others

“Art is relevant to the way humans see their personal lives. Each stroke symbolizes a mood or an emotion that can be interpreted differently depending on the lighting of the room and the mood of the viewer. Therefore, my paintings are about self-discovery and seeing the world as we are, different. Basically, a simplified version of ourselves on surface.

“S.O.S. inspired me to paint subjects that convey a message of peace and of reflection. Each act of violence affects many children as well as adults and the medical team who at times cannot save their lives. Families are torn apart when their loved one is shot accidentally or through gang violence. Their loss ignites resentment, sadness, and at times hopelessness.”

The entire Arts to End Violence 2013 collection can be found here.

Mary Mulligan: “First Day of School, 600 Block of St. Johns Place, September 13, 2004”

“Monday, September 13, was the first day of school for the kids of Crown Heights, an opportunity for alignment. The idea was to take some ‘First Day’ school pictures. I woke up early and went outside, not wanting to miss the children. Sure enough, out they came. The kids of St. Johns jumped in, gathered together, switched configurations, and posed solo, having their photographs taken on the sidewalk.

“Before long, a man working on the garbage collection route, a complete stranger, yelled to catch my attention. He had taken money from his pocket and was motioning to me with his arm outstretched. Smiling, I shook my head and mouthed, ‘No, thank you.’ This brought on a back-and-forth of me declining and the man insisting. Determined, he walked over to me with the money, saying, ‘No, because you really care.’

“Defenseless against the gifts of his noticing, against his generosity, and against his insistence, I accepted the money he pressed into my hand. I’ve often thought about that man. Paying attention to the kids of Crown Heights, on St. Johns, while he was on the job and doing his run at work. They were his kids too. I wondered who he was, and I wondered so many things.

“Money was tight for me at the time. The gift from the man at work on St. Johns Place paid for the processing and development of the negatives and prints of the ‘First Day’ photos. The kids ordered reprints, and we entered into a deal. If the kids showed me a completed homework or school assignment, work that they did in their current job as students, we would exchange work for work—photos for school work.

“Unfortunately I never met that man again. The photo reprints were not all exchanged. The Crown Heights community, eight-plus years later, remains a steadfast place of powerful beauty revealed.”

The entire Arts to End Violence 2013 collection can be found here.

Arden Restrick: “Iconic Figure of a Woman”

“The message behind this art project was one that is really important to me. When we were making these pieces, we learned about all the shocking statistics of the violence that women face all around the world. This project was made in support of One Billion Rising, a movement that aims to end violence against women and girls. We often forget that women still face many challenges because of their gender, even in our society, and we often assume that women’s’ issues are only a thing of the past. In my drawing, I decided to center my piece around the theme of celebrating the feminine. To me, it felt like making something that appreciated the feminine was a good way to show support for women and the struggles they face every day.”

The entire Arts to End Violence 2013 collection can be found here.

Camera iPhone 4S
ISO 50	Aperture f/2.4
Exposure 1/30th	Focal Length 4mm

Camera iPhone 4S
ISO 50	Aperture f/2.4
Exposure 1/20th	Focal Length 4mm

Camera iPhone 4S
ISO 50	Aperture f/2.4
Exposure 1/24th	Focal Length 4mm

Camera iPhone 4S
ISO 200	Aperture f/2.4
Exposure 1/16th	Focal Length 4mm

Camera iPhone 4S
ISO 125	Aperture f/2.4
Exposure 1/20th	Focal Length 4mm