‘Guns In America’ At Step Up Gallery Closes Thursday Oct. 5

Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on September 30, 2023
- 11:37 am

Guns in America photo #19 by Jeff Corwin. Courtesy/Step Up Gallery

Guns in America photo #11 by Jeff Corwin. Courtesy/Step Up Gallery

STEP UP GALLERY News:

Jeff Corwin’s traveling fine arts photography exhibit “Guns in America” closes Thursday, Oct. 5. Step Up Gallery at Mesa Public Library is the sixth stop on a gallery journey including: the Holter Museum of Art (Helena, Mont.); the Bader + Simon Museum (Cincinnati, Ohio); the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, Ill.); DragonFLY Creative Space (Chicago) and Echo Arts (Bozeman, Mont.).

The beautiful, yet disturbing images, are intensely colored photographs of carefully collected objects arranged like three dimensional collages. Each is a stage set, thoughtfully arranged and lit with the care afforded to a photographic portrait of an historical figure. Corwin assures the viewers that the images are not the result of computerized manipulations.

Step Up Gallery Manager Diane Stoffel reports that visitors to the powerful and poignant exhibit often find themselves speechless after spending time viewing the show’s photographic images.

“Speechless is a good reaction, a reasonable and sane reaction” Stoffel said. “I’ve also noticed that young people who visit the gallery are taking their time to look at each photograph and sharing their thoughts with friends. They are, of course, deeply affected by gun violence, not only by participating in active shooter drills in school, but recognizing the increased threat to their own young lives. It has been widely reported that in 2022 the major cause of death among children, surpassing automobile accidents, is now by guns. I’m a Baby Boomer. Our biggest concern about going to school on a given morning was whether chocolate pudding would be on the lunch menu.”

This exhibit is garnering attention from both local Step Up Gallery attendees and The New Mexican’s Pasatiempo.

Corwin gave a Gallery Talk at the show’s Aug. 24 opening reception. A video of that talk is available for viewing on Step Up Gallery’s YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/tq82cbpDelk

Step Up Gallery at 2400 Central Ave., is open the same hours as Mesa Public Library: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and closed Sundays. Admission is free.

For additional information on Jeff Corwin’s photography, visit https://www.jeffcorwinfineart.com/.