Remembrance & Community

This is what community feels like.

On May 20, we came together to remember, honor and build in community at A Reflection of the Times, a memorial exhibition of portraiture by artist-activist Chire Regans. Organized by Commissioner in partnership with New World School of the Arts, the private viewing was dedicated to the parents, siblings, family and friends of victims of gun-related and state violence. Through her spoken word, Sirena Saul, mother of Isaiah Solomon, boldly told the truth about the trauma and racism of senseless gun violence in the United States. We commemorated her son and the lives of one hundred people, with Chire’s artistic practice serving as a powerful reminder of the critical role of community-led activism and the urgency for action.

A Reflection of the Times is on view through November 1, 2021 at Bakehouse Art Complex and is open and free for all. The exhibit is curated by Anita Sharma of Women Artists Archive Miami (WAAM), and is accompanied by a special publication, underscoring the ways in which activist art exists as a site of resistance. With essays by Anita, Chire and Franklin Sirmans of Pérez Art Museum Miami, the digital version is available here.

Here is a list of actions you can take to stand against gun violence.

Photography by Gesi Schilling. Publication design by Mariana Pariani. Infinite gratitude to the Commissioner team and member community; to Bakehouse Art Complex, Cathy Leff and Laura Novoa; to the Mitchell Wolfson Sr Foundation; and to Chris Adamo, Randi Wolfson and Richard Guzman for making this partnership possible.

We are grateful to the families of the victims and to Chire Regans for giving us permission to stand beside them and share this work.