Sally Edelstein, South Huntington, NY based artist with “Ending Gun Violence—It’s About Time: Hope and Prayers Aren’t Enough”, 2020, Appropriated paper collage vintage newspapers and pencil on canvas, 20 x 20 inches in “Deadlocked and Loaded”. On this day of Easter, millions of Christians have hopes and prayers for the coming year and their belief in the risen Jesus. I support all forms of religion and worship—whatever brings one peace. I believe there is one power of creation that loves all beings equally. What I would like to see is the Christian values and teachings of Jesus to be put into practice and for our culture of violence to become one of tolerance and unity. Very aspirational, I know. But when we look back at the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy and at our now almost daily mass shootings around the country, gun violence, systemic racism and police brutality—I think we have a long way to go. Just for today, let’s practice peace.
Edelstein says, “In July 1969, a full-page advertisement in the Sunday NY Times posed a request to the American public: Hold onto this page for 1 year and hope and pray it’s ended. The hopeful ad appeared one year after the assassination of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, and 6 years after the shooting of President John Kennedy. The copy reads: The trouble is hoping and praying isn’t enough. Violence won’t end unless you’re willing to start the ending. I have held onto to this yellowing page for 51 years; the hope for the end of gun violence nearly extinguished. In the wake of hundreds of multiple mass shooting in U.S. history since this ad appeared, the Senate still can’t take small steps to curb gun violence. “My prayers are with you” congressmen numbingly utter, but in the same breath they greedily whisper “my votes are with the NRA.” Offering prayers but failing to act, make their prayers ring hollow. When are we going to start the ending?”
Sally Edelstein is an award winning collage artist and writer whose work has focused on examining social fictions. Her collage is included in AP High School Literature Text Books appearing besides stories by John Updike and Tom Wolfe. An awards recipient from the Society of Three Dimensional Illustrators, The Art Directors Club of N.Y. and The Society of Illustrators, she has served as a guest lecturer at Fordham University, The New School for Social Research and the US Naval Academy in Annapolis. Trained at the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Syracuse University and The School of Visual Arts, she is a member of Women’s Caucus For the Arts.
Learn more at sallyedelsteincollage.com http://envisioningtheamericandream.com http://retroarama.com and @sallyedelstein
