About the exhibition:

Gun violence in Philadelphia is an unrelenting crisis—one that claims lives, inflicts direct and indirect trauma, and leaves individuals, families, and communities in a perpetual state of mourning. This ongoing body of work, ‘this never-ending violence,’ is an acknowledgment of loss and fear, an attempt to hold space for pain and grief, and a confrontation of the realities that shape safety, privilege, and vulnerability.

As a white female living in Philadelphia from 2022 to 2024, Towsley recognizes their position within this crisis— while no one is immune to violence, the statistical disparities reveal stark injustices. This artwork does not seek to speak for others but rather to mourn, honor, and remember those who have suffered inequity through personal experiences and research.

Gun violence in the United States is not an isolated phenomenon; it is deeply entangled with legacies of oppression, economic disparity, and social neglect. Yet, despite its devastating toll, our collective desensitization persists. How do we continue to witness such suffering without becoming numb? What does it mean to acknowledge violence without resigning to its inevitability?

Not having grown up in Philadelphia, making this work has been an essential process of reckoning with the city Towsley came to call home. It is a call to recognize the present reality for so many, to engage thoughtfully in remembering those the city has lost and to consider what a future of healing could look like.

(Funding for this exhibition has been made possible by The Puffin Foundation, Ltd.)

ABOU THe ARTIST:

Kately Towsley is an interdisciplinary artist making work about the human experience. Engaging with memory and social issues, she is interested in ritual acts of care, remembrance, and mourning, collective and individual narratives, and micro/macro reflections.

Learn more at katelytowsley-art.com