The “Guns and Metal” project took place at North High School in North Minneapolis, an area with a high crime rate. Two shootings had occurred on the school grounds that year. This site was chosen to hold a series of workshops with students and community members. These workshops navigated the theme of violence and culminated in a collaborative artwork reflecting that discussion.
A portable iron furnace was brought to North High School where artists and students destroyed firearms collected through the city’s “Drop your Guns” program. The firearms were submerged in molten iron; this mixture of “guns and metal” was cast into the final artwork. The artwork was installed on the school campus to commemorate the students’ efforts in stopping gun violence.
