Editor’s note: This story contains references to gun violence and suicide, which some readers may find disturbing.

The Open Doors: Art in Action project hosted an art exhibit reception on April 4 to raise awareness for gun violence, featuring pieces from local and national artists and guest speakers from gun control nonprofits. Displayed in the main hall of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, the exhibition is open to the public through May 7.

The exhibit, titled “Ending Gun Violence: Healing Our Souls,” includes paintings, sculptures, multimedia pieces and photography series all inspired by the impacts of nationwide gun violence, including three artworks submitted by NAU students.

At the reception, representatives from the nonprofit collective Moms Demand Action and the advocacy group No Do-Overs gave speeches advocating for firearm reform and proper gun storage.

Julie Paez, survivor lead of Moms Demand Action, said she got involved with the organization after surviving a 2015 mass shooting in California where 14 of her friends were killed. Paez was shot twice with an AR-15.

“There have been so many victims of gun violence in the United States, including children in schools,” Paez said. “I just don’t think it’s taken seriously enough. We’ve seen recently the attorney general talk about taking action regarding protesting or damaging Teslas. I feel like there’s more action being taken against vandalism to Teslas than there is for children being saved in schools.”

According to the Arizona Public Health Association, school shootings in the U.S. increased 1,400% over the last 50 years and went up 30% per year from 2011 to 2022.

Paez said she was alarmed by the prevalence of pro-firearm policies in Arizona’s state Senate, which passed two pro-gun bills this year that are awaiting decision by the state House of Representatives.

One of these bills, SB 1020, was introduced in January by Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers and would make it illegal for universities and colleges in the state to prohibit concealed carry.

“Just knowing that in colleges where you have a lot of drinking, where emotions are very high or very low sometimes, I don’t think it’s a place where more weapons, or concealed carry, are needed,” Paez said.

NAU art education major Ezekial Hodo, whose digital painting was featured in the exhibition, said his battles with mental health were a primary motive in entering his art for consideration.

Hodo’s painting depicts a close-up portrait of a distraught person contemplating suicide contrasted with the scene of a young child’s birthday party. In his artist statement for the piece, titled “Moribund,” he said the painting draws on the fact that over half of the U.S. gun-related deaths in 2023 were suicides.

“It’s been somewhat on my mind,” Hodo said. “The show sort of gave it an anchor. It felt like, ‘OK, there’s a grounded, central idea that I can focus on,’ and then I can insert in what makes it my own.”

Hodo said it was still a struggle to depict such a heavy subject, and he had to walk a fine line in doing so.

“I wanted to make sure I handled it with a level of respect and gracefulness,” Hodo said. “I spent a lot of time before the deadline coming up with something that I felt was thought-provoking but still respectful.”

No Do-Overs founders Bruce and Claire Petillo spoke at the reception about changing gun storage legislation. The organization campaigns for Christian’s Law, which would hold adult gun owners accountable when they fail to properly secure weapons in the presence of minors.

Bruce Petillo said the organization has worked to get Christian’s Law passed for just under three years. The law would apply a Class 6 felony to adults that leave firearms unattended near minors and a Class 4 felony if the minor is injured or killed by the firearm.

The Petillos’ 15-year-old son, Christian Petillo, spent the night at a friend’s house on Sept. 5, 2021. At the sleepover, one of the other teenagers had brought a loaded gun, which went off when the children were passing it around.

Christian Petillo died later that day after undergoing surgery in a Level One trauma center. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s office ruled his death an accident, and there were no criminal charges against anyone involved.

“We just decided we couldn’t be silent anymore,” Bruce Petillo said. “We decided we needed to stand up and share Christian’s story so that no more kids, no more families, have to endure senseless deaths. These are preventable deaths. These aren’t accidents. If the adults who own the gun are responsible, this doesn’t happen.”

The Christian’s Law legislation was inspired by Ethan’s Law, a bill passed in Connecticut with bipartisan support in 2019 which requires guns be properly stored and inaccessible to minors.

The Petillos said they have faced heavy resistance and flippant responses from legislative figures in Arizona, particularly Republican candidates, while trying to get Christian’s Law passed.

Bruce Petillo said Arizona state Sen. John Kavanagh told them Christian’s Law would not pass without the National Rifle Association adopting a neutral position on the bill, and he refused to acknowledge it further.

“When we sit and talk with representatives in Washington and down in Phoenix, we look them square in the eye and we tell them, ‘We know what’s going to happen if things don’t change,’” Bruce Petillo said. “‘Next year, there’s going to be another parent sitting next to us with a similar story,’ and it’s because they didn’t have the courage to act and do what was right.”

The reception ended with organizers providing instructions on how to get involved with the nonprofit groups. More information on the Flagstaff chapter of Moms Demand Action and the No Do-Overs campaign can be found on their respective websites.