(Photo: Leslie Lee and Lisa Dell’Anno)
Soul Boxes! Hundreds of thousands of little 3X3 origami boxes have been created across the country. Each one carries the name of a gunfire victim or a person impacted by gun violence, and an image or a message of protest or hope.
The Soul Box Project was founded by Portland artist Leslie Lee in October 2017 after the mass shooting in Las Vegas. To watch a video about Leslie Lee and the Soul Box Project, click this link: https://vimeo.com/322383733.
- A single panel of 392 boxes is currently on display at the Bedford Gallery from July until September 15.
- During August, there will be eight individual panels at the Orinda Library, a total of 784 boxes.
And yes, Lisa has facilitated enough boxes just in this area to have two powerful exhibits at the same time, illustrating the staggering number of victims of gun violence, defense, accidents, and suicides.
Lisa Dell’Anno is a retired engineer, a grandmother of two boys, and an advocate for gun safety. “The news about gun violence is just appalling,” explains Lisa. According to the CDC, in 2022 there were more than 48,000 firearm-related deaths in the United States, an average of about 132 people each day. Over half of firearm-related deaths were suicides; more than four out of 10 were firearm homicides. Firearm injuries were the leading cause of death among children and teens ages 1-19.
Lisa believes that Americans shouldn’t have to worry about school shootings and random shootings at shopping centers. A lot can be done to tighten up loopholes in gun purchases, banning AK-type weapons with large capacity magazines, and prohibiting un-registered ghost guns.
Lisa volunteers for three organizations: Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, LWVDV, and the Soul Box Project. Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a national grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures to protect against gun violence. The League is non-partisan; it advocates for legislation using its position on gun safety.
Volunteering for the Soul Box Project was a natural evolution for Lisa once she saw the power of visual arts to bring awareness to the gun violence epidemic. Hearing about statistics is one thing-- it might go in one ear and out the other – but Lisa knew that seeing a big display of handmade decorated boxes, like the one at the Orinda Library -- which will represent 6 days of firearm deaths in America -- has a greater impact, maybe enough to change people’s minds about the acceptability of a prevalent gun culture.
Anyone can make a soul box and send it in to be part of the Soul Box Project. You can also join Lisa on Saturday, August 3, from 2:30-4:30 pm at the Art Gallery in Orinda Library to make and decorate a soul box.
by Sue Brandy, LWVDV Gun Violence Team
