Wear Orange: Art Looks at Gun Violence
The Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action, a grassroots network of Everytown for Gun Safety, is presenting Wear Orange, Art Looks at Gun Violence. Over fifty artists from around the country, including 17 survivors of gun violence answered the call for art addressing any aspect of gun violence.
The 25 minute movie was made for Wear Orange 2021, June 4-6, by volunteers of the Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. The virtual gallery of all the work accepted into the show can be viewed at www.easthamptoncityarts.com/wearorange.
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Doris W. MadsenDirector
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Doris W. MadsenProducer
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Project Type:Music Video, Short
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Runtime:25 minutes 31 seconds
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Completion Date:June 3, 2021
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Production Budget:950 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Doris Madsen was born and raised in post war New Jersey. She went off to Smith College where she majored in art. After graduating in 1974, she remained in the area; the Connecticut River Valley was a perfect place to put down roots and raise a family.
Early upon graduating college, Doris became involved in many causes, beginning with saving the Alumnae Gymnasium at Smith College from being torn down and joining with members of Smith College’s trade unions in their struggle to earn a retirement proportionally equal to faculty. While her children were young, she served as board President of the Northampton Survival Center and was active in the Friends of the Easthampton Library where she advocated to bring the Easthampton Public Library into what would soon be the twenty-first century.
After earning her master’s degree in library science, Doris began a career at the Springfield City Library where she really loved working with the public. Here she learned that art and libraries build community.
About this time (2000) Easthampton’s growing creative scene drew in many volunteers, including Doris, to create and build the art community, a transition which is here to stay and now marks the first year of the Easthampton Film Festival. Doris Madsen returned to making art and in 2006 became an artist member of Zea Mays Printmaking in Florence, MA.
Upon retiring from the Library, she spent more time as a printmaker and enjoyed the challenge of curating art exhibits in Easthampton. After becoming a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, she organized and curated an exhibit of art created around the issues of gun violence. Since this was being done during the pandemic it made sense to create the movie which could be viewed virtually by many.
Doris Madsen looks forward to scheduling screenings in faith-based organizations and in Springfield where Moms Demand Action joins with many community partners in their work for safer communities. She continues creating prints where she focuses on the intersections of social justice, art and activism.
Wear Orange: Art Looks at Gun Violence was shaped by the pandemic, the events of 2020-21 and my work as a printmaker. My art work took some sharp turns as I responded to the subject matter on my work table, the journey of the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower in 1620.
Juxtaposed with events such as the murders of Brianna Taylor in March 2020 and George Floyd in May 2020 my work regarding the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags took on a greater meaning for me when I realized the turmoil in our communities had their beginnings 400 (and more) years ago.
At this same time I was volunteering in Springfield Massachusetts with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America getting to know mothers who had lost their adult sons to homicide by firearms, murders that were still unsolved. When I decided to curate a show of artists who had responded to issues of gun violence, it came full circle with events of the day and the struggles of people of color.
The film reflects all the single voices, each of love and kindness, joining together to make a statement about the many horrors of gun violence. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I feel honored to present these voices.