Wear Orange: Art Looks at Gun Violence

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.