Powerful Casket Art Display Highlights Impact Of Gun Violence In Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It was a powerful call for peace in North Philadelphia as a large "healing blanket" and casket art display symbolized the despair in the city over deadly gun violence.
"The Memorial" was shown at BKG Funeral Home Saturday afternoon, created by artist Kathryn Pannepacker and peace activist Rosalind Pichardo. The display is a large blanket with small weavings together, draped over a casket. Another casket, filled with shell casings, sat next to the blanket.
It was a heavy reminder of a burden the city knows too well.
"I'm here today for all the lives that have been lost to gun violence," one visitor said. "My brother was one of the victims of gun violence in 2016. His murder is still unresolved."
People wrote names and notes on toe tags and attached them to the blanket.
The moving display comes as the city counts more than 300 homicides in 2021.
Pannepacker says the entire community feels the pain and frustration from those deaths.
"Because we're all going through some stuff," she said. "Every time someone is murdered the community is affected by that loss."
"Part of it is just to take the space and time to reflect on the horrific violence and how that affects peoples lives," one visitor said, adding, "But ideally, hopefully, it's art that activates people to do something about it, but takes action in whatever ways is meaningful."