With SNAFU , Salfi creates a body of work that addresses a difficult subject , one that people often try to avoid . She aims to create new lines of dialogue , conversation , and awareness by placing SNAFU in public spaces such as universities , galleries , and libraries . Most recently , her red guns were exhibited in a student-organized show at
Cornell University , which brought light to the following mass shootings :
1 . University of Texas-Austin 1966 2 . Columbine High School 1999 3 . Virginia Tech 2007 4 . Northern Illinois University 2008 5 . Oikos University 2012 6 . Sandy Hook Elementary School 2012 7 . Santa Monica College 2013 8 . UC Santa Barbara 2014 9 . Marysville Pilchuck High School 2014 10 . Umpqua Community College 2015
In 2016 , they were displayed in the Tompkins County Public Library in
Ithaca , New York on book shelves where most people , who were not necessarily seeking out art , could see the work . Although there were mixed reactions , the feedback was predominantly positive , with library visitors thanking Salfi for addressing the issue .
Some , however , did not feel that the public display of such a disturbing and political subject matter belonged in a library setting .
But Salfi wanted a public library as the location for this artwork because it is a space associated with learning and the sharing of knowledge . By placing these specific pieces in a public space where children , students , parents and families frequent , Salfi transforms the art project into a public education project .
The public display component of these pieces allows for an interactive and tactile viewer experience , but it also means that the artworks are easy to remove , especially since the plywood is relatively light . After only three days of being on display on the book shelves , the Columbine art piece , about the 1999 high school massacre of 12 students and one teacher , was stolen . Salfi was above all curious to know the poacher ’ s motives . It was not a particularly valuable piece in terms of monetary worth , nor was it the type of piece one would want to hang in their home . This left Salfi questioning whether whoever took the painting had a particular positive interest in the weapon or in the shooting , a thought that unsettled her . A month later the original was returned , anonymously .
Katie Beeton is an avid writer and advocate of the arts . Born and raised in England , Beeton obtained a first class honours degree from the University of Sussex in B . A History of Art with a Proficiency in Italian , and then went on to graduate with a Masters of Arts Politics from Tisch School of the Arts , New York University . Interested in the intersection of contemporary arts and politics across diverse cultures , Beeton has worked within galleries , auction houses , and online art companies in London and New York . Beeton is currently based in New York City and continues to write about and explore the world of art and activism .
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