Souls Shot — an exhibition of portrait paintings and sculptures currently on view at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral – is well worth seeing for the quality and variety of the works on display. Almost all of the pieces demonstrate excellent technique, and many of them also embody the more elusive quality of good portraiture, a convincing representation of the character (perhaps even the “soul”) of the person depicted. The works vary in size and technique: some very precise and traditional, and some more expressive and unconventional. A number are highly focused “headshots” while others incorporate lots of social and environmental context.
Beyond these basics, an awareness of the premise of the exhibition makes the experience of seeing the pieces more visceral. The subjects of the portraits — mostly men, mostly Black and mostly young – have lost their lives to gun violence in Philadelphia. The artists have utilized photographs of the victims, often provided to them by the victim’s family, as the basis for the works. Sometimes the photographs contained other family members, or friends, and they may have ended up depicted as well. The portraits are, in effect, memorials to these individuals who have died needlessly — in the case of this exhibition, twenty-four of them.
This is, in fact, the second time a Souls Shot exhibition has been hosted by the Cathedral. The previous edition was in 2022 and, while it was strong, the current year’s is even stronger. Perhaps this is due to the particular group of artists selected or perhaps it is due to a maturing of the concept, which was originated in 2017 for an arts festival at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill that was dedicated to raising awareness of the tragedy of gun violence. (In fact, the full title of the exhibition was Souls Shot – Portraits of Victims of Gun Violence, and it was designed to give support to the group, “Heeding God’s Call to end Gun Violence.”)
The Souls Shot process involves a distinguished jury that selects a group of artists (from the many who apply) and matches these artists randomly with the family of a gun violence victim. The artists meet the families and have an extended interaction as the family informs them about the full human being who will be depicted, and provides them with photographs and memorabilia. The artists, in turn, inform the families about their experiences and philosophy as artists. The intention is that the work that emerges from the exchange will be strengthened by the collaboration.
(acrylic on stretch canvas) Photo courtesy of the author
The founder of the Souls Shot Project, Laura Madeleine, is herself an artist, and she continues to be its Executive Director and Curator. She and two of the artists from this year’s exhibition, Mary Pax and Sondra Rosenberg, took part in a roundtable discussion at the Cathedral, during which they described their motivations for participating and their experiences in working with families and developing the works. Both artists were in agreement that this intensive process of getting to know their subject in depth and understanding who the primary audience for the work would be (that is, these families) pushed them to do their best work. (The artists are ultimately the owners of their works and can sell them with no commission due to Souls Shot, but many artists give their work to the family they’ve been matched with.)
Ultimately, Souls Shot is a political art exhibition in that its entire raison d’être is to raise awareness of the tragedy of gun violence and to spur political action – and social interaction. But, unlike some approaches to political art, the project doesn’t take any shortcuts. Souls Shot seeks to respect the participating artists and the participating families and to respect the viewers of its exhibitions as well, in that they are presented with a worthwhile art experience independent of its political goals.
Souls Shot is up at The Cathedral through the end of August. If you’ve never seen an art exhibition at the Episcopal Cathedral, that experience alone is well worth the effort. The space itself is beautiful, and its community strives to maintain the European tradition of cathedrals acting as cultural centers. Besides visual arts exhibitions, they host musical, dance and theatrical programs. Hours are limited, though, so it is best to call to check on them or to make an appointment for a visit. Cathedral Arts.
