‘American Roulette’ exhibit at Geneva Center for the Arts examines nation’s gun violence

A new traveling art exhibit is bringing a thought-provoking examination of the country’s gun violence epidemic to the Fox Valley.

“American Roulette,” a collection of work from seven artists including Dominic Sansone of Campton Hills and CJ Hungerman of Geneva, opened at the Geneva Center for the Arts on May 20. The exhibit will run through June 17. Admission is free.

“The American Roulette traveling exhibit presents provocative artwork influenced by gun culture and violence. The mission of this exhibit is to evoke strong and thoughtful responses, creating a much-needed platform for productive dialogue across cultural and societal divides and to use these conversations as opportunities to listen and learn from each other,” according to the Geneva Center for the Arts website.

Taylor Egan, executive director of the Geneva Center for the Arts, said the exhibit does not take a political stance about guns, but rather provides an environment for thought and conversation in the community, especially in light of the mass shootings at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, and an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

“Geneva is not protected from [mass shootings] happening,” Egan said. “Through conversation comes growth and that’s what Geneva Center for the Arts is founded on – creating that conversation through art. We want to provide a neutral ground for people who may not see eye-to-eye on different topics to come and have those conversations. I think we can learn from each other.”

Sansone, 47, is the show’s creator. Sansone is a sculptor and created what he described as five large-scale handguns, a cast-aluminum wall piece and a few drawings. He said the oversized sculptures are a “different way” of approaching conversations about guns.

“This is a way of having a conversation and not making it about gun control, but having a conversation about what it means to be a gun owner,” he said. “I’m trying to make [the sculptures] ridiculous, gigantic weapons to show their outsized influence on our culture and society. Everyone reacts differently. [The show] is a way of presenting ideas without being overtly political. People often think it’s a show about gun control or taking guns away and it’s not.”

Hungerman created seven paintings for the exhibit that memorialize those lost to gun violence. He said the show is less about taking a political stance, but more about making people aware of guns and gun safety.

“My work doesn’t cross political boundaries. It memorializes people’s death and abstractly represents the entirety of people getting shot,” he said. “I’m a gun owner and it’s not about taking guns away. I want people to feel whatever emotion they’re going to feel. This is a fantastic exhibit with comprehensive artwork. Each artist is very good at their craft.”

The exhibit has been well-received by those who have seen it, Egan said. She said the exhibit is a “more powerful” show than the gallery usually presents, but as a community art center, they have a responsibility to contribute to important conversations about issues such as gun violence.

“The exhibit lets the viewer come in and soak it in and not have viewpoints forced upon them,” she said. “But I don’t think we can ignore that this conversation is relevant anywhere. I think the incidents of gun violence prove that this is relevant for everyone because it’s not limited to big cities.”

Geneva Center for the Arts is at 321 Stevens St., Suite Q, Geneva. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.