Escape Pod’s Daley Plaza work addresses gun violence

The Gun Share installation instead holds a row of ten replica AR-15 rifles

The Gun Share installation instead holds a row of ten replica AR-15 rifles

The
“Chicago Gun Share Program”
debuts raises awareness
for the national gun
violence problem

 
Open for viewing from 3 p.m. today
until May 16, the installation sparks conversation and raises funds for the
Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence

 
(Chicago — 9 May 2018) The Escape Pod in partnership with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence announced today that it is launching the Chicago Gun Share Program, an art installation in Daley Plaza that was developed in response to the lack of federal gun regulations and conflicting state laws that would help protect American citizens from unnecessary gun violence.

Designed to resemble popular bike sharing stations in major cities across the country, the installation dramatizes the ease with which a person may obtain a weapon. Rather than containing bikes, the Gun Share installation instead holds a row of ten replica AR-15 rifles.

A poster for the "Chicago Gun Share Program"
A poster for the “Chicago Gun Share Program”

According to The Escape Pod Executive Creative Director Vinny Warren, the art speaks to “an acute problem” that Congress has failed to address.

“Our goal here is to start a conversation on one of the more burning issues of our day, and in the process, raise much needed funds for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence,” he explains. “This issue is especially relevant to our hometown of Chicago, which has suffered more than most from the plague of gun violence. The Escape Pod couldn’t be more excited to partner with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence in this endeavor.”

Forged from aluminum with a steel base, the installation is 18 feet long and 3 ½ feet wide and features signage highlighting the disparity between Illinois and Indiana state gun laws, a local example demonstrating the larger issue that across the country, conflicting state laws may not be enough to prevent gun violence.

“This is a truly remarkable exhibit, and we’re grateful to the team behind the Chicago Gun Share Program for their support,” said Kris Brown and Avery Gardiner, co-presidents of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. “We hope the Chicago community takes advantage of the opportunity to visit this installation and to learn just how simple it is for an everyday civilian to obtain a weapon of war.”

Built by Nicholas Berg of Ojo Customs, the installation also has a solar panel to power lights for the signage and an iPad that uses Square to enable donations to the Brady Center via credit card swipe or card tap.

The social media hashtag supporting the campaign is #GunShare.

 
About The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence
The mission of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence is to create a safer America by cutting gun deaths in half by 2025. The organization played a key role in passing the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act in 1993, which established the background check system that has blocked over 3 million prohibited gun purchases and helped save countless lives. Today, Brady advocates for a three-point plan including expanding background checks to all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and passing Extreme Risk Protection Order laws. For more info or to make a donation, visit www.bradycampaign.org or follow us on Facebook or Twitter: @BradyBuzz.