The Toy Gun Exchange

For 20 years a group known as F.A.T.H.E.R.S. (Fathers Armed Together to Help Education, Restore and Save Lives) has been working to help inner-city youth. After the mass shooting at the Tops Supermarket on Jefferson Avenue, F.A.T.H.E.R.S created an exchange program where children could bring in their toy guns and receive a healthy non-violent toy. When I read this story in the Buffalo News, I called the director, Lenny Lane, and asked if I could pick up the guns and transform them into public art. He liked the idea and now we are on a mission to make this happen. My first step was laying them out on a tarp in the yard to see what I have to work with. I learned from my Zoo project, that plastics have both strengths and limitations. These guns are very complex with hard components including metal inside. It will take a lot to transform them! To follow the steps as we create something new, follow me on Facebook