FROM K-F-F SHOWS ONE IN FIVE ADULTS SAY A FAMILY MEMBER HAS BEEN KILLED BY A GUN, INCLUDING DEATH BY SUICIDE. ABOUT 120 AMERICANS DIE FROM GUN VIOLENCE EVERY SINGLE DAY. THAT’S A NUMBER THAT CONTINUES TO RISE EVERY DECADE. SO FAR THIS YEAR, THERE HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 140 MASS SHOOTINGS. ONE ARTIST IS USING HER MEDIUM TO SPEAK TO THE TRAUMA OF GUN VIOLENCE, MELTING DOWN GUNS AND TURNING THEM INTO WHAT SHE CALLS LIBERTY BELLS. WE VISITED STEPHANIE MERCEDES AT HER STUDIO AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND IN COLLEGE PARK, WHERE SHE SPOKE ABOUT HOW HER PERSONAL EXPERIENCES ARE SHAPING HER WORK. THIS WORK RIGHT HERE IS A REALLY IMPORTANT AND VERY PERSONAL PIECE TO ME. IT IS A SIX HOUR M6 RIFLE, WHICH WAS THE EXACT MODEL OF RIFLE THAT WAS USED BY THE ORLANDO PULSE CLUB SHOOTER. I DECIDED TO MELT DOWN AND TRANSFORM IT INTO 49 LIBERTY BELLS FOR EACH OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES. THAT NIGHT. I’M GAY. I’M LATINA. I REALLY FELT LIKE I VERY EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN IN THAT CLUB. AND IT REALLY INSPIRED THIS ENTIRE BODY OF WORK. THIS SCULPTURE RIGHT HERE IS CAST OUT OF A COMBINATION OF ALUMINUM, BULLET CASINGS AND ALSO GUNS. TODAY, WE’RE GOING TO BE TAKING GUNS AND WE WILL BE FORGING THEM, GRINDING THEM AND ALSO CUTTING THEM. AND THEN I WILL ADD IT ON TO THIS VERY LARGE SCALE, 25 FOOT LONG SCULPTURE THAT I’M CURRENTLY WORKING ON. I NEVER IMAGINED THAT I WOULD HAVE THIS MUCH CONTACT WITH BULLET CASINGS OR GUNS. AND I THINK THAT AS A RESULT, MY RELATIONSHIP TO GUNS HAS REALLY CHANGED. I THINK THAT WHEN I LOOK AT A BULLET CASING, I IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO THINK, HOW CAN I DESTROY YOU? OR HOW CAN I MELT YOU DOWN? I LOVE WORKING WITH MY STUDENTS WHO COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND BEING ABLE TO TEACH THEM THESE TOOLS THAT IN MANY WAYS WERE THE TOOLS OF THE OPPRESSOR AND GIVE THEM GIVE IT BACK INTO THEIR HANDS THAT THEY CAN REALLY CREATE WHATEVER THEY WANT, I THINK IS VERY POWERFUL. A LOT OF TIMES YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE IS A MASS SHOOTING OR IF A SHOOTING HAPPENS, THE NEWS WILL IMMEDIATELY SHOW YOU A PICTURE OF A GUN. AND THAT’S SO COMPLETELY RETRAUMATIZING FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LOVED ONES TO GUN VIOLENCE. AND SO I REALLY HOPE THAT BY COMPLETELY TRANSFORMING THE MATERIAL FROM ONE FORM THAT FEELS VERY HORRIFIC AND SOMETHING WHICH FEELS MUCH MORE SOFT AND DELICATE AND HOPEFUL THAT THERE IS KIND OF THIS LANGUAGE OF TRANSFORMATION AND ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF HOPE OF WHAT COULD BE IN THE FACE OF GUN VIOLENCE. MANY PEOPLE FEEL THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO. MY ULTIMATE GOAL IS THAT I REALLY HOPE THAT THE WORK CAN TOUCH PEOPLE AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO FEEL THE RIPPLE EFFECTS OF GUN VIOLENCE AND TO HAVE A AN