An art exhibition titled "Unspoken Resilience: Healing from the Lewiston Shootings Two Years In" will open at the University of New England Art Gallery in Portland on September 25, 2025, coinciding with Deaf Culture Week. Co-curated by Michelle Ames and Meryl Troop, the show features works by deaf artists and artisans, alongside photographs by Michael Kolster documenting Lewiston, Maine, where a mass shooting in 2023 killed 18 people and injured 13. Four of the victims were deaf, and two other deaf individuals were injured, making this the only mass shooting in U.S. history to disproportionately impact the Deaf community. The exhibition runs through February 7, 2026, and includes contributions from American Sign Language interpreters.
The exhibition matters because it addresses ongoing issues of communication access for the Deaf community in the wake of a tragedy that highlighted systemic neglect. By centering deaf artists and interpreters, the show aims to sustain awareness and advocacy beyond initial promises of improved access, which have since waned. It also serves as a communal healing space, celebrating resilience through art while educating hearing audiences about Deaf culture. The show is a rare instance of an art institution directly engaging with a marginalized community's trauma and cultural identity, potentially fostering broader dialogue and policy attention.