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County to host "Into Light" exhibit on fentanyl victims in Government Plaza Atrium in May
Summary
The commission heard a presentation and viewed a video about Into Light, a touring exhibit of portraits and stories of fentanyl overdose victims. The exhibit will be displayed in the Government Plaza Atrium beginning in May and includes portraits of 40 victims from Alabama.
A commissioner announced that the Mobile County Government Plaza Atrium will host an exhibition called Into Light, a touring project of portraits and stories of people who died of fentanyl poisoning. The exhibit — scheduled to be on display in the atrium starting in May — contains portraits and biographical descriptions for 40 Alabama victims of fentanyl overdose.
In a recorded segment played for the commission, Teresa Clauer, the exhibit creator, described how drawing portraits of people who died of fentanyl poisoning helped her process grief after her son’s death and motivated her to create a public project that puts faces and stories to the epidemic. “Drawing him and signing my name at the end of that was my release. That was my goodbye to Devin,” Clauer said in the recorded video.
Why it matters: county officials framed the exhibit as a way to open public conversation about fentanyl, a drug linked in the presentation to a significant number of young-adult deaths. The exhibit pairs portraits with narratives about each person’s life and circumstances of death.
Details and context
The presentation said the touring exhibit includes work and stories gathered from Alabama victims; the commissioner noted that at least one local family (Lori Myles and her son) is represented. The exhibit will be on display in Government Plaza starting in May for approximately one month, and the commissioner said the exhibit’s website is intolightproject.org for more information.
Ending
Commissioners and others present described the exhibit as powerful and encouraged constituents to visit during the display period. The transcript excerpt records the presentation and related comments; it does not record a formal commission action specific to the exhibit.
