About Us
The Stigma
“A mark of disgrace/shame associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.”
The Story
Domenic has a family member who has been struggling with opioid use disorder for the last 14 years. What started with a few Oxycontin pills eventually turned into a full-blown addiction, complete with all the attendant suffering and pain so many other victims and their loved ones have experienced.
To help relieve his own feelings of helplessness and pain, Domenic turned to his art, both to give voice to his family’s sense of loss and frustration, and to bring attention to the devastation of the opioid epidemic and those who have profited from it.
“The Opioid Spoon (Purdue) sculpture symbolizes the pain I have felt watching my family member fall into the grip of addiction. I never realized the piece would resonate with so many people who have experienced the same thing. The road to recovery can be difficult and discouraging, and it is a journey that is not well understood. There are still a lot of people who don’t understand that addiction is a complex treatable medical disease that can change the chemical composition of the brain.”
The Opioid Spoon sculpture was intended to bring awareness and accountability to the architects of this crisis that has claimed over a million lives. This epidemic transcends economic standing, race, or religion. It does not discriminate.
“Opioids continue to be widely available in our country. But the dealer is not just standing on a street corner or in a back alley, they are also dressed in a suit and working behind a desk at a corporate headquarters. The only ones ‘winning’ here are the pharmaceutical companies and their distributors, fueled by greed and an immense marketing engine, and blind to the suffering and misery of the opioid users and their families."
"The Purdue Spoon is a wake-up call for a society that supports and enables the corporate greed of big pharma. It is a symbol of solidarity for those struggling and those lost, and a warning for those not yet enslaved. It calls out “You are not alone!”. I don’t have the answer how to end the epidemic and I don’t hold the cure for addiction, so my only weapon is to try to increase awareness and hold accountable those responsible. Only then can we make any step forward in battling this disease."
Through activism, we hope to effect change and continue to bring awareness to the crisis through events, speaking engagements and via social media. We hope to help alleviate the stigma around drug addiction, advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves and bring support and empathy to those families and addicts who continue to deal with addiction. We will not be silenced.
DETAILS: The“Purdue Spoon” is constructed from 16 gauge steel, it weighs 800 pounds. It measures 10.5 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 4 feet tall. The bowl of the spoon has a burnt metal patina.
Join us in making an impact
Join us in making an impact
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The Memorial Doors Project
Remembering the half million lives lost to The Opioid Crisis
Our activism led us to meet thousands of families devastated by the opioid crisis. The pain and heartbreak we witnessed during our travels were intense. The memories and stories of there loved one is all they have left. This project is a way to memorialize the lives lost. The everyday stories of growing up, birthday parties, and proms are all part of our memories.
This project is about telling stories.