'The Wave' turns anti-gay DVDs into pro-tolerance art

​Local artist Lucinda Naylor is turning a negative into a positive. Many were enraged recently when Minnesota Catholic bishops sent out 400,000 DVDs expressing anti-gay marriage sentiments and urging church-going Minnesotans to vote accordingly. Rather than organizing a traditional protest, Naylor decided to turn the DVDs into a powerful piece of pro-tolerance art.

The Wave is a sculpture constructed out of nearly 2,000 of the DVDs. Many of the discs were collected through a Facebook page inviting those who received the mailer to contribute. The piece stands at about 6 feet tall.

The Wave is not a project without controversy--Naylor was recently suspended indefinitely from her part-time job as an artist at the Basilica of St. Mary. Regardless, many of the DVDs she received through the mail arrived with notes of kindness and support for the project.

The Wave will be on view this weekend at 2756 Hennepin Avenue South in the Lyn-Lake neighborhood of Minneapolis. An opening reception will be held this Friday from 5 to 10 p.m. To read more about the project, you can check out the Wave's Facebook page, blog, or check out this article from the Star Tribune.