Cypress Ridge High School art teacher Shawna Billet poses next to her works of art that she contributed to “Pulse/49: A Texas Remembrance Exhibition.” She joined four other artists for the exhibit, which honored the victims of the Pulse nightclub tragedy five years ago in Orlando, Fla. and was on display at the Texas State Capitol Building. Billet’s three pieces, from left, were titled “Into the Darkness,” “Finding Light,” and “Radiant Life.”

June 28, 2021—Cypress Ridge High School art teacher Shawna Billet recently had three works of art featured in a group show on display at the Texas State Capitol Building. She joined four other Texas artists in “Pulse/49: A Texas Remembrance Exhibition,” which honored the victims of the Pulse nightclub tragedy five years ago in Orlando, Fla. 

Billet contributed three pieces to the exhibit titled “Into the Darkness,” “Finding Light,” and “Radiant Life.”

“My contribution to this group show was to provide healing to those who have experienced loss,” she said. “I created works that are intended for the viewer to experience grief, peace and the celebration of life.”

Billet has exhibited art and contributed to shows across Texas since coming to Cypress Ridge in 2013. The Pulse project began roughly a year ago, with Billet joining the other artists in weekly Zoom meetings for planning, collaborating and creating.

The exhibit ran June 11-17, with an opening reception featuring the artists and guests the first day. June 12 marked the fifth anniversary of the tragedy, an attack resulting in 49 deaths.

“This has been a yearlong effort and working weekly with this group of artists and creating these massive works of art to hopefully provide healing to the nation,” Billet said.