Standing at the heart of this exhibition, Preserving Our Joy centers on a vital, ongoing labor of love: finding joy, tending to it, and fiercely keeping it alive. Without joy, we have nothing. It is something we must actively protect, cultivate, and fight for—not just within ourselves, but by safeguarding the safety and joy of those around us.

Qualls reminds us to remember what brings us light and who holds our hearts, treating those connections as precious sources to be nurtured. As the newest release in this four-part series—and one of the final two pieces left in the gallery’s collection—this piece stands as a testament to the persistent, beautiful work of keeping joy alive in our lives.