Gallery exhibition a tribute to Parkland 17

MIAMI (WFOR/CNN/RNN) - Manuel Oliver, the father of Joaquin Oliver, paid tribute to his slain son with a work of art that serves as a call to action.

He painted a portrait of his son, Joaquin, accompanying the message, "We demand a change." 

He took part in a free exhibition at an art gallery over the weekend in Wynwood, put together by Miami Heat player Dwyane Wade. The gallery, called "Parkland 17," honored the victims of the shooting.

Joaquin Oliver,  who was among those who lost their lives in the Parkland, FL, school shooting on Feb. 14, was buried in Wade's jersey.

Wade made a promise to the students of Stoneman Douglas High School after last month's mass shooting.

He said he would play a role in helping them create change.

"Dwyane wanted a way to show support and a tribute to the victims of Parkland, so we decided to have a commemorative exhibition, and then also give the facts. We want everyone to know what guns and gun violence have done to America," said Calyann Barnett, who is Wade's fashion consultant.

"And so the numbers, the facts are up there, and then, a call to action. So although we remember the people, we have to make sure it wasn't in vain," she said. "They didn't die in vain. So there's a call to action, a Ring Your Rep booth where you can actually pick up the phone. It goes right to Washington, DC, and you can voice your opinion on gun control or a number of other issues."

The gallery was open for 12 hours on Saturday, followed by an additional five hours on Sunday.

Manuel Oliver has started a nonprofit in memory of his son. Called "Change the Ref," the initiative is designed to "give the kids of today the tools they need to be empowered to make changes to critical issues that affect our nation, through education, conversation, and activism." 

Copyright 2018 WFOR via CNN. All rights reserved. Raycom News Network contributed to this report.