Memory Project puts a face to childhood abuse and neglect
By Joan Tupponce CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Artist Becky Ward-Morgan helps Thomas Dale High School students Hannah Grubbs (left) and Maddie Wilkinson create portraits of Guatemalan children who have suffered from neglect or abuse.

There's little that can soften the experience of childhood abandonment, abuse or neglect, but through the Memory Project, Thomas Dale High School art students are acknowledging and honoring the struggles some children have endured.

The Memory Project is an initiative where students create portraits for children "who have been abandoned, orphaned, abused or neglected." According to the Project's Web site, the children all live in the homes of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, which cares for more than 3,000 children throughout Latin American and the Caribbean.

Artist Becky Ward-Morgan is excited about spending part of her free time teaching students from the visual arts department at Thomas Dale the techniques of portrait painting. Morgan, coordinator of Art on the Spot at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, is helping 23 selected students prepare portraits to send to the Memory Project.

"The students have caught on really well," Morgan said. "This isn't part of their school work. They have to do it after school and work on holiday breaks."

Shelley Row, an art and graphics teacher at Thomas Dale, learned about the project at the Virginia Art Education Association Conference. Her students became interested in children from other cultures last year when she showed her classes a documentary filmed in Uganda called "The Invisible Children."

"When I heard about it, I felt that the Memory Project related to everything I have been teaching," Row said.

Each student participating in the project was given a digital photograph of a child from Guatemala - the country of focus for this year's project. They will paint portraits from the photos, which will then be delivered to the children by the Memory Project.

"These children really don't have anything of their own," Row explained. "If you send them toys, they can get stolen, or children will fight over them. This is something that is personal to them. It's honoring them and their identity. It helps them build a positive self-image, something tangible they can have."

"It's good for our kids to realize that not everybody has a Wal-Mart down the road," Row continued. "It has sparked good conversations."

Working with Morgan is an added plus for the students.

"It has really helped them," Row said. "Because they are creating the portrait for a child, they are doing more practice drawings and sketches in order to do a really good job. They are very committed to the project."

Students who are participating aren't allowed to learn in-depth information about the children they are painting - Row wishes that wasn't the case.

"For some of our students, the thought never enters their mind that someone's life can be so very different," she said.

Students have been working on the project since October - they will complete their portraits by Jan. 16. They have donated $15 per portrait to help offset the cost of delivery.

"We didn't approach this as a fundraiser, but if anyone would like to make donations to the Memory Project (www.thememoryproject.org) on behalf of Thomas Dale, it would be great," Row said.

When the portraits are finished, students will put their picture on the back along with a note about why they enjoyed painting the child's portrait.

"I like art that helps people," Morgan said. "These kids are really dedicated."