Art With a Purpose: "Faces Not Forgotten"

I learned about Faces Not Forgotten from Arlene Rakoncay, the president of the Chicago Women's Caucus for Art.  She sent all members of the CWCA a link to the information about this powerful art project that puts a face on the young victims of gun violence in America's cities. 

The Faces project was started by artist, Christine Ilewski. She began painting portraits of children who have died from victims of gun violence in memory of Lorenzo Rosebaugh. It is her hope that by putting a face to these victims, we can raise awareness about gun violence in the USA.

Posting pictures is a powerful way to promote engagement, as pictures tend to garner more views, likes, shares, and comments than text alone. Join us as we present thirty-four Chicago artists who responded to the call for artists, to join our social justice movement by painting portraits of Chicago youth who have lost their lives as victims of gun violence.

I painted the portraits of Thomas James Randolph and Rolanda Marshall.  The completed portraits have exhibited at Genesis Art Gallery, Bloomingdale Gallery and in June they will exhibit in the Phantom Gallery.  Printed on canvas the portraits will be then stitched together to form a quilt that will become part of a traveling exhibit.  The original portraits will be presented to the families of the victims at a special ceremony at the Phantom Gallery in Chicago.

Rolanda Marshall was 14

Thomas James Randolph was 20