The Oshkosh West Index - Art students canvass world with memories

Volume 103, Issue 8

Online Features

Art students canvass world with memories

By Kayla Schwalbe
posted 11:25:58 AM CST, May 24, 2007

A perfect gift is a rare treasure in today’s modern world. It is possible to search through countless clothing racks, toy sections, and department stores without ever stumbling across one. Fortunately, the Art Department did not suffer from any of these difficulties while crafting 19 charitable donations. Upper level art students and members of the Art Club recently participated in “The Memory Project,” an organization which orchestrates the giving of portraits to orphans in third world countries.

Art teachers Kelly Spanbauer, Bill Brabender, Linda Geffers, and Jason Ryf pounced upon the opportunity to engage their students in this project.

“We got a brochure on it that came to the school,” said Spanbauer. “And we have 19 students who participated. It started off as an Art Club function, and then moved over to some of the upperclassmen.”

The best and brightest artists were invited to participate in the artistic endeavor, with each young artist painting a child’s likeness from a photograph given to them.

“One of the requirements was that the portraits had to be of college quality,” added Spanbauer.

The art teachers felt it was important for students to be aware of this project.

“It’s not just artwork,” said Brabender. “It’s impacting other people’s lives.”

Spanbauer fully agreed with Brabender, feeling that the project expanded students’ horizons.

“I think global awareness is really important,” she said. “This project is making the artists speakers for all of this; that there are orphanages and kids out there who have nothing.”

Junior Kim Powell, one of the painters, was a strong advocate for participation in the activity.

“I love art,” she said. “So I was happy to do this project. It’s for a great cause. These portraits are really cool gifts for some children who don’t have much else.”

The art teachers felt students invested a lot of time and emotion in each portrait.

“They turned out excellent,” said Spanbauer. “I could tell who painted each one by the style. They really were involved in who their child was; they wanted to know more about them.”

The 19 portraits were featured at the annual art show in a unique display.

“Seeing how people were impacted was so rewarding,” said Spanbauer. “People gave generously at that show because they were affected; they got to see the positive interaction between these kids and community members.”

Brabender also observed the uplifting effects the project had at the art show.

“It’s a selfless act,” he said. “It’s a lot like grace.”

Although the projects have only recently been completed, Powell is already clamoring for more.

“I would love to do this again,” she exclaimed. “It makes me happy that I can make someone’s day brighter by doing something I love.”

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photo by Kailey Lemon

Art students recently completed the Memory Project, a compilation of 19 paintings of children in third world countries. The pictures were then sent back to the children as gifts.

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