Wrentham Art Students Participate In International Memory Project

WRENTHAM, MA — National Art Society Students at King Philip Regional High School in Wrentham participated in the recently-completed International Memory Project, said the school in a news release.

The Memory Project is part of an international effort to create keepsake portraits for children living in desperate situations, many of whom who have experienced trauma and loss. Each year, the project chooses the countries where children would benefit most from the artwork, and this year's portraits went to children living in Cameroon.

"Our participation in the Memory Project was on shaky ground this year because of the pandemic in terms of school schedules, hybrid/remote learning and travel safety," said Fine Arts Teacher Shannon Cress in a statement. "In spite of these obstacles, we persevered and I'm very proud of the dedication these students displayed. This project felt even more important this year, not only because of the pandemic, but also because of the social unrest and political divide in our country. Connecting student-to-student across the globe was a powerful experience for all involved."

This year, 13 National Art Honor Society students at King Philips Regional High School used various mediums to create a portrait of a child based on a photo sent to them by The Memory Project.

Once the portraits were completed, they were sent back with a photo of the artist holding up their work, a personal note written in the child's native language, and a monetary donation to cover the cost of shipping.

A complete gallery of this year's portraits can be found here. To view a video of the children receiving their portraits, click here.