Ten Hamburg art students created hand drawn portraits for children in Ethiopia for The Memory Project. They will be sending the portraits via mail in early February for delivery to the children to keep.
“I really enjoyed having the opportunity of being able to experience drawing a child from another country as well as sharing it with them,” said Hamburg senior Samantha Brown.
“I liked being able to be a part of something like this,” said senior Mary-Kate Haas. “It makes me happy to know that something I drew can make someone else happy.”
According to www.memoryproject.org, “The Memory Project is a nonprofit organization that invites art teachers and their students to create portraits for youth around the world who have faced substantial challenges, such as neglect, abuse, loss of parents, and extreme poverty. The portraits help the children feel valued and important, to know that many people care about their well being, and to act as meaningful pieces of personal history in the future. For the art students, we want this to be an opportunity to creatively practice kindness and global awareness.”
Hamburg Area High School Art Teacher Rebecca Dommel said, “The purpose of the project is to create an appreciation for children of other cultures and to make an artistic connection with youth in Ethopia.”
Ten high school art students volunteered to participate in the project in various grades. The art was created in the first semester of this school year.
Dommel read about The Memory Project and wanted to involve her students.
“I thought it was a good opportunity and shared it with students,” she said. “I hope that students learn to value themselves and each other. I believe it is a good experience for students to learn about world cultures and create a human connection through their artwork.”
For the children in Ethiopia, she said, “It makes them feel valued and will bring them joy from this experience. The artwork is a gift for them.”