Portraits from the 9/11 tragedy
 

I hope I am posting this in the correct place as I see that nothing has been posted recently. I had a question. :? Have any of you been contacted several months ago concerning the 9-11 tragedy and portraits? There was attempts being made to connect victims families with portrait artists in order to preserve the memories of lost ones in 9-11.

I just wondered about this as I had been contacted and hadn't heard much more. I had a family who was interested in such a donation and was so privileged to have been contacted, yet I somehow have lost contact.

Please tell me if you are contacted at all.

Thanks,
Patt

Patt,

The person in charge of this project is Wendy McArthur on my site. You can always email her and find out what's going on.

:) Thanks Cynthia, I realize that she is the one to contact.I suppose I was wondering if any had already been contacted and started. She said that she had found a family for me and thought they had contacted me. Just curious about the others.

Thanks again,
Patt

I haven't been contacted yet.

Renee Price

I also have left messages and have not heard anything.

I wasn't aware this thread existed so I posted yesterday under Cafe Guerbois, asking who else was involved.

I have been contacted as part of the 9/11 firefighters portrait project and I'm about halfway through the painting I'm creating for a family. I think I was simply one of the first artists to respond to the initial query so I was one of the first ones to get matched with a family. I believe they're matching up artists and families in the order that the requests come in. I understand that it is still too difficult for many families to cope with this tragedy and that the organizers may be getting fewer families involved than they initially thought. Maybe as time goes by there will be more families participating.

I've been working through Margaret Herman who, I guess, is working with Wendy McArthur.

Michele,

I believe that Margaret is Wendy's sister-in-law.

Thanks, Michele for your information.

I was just contacted once again by Margaret with apologies. It appears there was a mix-up with my contact. Understandably so, with all that has happended. The same with me, as soon as I got the initial e-mail from Margaret I had replied. I think we are on the road again. I am most looking forward to the portrait. Can you post yours or maybe you have in another thread ?

Thanks again. Are there any suggestions you might make for me as you have already started the process?

Patt :)

I will probably put the finished piece on my Stroke of Genius website and I'll try to remember to put a link to it from the Forum, too. I don't expect it to be done for a few weeks yet, at least.

One thing I'd suggest as you get started is that you get permission from the family in writing to paint the portrait and that it's okay with them for you to use the image later in your portfolio, etc. I always do that for any portrait, and I felt it was particularly important in this case.

Patt, I'd be interested to see your painting too, when you're done or in progress, if you like. Good luck!

One of the artists who is no longer a member of this forum asked me to post the following which came to him from Margaret McArthur, who is handling the 9/11 project:

Thanks for your inquiry about the portrait project. Families have been a little slower than anticipated about getting in touch with us, but our contact in NYC assures me that, as one might imagine, families are still very stressed. I'm hopeful that success breeds interest, and we are working very well with the artists and families who have started the portrait process. I'm sending the first letter that went out to interested artists which should describe the particulars of the project. I will also add your name to our artist list and will plan to send occasional e-mail updates until we send you the name of a family. Many thanks for joining our growing project. Margaret

Dear Portrait Artist,

I offer thanks in several languages as we have had offers for our memorial portrait project from artists around the world: danke, merci, gracia, dank u wel! We thank you all for your enthusiasm and generosity. Thanks to all who included web sites for review and to those who added comments or suggestions. The details of the project are as follows:

Coordinated through the Uniformed Fire Officers Assoc.(UFOA), a letter will be sent this week to families of firefighters who lost a family member on Sept. 11, 2001. The letter will explain the memorial project, the nature of the gift to the family, and will include general details about posthumous portraits (photo recommendations, good quality photo reproductions for the artist,etc.) Given the trauma these families have endured, we are trying hard to be sensitive and thoughtful about timing while getting this project off the ground. To that end, we are not including a deadline for response but I will work to connect families and artists quickly as responses come in.

As families respond, I will put a family in touch with an artist, or vice versa, pending the advice of the UFOA. We would like to suggest a head and shoulders portrait, either 20x24 or 24x30. Details such as portrait medium, number and variety of photos requested, schedule for portrait work and completion will be left up to the individual artist. I see my role as a coordinator and clearinghouse rather than as an intermediary once the artist/family connection has been made. I will certainly be available for problem-solving should the need arise. I would like to be informed about portrait progress and notified once a portrait is completed. In the best of worlds, I would love to have many more artists than we need (and should this happen, we'll expand the scope of the project, perhaps, to include policemen and women, and then on from there.)

This is a huge undertaking, and I can't thank you enough for your willingness to commit your time and talents. Your sensitivity and professional approach is greatly appreciated and, ultimately, the likeness of a loved one lost in the madness of September 11 will be a gift for posterity.

I hope that this note explains the scope and particulars of our project. If, after reading this, the project is NOT one you are willing to sign on for, please e-mail me and I will remove your name from our artist list. Otherwise, your original e-mail inquiry (or sign-up, as it were!) assumes that you are now a valued participant in the PORTRAIT PROJECT 911. Update to follow as we hear from families. Many thanks.

Margaret Herman McArthur

Opportunity to donate civilian portrait
 

Is there someone who would be interested in donating a portrait of one of the 9/11 civilians who died?

I have completed my Firefighter portrait and have given it to his widow, as part of the 9/11 Portrait Project that has been mentioned previously on this Forum. It was a tremendously moving experience. Afterwards I was contacted by a woman who lost her only daughter in the tragedy.

Her story is heart-rending. The mother and daughter were truly best friends. I know that a posthumous portrait can go a long way toward healing someone's grief and I thought I would ask Forum participants if someone would like to donate a painting to this woman, of her daughter.

Please contact me via e-mail if interested and I can give you the details.

Thanks!

The timing on this is unfortunate. Marie Therese Heumesser on my site is very interested in contributing by doing a portrait. She was just in New York in the hopes of making contact with the family of one of the victims. It sounded like she had already been assigned a family with Wendy's 9/11 Portrait Project, but with the anniversary so close, the family apparently wasn't emotionally able. Even if she's been assigned a family, her enthusiasm for this is such that you might consider contacting her. Even if she's been assigned a family, maybe she would be willing to do two portraits.

I guess Wendy's project is just for firefighter's families?

Thanks, Cynthia. I will contact her. At this point, Wendy's project is just for firefighters.

Michele,

This is truly a wonderful thing for the families; and thankful that Margaret and Wendy had such a great idea. I know well how a posthumous portrait can heal. I've done a few. I have my contact in New York, and the portrait of her husband is in its early umber stages now.

I have now been contacted by someone here about two firefighters, who were also in the 9/11 from my state of West Virginia, and about doing a posthumous portrait of them. I am looking into it.

Each time I have spoken to the widow in New York, I get goose bumps again as it touches her so that we as artists are involved in this and I feel ever so honored to be part of it myself.

Would you mind if I ask you, Michele, whether you presented it with a frame or what is a good appropriate way to handle that? Locally, when I am commissioned, I ask whether they wish me to frame it and we work it out. I think they present so well with one. I realize that it is up to each individual but wondered about the idea.

Thanks,
Patt

I did include a frame with the portrait.

Oh, my! I've just seen your "Tribute in Light: Portrait of Douglas Oelschlager, F.D.N.Y." and it is truly wonderful! Count me in for any help you may need.

Julianne

Here's an update on the status of the portrait for the mother who lost her daughter on 9/11. I have made arrangements for one of the artists who e-mailed me to work with the mother. Thank you to the many artists who contacted me to offer their services!