Credit: Sofia Pazolli

The Memory Project, which makes a global impact, is a tradition in which some WHS art students take part.

Each year, some members of the Wayland High School art program participate in the Memory Project. The program, founded in 2004 by then college student Ben Schumacher, aims to connect students all over the world by giving young artists an opportunity to create portraits for kids who are orphaned or undergoing difficult circumstances. The project has now expanded since 2004, connecting over 320,000 youth over 57 countries.

“Our intention has expanded to touching the lives of youth around the world facing many types of challenges, while opening our hearts and minds so they can touch ours in return,” Schumacher said.

Though not an artist himself, Schumacher, a social worker, saw art as a form of healing. The idea for the organization came after Schumacher took a post-graduation service trip to an orphanage in Guatemala. While taking photos there, Schumacher was approached by a man who said he had never seen a photo of himself when he was younger because he was an orphan. Schumacher wanted to give the children at the orphanage an opportunity the man never had. As soon as he returned from the trip, Schumacher got to work, connecting high school artists with children around the world through portraits.

“Together we are using art to reach a distant destination: a kinder world in which all youth see themselves in one another regardless of differences in their appearance, culture, religion or circumstances,” Schumacher said.

This year, WHS had the opportunity to draw 30 portraits for children in Cambodia, who eventually will receive the portraits as a keepsake.

Art students received three positive characteristics about the student, and a photograph of the child to work from. They were then asked to draw a portrait of the student using the information they were given. The portraits this year ranged from digital art drawings to paintings. At the end of the project, the student artists attached a photo of themselves, wrote a small message and traced their hand on the back of the portrait, giving the recipient the chance to figuratively embrace the artist.

A video of the child’s reaction is sent to the artist as well, and it helps to further improve the ties between the program’s participants and recipients.

Usually the artists who participate in the project are students in Honors Art 3 or AP Studio Art. Sophomore National Art Honors Society (NAHS) member Sophia Wan drew a portrait for a child this year.

“It’s cool to see that this kid likes doing math, this kid likes doing homework [and] this kid’s favorite color is blue, [since] my favorite color is also blue,” Wan said. “I have these similarities with kids on the other side of the world.”

Wan is waiting to receive the reaction video from her recipient in Cambodia, who she hopes will love the colored-pencil portrait she drew.

“I’m very excited [about getting their reaction] because [the kids] are a lot younger than us, so it’s a bit like having a little sibling, giving a gift to a little sibling has to be really sweet,” Wan said.

Fine arts teacher and artist and illustrator Véronique Latimer got involved in the Memory Project at her previous job after receiving a postcard from the Memory Project, encouraging her school to participate. When she moved to WHS, she decided to bring the project with her.

Often students in higher art levels are producing art for their portfolios, school grades or for college credit, and Latimer thinks that this project will help students detach from the stress of producing art for their futures.

“I really like this [project] because it’s totally voluntary,” Latimer said. “There’s no grade attached, and you’re just making art for kids that are living in a difficult situation, and it’s art for another human being.”

Over the last ten years, portraits have been created for students from Cameroon to Syria. Regardless of where the portraits go, the project is always special according to Latimer.

“It’s just a way of doing something that you like and just letting someone know that you’re thinking about them,” Latimer said.

Each time the portraits are delivered, students are excited to see if theirs will be featured in the video sent by the Memory Project.

A previous art student had done portraits for all four years, and in her fourth year, was still waiting to be featured. The student asked Latimer if it was even possible to be featured in the video.

“The year when she was a senior, in the background, we did see her particular portrait, and it made her so happy,” Latimer said.

Sophomore NAHS member Sophie Chen enjoys producing art inside and outside of school and mainly concentrates on drawing and digital art. Chen also participated in the project this year, making a digital art portrait for her recipient.

“Having something that will bring back dividends like this is going to impact someone else,” Chen said. “It’s heartwarming.”