The Guardian in Blue: Lauretha Vaird Portrait of Lauretha Vaird by Jonny Castro

From the curator: Neither the artist nor the family of Officer Vaird wrote commentary for the catalog. Jonny Castro is the forensic artist for the Philadelphia Police Department. He makes digital paintings of fallen officers on his own time and presents them to their families. Lauretha Vaird, Laurie, is unfortunately best known for being the first female police officer in Philadelphia to be killed in the line of duty. It is the goal of the Souls Shot portrait project to focus on the lives lived and so follows a bit about Laurie: She worked with special ed students before joining the police force. The female officers were vastly outnumbered by the men and treated highly disrespectfully. She served for many years despite the challenges and raised two sons on her own. She was known as a wonderful cook, a devoted caregiver to her parents, and she earned the nickname of “bag lady” because she always carried large black bags filled with all manner of items - she was prepared! She is still missed by her colleagues, friends, and family as evidenced by posts on a memorial site for her. Jonny beautifully superimposed her official police portrait image onto what looks to be a background of a promising dawn.

The Guardian in Blue: Lauretha Vaird Portrait of Lauretha Vaird by Jonny Castro digital painting on canvas 14” x 18”