George

Portrait of George Benton

Nancy Mulloy Bonn

oil on canvas board 17” x 21” 2019

From Shirley Shaketa Benton, sister: I want to thank you and everyone else involved for helping my family keep my brother’s memory alive. Not only was he my brother but he was a son, a father, a friend, and confidant as well. This project is bringing awareness to the violence in our city. I pray that my family and others like it get justice for it.

From the curator: The things strike me first off when seeing this portrait in person are George’s pose and expression, and the many colors that the artist incorporated. The confidently folded arms conveys a strength and vulnerability at the same time. The tilt of his head and gentle smile seem to impart awareness and empathy. The richness and many layers of color suggests the richness of this man’s life experience. The lack of detail, except for the striations of color in the background, helps keep the focus on George. It is a relatively small painting, but a powerful one that lets us know he was a powerful man.

Forever Fresh Portrait of Alan Christopher Gray by Elisa Abeloff.

acrylic and photo transfers on canvas 40” x 30” 2019

From Lisa Harmon, Fresh’s (Alan’s) mother: Alan Christopher Gray, or as he was affectionately known, “Fresh”, enjoyed life to the fullest, and if you ever were lucky enough to be around him, you would have felt his joy for life, his commitment to family, his loyalty and friendship. He made you feel like you were the most important person in the room and was genuinely concerned about you and whatever issues you may have had. Fresh, like most people, had his own problems which laid heavily on him. He, however, persevered on and became a good son, father, and to those who were lucky enough, a friend.

From Laura Madeleine: This is an imposing portrait when seen in person - quite large - and what a wonderful way to portray this man who, as his mother described him, exuded joy and friendship. Elisa used some actual photographs in a photo transfer method to create a kind of patchwork collage interwoven with her painting of Fresh. The way she uses color and images seen through thin layers of paint in places gives an ethereal quality the the figure of Fresh. To me it gives a powerful sense of how this man was so very involved in so many lives - he, and his famous smile - live on in collective memory.