Laura Madeleine, the Wyndmoor artist who co-founded “Souls Shot” with Chestnut Hill artist Rebecca Thornburgh, puts the final touches on a portrait of gun violence victim Kenyon Lakei Allford, Jr.[/caption]

by Len Lear

"Souls Shot: Portraits of Victims of Gun Violence,” one of the most heart-wrenching, compelling art exhibits one could ever see, will premiere its third edition of original fine art portraits on Friday, Nov. 1, in Chestnut Hill at Widener Hall in the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill.

There will be an opening reception that day with doors opening at 6:30 p.m., a program featuring State Sen. Art Haywood and soprano Veronica Chapman-Smith at 7:30, and ending at 9 p.m. It is free and open to the public. The exhibition is on view throughout November.

This activist art project randomly pairs fine artists with families and friends of victims of gun violence in Philadelphia. The artists, seven of whom live in Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy or Wyndmoor, meet with the family members to learn about the lives that were lived before the tragic gun violence. The artists are charged with portraying the person either graphically or through narrative, symbolism or metaphor.

The artists who participate are passionate about this tribute to those affected by the violence, and most are not traditional portrait artists. The variety of styles, approaches and mediums used by the artists point up the uniqueness of each of the souls represented by the project.

Here is the image of “Bianca Nikol Roberson: Her Light Eclipsed,” by Mt. Airy artist Helen Mangelsdorf. Bianca was a victim of road rage. The gunman, David Desper of Trainer, Delaware County, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder charges and is confined to prison on a 20- to 40-year sentence.[/caption]

“Viewing the exhibition is a moving experience,” said Laura Madeleine, who founded the original exhibit along with Rebecca Thornburgh of Chestnut Hill and is now the director and curator. “I have always been concerned about gun violence. I saw an exhibition of the artwork of Daniel Heyman at the Print Center in Philadelphia several years ago. His work focuses primarily on portraits of victims of abuse.

“I thought it would be powerful for artists to make portraits of victims of gun violence. I did not want to tackle it myself and thought, also, that many different artists would bring another dimension to such a project.

“When the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill tasked Rebecca and me to organize an art exhibition in 2016 that would focus on gun violence, I had the opportunity to make my idea a reality. What was only supposed to be on exhibition for one month has turned into a years-long project … This project hopes to illustrate just how many are affected by the sustained violence and the toll it takes on families.”

Julie Zahn, of Mt. Airy, whose portrait is in the promotional material and on the catalogue cover, told us why she agreed to take part in this emotional project: “I attended the openings of the exhibits in 2017 and 2018 and thought it was such a touching, important and interesting project. But I finally decided to take the plunge and participate because last year when I attended the opening, I saw my friend, Joe Brenman, and the wonderful portrait that he did. Joe looked terrible, but it didn't occur to me that he could be ill!

“A few months later, I heard that he had passed away. I was so impressed that he had taken on this project knowing full well how ill he was, that I promised his widow I would participate in the next Souls Shot in his honor. I was matched with Christopher W. Robinson, who was a senior at Lincoln University getting ready to graduate with a major in Computer Science. He was so loved in his neighborhood, and in addition to being an excellent student, he drove his mother to her cancer treatments every week.

This is “Portrait of Lylliana,” a portrait of gun violence victim Lylliana Mendoza by East Mt. Airy artist Rebecca Hoenig. “I was deeply moved by the entire experience,” Hoenig told us. “I am strongly opposed to the lack of gun legislation and appalled by the resulting gun violence in our country.”[/caption]

“He had a friend who had dropped out/been kicked out of Lincoln U. who was jealous of his success and, pretending to meet him for dinner, instead arranged an ambush. I met Christopher's aunt last April and left with several photos and the request to produce a portrait of Christopher in the Lincoln U. graduation robes that he missed wearing by just two months. It was a daunting undertaking, but Laura (Madeleine) assured me that feeling that way was the norm for all the participating artists! Daunting to try to do justice to a wonderful person mowed down so brutally.”

Another participating artist, Helen Mangelsdorf of Mt. Airy, told us her reason for taking part: “My mother, Mary B. Mangelsdorf, spent her final years in Assisted Living at Whitehorse Village in Newtown Square. Michelle Roberson, the mother of Bianca Nikol Roberson, was one of mom’s favorite nurses there. During the same period in which Michelle suffered the horrific loss of Bianca, she continued to carry on her professional life with great strength and compassion. Mom was very happy that she was able to make the connection between Michelle and me.

“This portrait is therefore a memorial to Bianca and also to my mom. Above all, it is a testament to the tremendous strength Michelle has shown while enduring the unendurable, the loss of the light of her life. The shocking thing about Bianca’s death is how differently her killer was treated because he was white and she was black. One can imagine how differently the killer might have been treated if the races were reversed.”

Participating area artists not previously mentioned are Keisha Whatley of Mt. Airy, Rebecca Hoenig of East Mt. Airy and Ann Price Hartzell of Chestnut Hill. This third edition of “Souls Shot” will travel to approximately 12 venues, including churches, synagogues, universities, libraries, art galleries, hospitals, museums and the State Capitol. The church is located at 8855 Germantown Ave.

You can find more information online or by calling 215-247-8855. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com