Two area churches are showing exhibits through August 28^th putting a face to the victims of gun violence in Philadelphia. 

The Souls Shot Portrait Project pairs fine artists with families and friends of victims of gun violence.  The artists create portraits and artwork using diverse approaches and emphasize the individuality and uniqueness of the victims portrayed. 

Thirty or so pieces of art are now on display at the First Presbyterian Church in Springfield located at 1710 Bethlehem Pike in Flourtown.  Visit their website for hours at www.flourtownpres.org. 

The Chestnut Hill location is St. Martin-in-the-Fields Houston Room in the Parish Hall from 9 to 5 weekdays, and also on Sunday Mornings. 

Wyndmoor resident and Executive Director Laura Madeleine, a longtime member of the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, began the showings there to draw attention to gun violence in 2016. 

“When I spoke with you back then it was only supposed to be up for a month, but based on attendance at the opening program and reception we realized it was filling a hole.  It’s heartbreaking that we are still in this business,” said Madeleine, noting that artists have done over 100 portraits. 

As of this writing, there have been over 1300 victims of gun violence and 316 people killed in Philadelphia.   

Madeleine said she is not one to go to protests, but this is her form of activism. 

“I’m good at finding artists and other people to take some kind of action.  We are making people aware that these people had lives and left gaping holes.  We all need to move in the right direction,” said Madeleine. 

With the increases in gun violence the traveling exhibition has gotten a lot of publicity with articles in The Philadelphia Inquirer, and broadcasts on Fox News, CBS3, WHYY and NBC10. 

 “It’s been great.  People have contacted us to volunteer and others have tapped into our Resources page.  We’ve also had new artists contact us as well as families of victims,” she said, noting that there is currently a wait list of about seven families hoping to have portraits done of their loved one. 

The exhibit has run on college campuses, libraries, schools, churches and even hospitals. 

“We will be at Einstein Hospital a second time.  It serves as a reminder to their trauma staff that these patients that came in had a story.  It’s a tricky thing for the people treating them to retain a sense of empathy and not get burned out by what’s going on,” Madeleine added.  After the exhibits end, the portraits will be offered to the families.

East Mt. Airy artist Rebecca Hoenig has done three pieces and is working on a third. 

“It’s a little surreal in that you get to know the person by talking with family members who are still living.  They share photos and stories of the deceased.  It is like looking into their soul.  It really been a privilege to do this kind of work which is so different from the landscape portraits that I normally do,” said Hoenig. 

Stephanie Johnson, who works at the Weavers Way Co-op in Mt. Airy knew the customer who created her daughter’s portrait. 

Garth Herrick said the fact that he had met her daughter was a big help. 

“Ultimately it was easier to paint and Stephanie had a good way of communicating who her daughter was,” said Herrick, also of Mt. Airy.  He has done two portraits and would consider doing another.  “It’s very hard to do people posthumously in general, but the families and friends bring their loved ones soul through.”

Over at the First Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Flourtown resident Cherie Curtis and Chestnut Hill artist Ann Hartzell were on hand on Saturday to discuss the exhibit with members of the book club there.

Curtis broke down several times when recounting how her niece’s husband was in the wrong place at the wrong time while picking up a prescription as the couple had just brought their second daughter home from the hospital. 

“He was a big part of our family and his smile was so infectious.  He was in my mother’s car and watching this on the news you become numb to what you are witnessing in the media.  They don’t think ‘my God there was a whole family left behind’” said Curtis through tears.  “I never thought I’d be standing here talking about this exhibit that is appearing in my hometown.” 

Chestnut Hill artist and Souls Shot Board Member Ann Hartzell has done eight portraits, the most of any of the participating artists. 

“I’ve become best friends with two of the mothers and not one of the subjects had been a drug dealer or a gang member.  As a matter of fact, five of them were cases of mistaken identity,” said Hartzell.  “I’ve had schoolchildren come to the exhibit but still there is pushback although these children need to see the reality that there are real people behind the statistics.” 

For more information, visit www.soulsshotportraitproject.org or e-mail soulsshotportraitproject@gmail.com.