“We love cookies and pumpkins!” said a hero parent when he registered his two kids for the October Heroes Art Session.
The October Heroes Art Session was our largest art session this year. Our families and hero artists took over the Visual Arts Center’s beautiful courtyard. Our childhood cancer heroes created colorful freestyle art projects and worked on several paintings with our hero artists. Here was all the fall fun we packed in one afternoon session:
Cookie Decorating
Holland Baking Company, baked up giant cookies in the shape of halloween skeletons. The kids decorated their cookies with edible paint turning them into edible works of art. Catherine bakes the best sugar cookies and her decorating kits are a family favorite.
Pumpkin Painting
Connor’s Heroes newest board member, Karrie, helped the kids paint pint-sized pumpkins for Halloween. Volunteering for the first time with Connor’s Heroes was her daughter, Keagan. (Pictured Karrie with childhood cancer hero, Charlotte.)
Jewelry Making
Liana was so proud of the earring she made, she immediately put them in her ears! Thank you Katie Benson for bringing all sorts of beads and jewels to make this fun activity such a hit.
Leaf Pressing
Dale, a hero artist, brought a collection of fall leaves. The kids painted a leaf and pressed it to make colorful prints.
Stainglass Painting
Jennike came prepared with paints, tissue paper, and clear sheets of transparency. Jennike sketched out a design with thick black edges. The kids filled up the design using tissue paper and paints. What they created resemble the bright colors of a beautiful stained glass windows. Pictured is Jennike helping childhood cancer hero Lucy.
Richmond Skyline
Nancy Jacey is a hero artist who has created art with our hero families for several years. She had the concept of a painting of Richmond’s iconic bridges and skyline. But she wasn’t going to do it herself. She had our heroes paint their artist interpretation of a segment of the image like a bridge trellis or river rock. Nancy will assemble the children’s paintings to make up the Richmond skyline. Be on the lookout for this masterpiece at the 11th Annual Heroes Art Ball in May 2022!
Light Box
Katie Benson’s project is so big, she needed two people to carry it into the courtyard. Her husband framed a clear sheet in a wooden box. A kid painted with their favorite colors. Some of the children made handprints. When it is all done, the box will illuminate the kids’ favorite colors into an expression of hope.
Our Heroes Art Sessions provide a supportive environment in which childhood cancer heroes and their siblings can make art and build community with other hero families. At the sessions, you feel a collective sense of healing by creating and being together. We are grateful to Visual Arts Center for giving us the space for an open studio. And to our donors who allow the Heroes Art Sessions to happen at no cost to our families.
Childhood Cancer Heroes: Zuri, James, Holden, Alvion, Sydney, Lucy, Gabby, Becca, Josie, Callen, Liana, Kennedy, Anna, Florian, Charlotte.
Hero Artist Leaders & Volunteers: Dale, Olivia, Keagan, Karrie, Hanan, Nancy, Ella, Katie, Izzy, Jennike, Sarah, Taylor, Kristie and Jodi.
