Connor’s Heroes Super (Bowl) Heroes Art Session
Sunday, February 12, kicked off with a blitz of art. Our February Heroes Art Session happened on Super Bowl Sunday. Rain dumped down hard, but it didn’t keep our hero families and artists from creating together at the Visual Arts Center.
Turned Destruction Into A Creation
Kyle Epps is a new artist mentor to the Heroes Art Sessions. His studio recently caught on fire. Sadly damaging his art pieces and supplies. So, Kyle turned the destruction into a creation. He carried in a large canvas he pulled from the studio fire. He told the kids to add whatever they felt or wanted. Before our eyes, the heroes transformed the burnt canvas with lots of color and designs.
Kyle’s piece with the kids will be a powerful piece of art. It is one of many art pieces you can bid on at the Heroes Art Ball on Friday, May 5. (Mark your calendar: Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, March 1.)
About Heroes Art Session With Childhood Cancer Heroes And Their Families
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 (and/or their siblings): Grayson • TayNeise • Isaiah • Everett • Sydney • Kylie • Ava • Charlie • Callen • Eva • Alvion
Hero Artist Mentors: Kyle Epps • Joshua Barber • Kiki Slaughter • Monica Wilmore • Katya Herndon • Betsy Quicke • Jennike Duignam • Nancy Jacey • Dale Knight and thank you to the many volunteers who assisted the artists and heroes.
You can see the complete gallery of photos taken at the Heroes Art Session on our Flickr site.
About Lens Of Hope
The photos posted here were taken for the photo series, Lens Of Hope by photographers Kristin Seward and Patience Salgado.
Kristin Seward is a portrait artist, photojournalist, and founder of Lens of Hope™. While her focus has primarily been families and children, her passion for storytelling has been a guiding force for various collaborations and projects with local non-profits, including the “Heroes of RVA” and “RVA Cures” campaigns with Connor’s Heroes in 2016/2017. She is currently developing Compassion Photography with her dear friend and fellow Richmond photographer, Patience Salgado.
Patience Salgado is a Compassion Photographer who has had the honor of serving and photographing families in the passages of both birth and pediatric hospice for the last 13 years. The Salgado family found themselves on their own unexpected cancer path when their son James was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in the summer of 2019. Walking this road together has solidified her heart’s belief that there is beauty in the dark and power in the light. Her hope is to see and honor each part of your story and reflect all the beautiful humanity it holds.
You can see their first portrait series for Connor’s Heroes, Heart Of The Family.
Follow them on social media:
@lensofhope_rva
@kindnessgirl
@kristinseward_lensofhope
