I want to thank the 6th grade Woodlawn Elementary students in these portraits and their parents for granting me the privilege to remind the world how important students, and education, are to our future. Thank you for being a part of this special exhibit. Thank you!

I am an art therapist working in elementary education and I believe in the importance of remembering the faces behind the goal of education policy. My recent work is a series of portraits of 39 sixth grade students in the elementary school I teach. The whole piece, at first glance, appears simple. But, each portrait of each student shows that he or she is more than his or her black and white image. Take the time to look closely… there’s a little color there too. See the depth and layers of their personalities. Get past the veil and see that they are funny, serious, thoughtful, curious… expressive. These Polaroid emulsion lifts required me to be hands on, to help mold and manually encourage each student’s intended expression to emerge. In it’s final fluid appearance, the emulsion lift is the perfect medium to convey the delicacy of our young students and their future. My active role in forming the image becomes a metaphor for the time, care and knowledge each educator uses to help their students succeed to the best of their abilities.

Now that you have a vision of these unique individuals, remember them and ask yourselves what more can we give the faces of our future?