Reynolds High Students Create Portraits of Children in Orphanage in Mexico

Students in Emily Beach-Munday’s Drawing 2 class at Reynolds High School participated in The Memory Project. Each student received a photograph of a child in an orphanage in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

“Our students created portraits of the children using oil pastel,” Beach-Munday said. “Students really grew attached to the children through the art-making process. They took pride in the project knowing that it would be going to bring hope and happiness to children that they had never met. The project was funded by the generosity of Mrs. Angell Caudill as a gift to our students before her retirement this spring.”

Caudill taught history, and, from 2007 to 2012, she was the Arts Magnet Director at Reynolds.

Once those portraits were done, they were delivered to the children in Mexico. A video was made of the children receiving their portraits and individual photographs were taken. Participation fees were used to help support the orphanages art therapy program.

When Ben Schumaker, the founder and director of the Memory Project, sent the video and photos to Beach-Munday, his note said, “I think you will also be pleased to know that we were able to make a collective financial donation of $1,650 to help support the orphanage’s art therapy program, thanks in part to the participation fees you contributed. So please be proud that you helped to provide that gift along with the portraits.”

This is the third year that students at Reynolds participated in the project. Beach-Munday has been working with the Memory Project since 2005.

For more photos of Reynolds students and their portraits, go to Reynolds photos

For more information about the project, go to Memory Project