The Legacy Project
Through a collaboration between Dare Home Health and Hospice and the Dare County Arts Council, a new project was begun in 2009. Professional artists were hired to work one-on-one with Hospice patients and their caregivers/family to create a visual legacy for that individual to leave for their loved ones after their death.
Over the course of eight month, three artists were trained as Hospice volunteers and began their work - unraveling the visual imagery of a person's lifetime. I was fortunate to be a part of this amazing project, called The Legacy Project, along with two other artists: Tracy Bell and John de la Vega. We each had two patients before the project ended this past June, and these are images from the work I did with my two very special ladies.
Both of my patients were named Mary. I spent the most time with Mary One, ultimately creating a portrait of her, her daughter and granddaughters. There were no existing photos of the family together, nor was the family able to be together at one time, so I had to create the final picture from old photographs.
I met Mary Two towards the end of the project. She was faced with end-stage cancer, but knew exactly what kind of legacy she wanted to leave her family - a portrait of her on the beach laughing.
The choice of subject was completely up to the Hospice patient. We were there as guides, art therapists, and friends. It is the hope of both organizations that we will be able to continue this project in the future.
Over the course of eight month, three artists were trained as Hospice volunteers and began their work - unraveling the visual imagery of a person's lifetime. I was fortunate to be a part of this amazing project, called The Legacy Project, along with two other artists: Tracy Bell and John de la Vega. We each had two patients before the project ended this past June, and these are images from the work I did with my two very special ladies.
Both of my patients were named Mary. I spent the most time with Mary One, ultimately creating a portrait of her, her daughter and granddaughters. There were no existing photos of the family together, nor was the family able to be together at one time, so I had to create the final picture from old photographs.
I met Mary Two towards the end of the project. She was faced with end-stage cancer, but knew exactly what kind of legacy she wanted to leave her family - a portrait of her on the beach laughing.
The choice of subject was completely up to the Hospice patient. We were there as guides, art therapists, and friends. It is the hope of both organizations that we will be able to continue this project in the future.
