'Faces Not Forgotten' exhibit to reveal victim 'behind the statistics'

"Faces Not Forgotten," an exhibit paying tribute to young victims of gun violence through "quilts" made of painted portraits -- some created by local artists -- is on display at Southeast Missouri State University's Catapult Creative House in Cape Girardeau.

An opening reception is scheduled for 5 p.m. today. A panel discussion will follow at 7 p.m., led by a representative from Moms Demand Action, a grassroots group dedicated to protecting people and keeping families safe.

This is the first time for the exhibit to be featured in Cape Girardeau, according to Christine Ilewski, founder and director of not-for-profit Faces Not Forgotten. The project has been 10 years in the making, she said.

The exhibit features mostly victims from the St. Louis area, according to Ilewski. The victims depicted either lived in poverty or were "in the wrong place at the wrong time," she said.

"We have other states, and our goal is to complete at least one quilt for every state," she said. "We never go knocking on doors; we go through survivors' support networks."

The organization works with the Moms Demand Action Southeast Missouri chapter to connect with families, when possible.

Ilewski said the project's mission is twofold: to give comfort and to elevate one's status.

And the portraits, she said, have the power to "give dignity" to the victim's memory.

"We tie [the portraits] together in sets of eight, because there are roughly eight kids aged 20 [and younger] dying every day from gun violence," she said.

Describing it as "a very sensitive issue," Ilewski said sometimes families are at first reluctant to participate until they see the exhibit, having a better understanding of what the project is.

The quilts are made up of eight 16-inch-by-20-inch canvas panels, each featuring an image of a child who died from gun violence. That image is superimposed onto a vintage handkerchief.

The pieces on display are reproductions, she said, because the originals are presented to the family members of the victim, oftentimes by the artist.

Lynda Stewart with Moms Demand Action Southeast Missouri chapter said has been working almost nonstop since the fall of 2017 to bring the exhibit to Cape Girardeau.

"When we see the 'Faces Not Forgotten' quilts, these are the faces behind those [statistics]," Stewart said.

Stewart said she believes it to be important people see "behind the statistics."

"These are real children whose lives were cut short and left families behind with holes in their hearts that can never be fixed," she said.

Blake Sanders, project volunteer and local artist designed one of the featured pieces in the display: Joe Webster from New York.

Sanders said the exhibit relates to what the community is interested in and what they should be interested in.

"Seeing the real world consequences of gun violence makes it real for the viewers," he said.

Remembrance of Victims of Crime

The 16th annual Flower Ceremony in Honor and Remembrance of Cape Girardeau County crime victims will be 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at Cape Girardeau County Park North, according to a news release.

Attendees are invited to take a flower in remembrance of victims who have lost his or her life to violent crime within Southeast Missouri "and to honor the strength and resilience of survivors and their loved ones."

The event is free to attend. Please R.S.V.P by calling (573) 204-2315.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632