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Shaler Area student artwork on display before traveling the world

Each year, Shaler Area High School art students create portraits for children around the world, and for the first time, this artwork will be on display for the community before traveling to the recipients.

From December 11-15, the Shaler North Hills Library will host The Memory Project student art exhibit with a public reception from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 14, in the community room.

The Memory Project is a nonprofit organization, which started in 2004 as a way to give children who have been neglected, orphaned or disadvantaged in countries around the world a portrait created by an art student.

The Memory Project provides participating art students with color photos of a young child and the students transform them into pieces of artwork to be returned to the child as a keepsake.

This marks the ninth year Shaler Area High School students in David Boyles’ Art 3 and AP Studio Art courses are participating in the project. Additionally, students in Jeff Frank’s Art 2 classes also will participate this year. In total, Shaler Area students aim to create 50 portraits—almost double any previous year’s total.

Over the years, Shaler Area students have sent portraits to children in Africa, India, Indonesia, Central America, and Jordan. The Memory Project produces a video of the portraits being delivered to the children to send back to the school and art students.

The project is a labor of love for the student artists and students hope the community will support their efforts by sponsoring the cost to ship the portraits. Each portrait costs $15 to ship, and interested individuals who would like to sponsor a student can make a tax-deductible donation by writing a check to Shaler Area High School with “Memory Project” in the memo line.