Souls Shot Portrait Project

I applied to be an artist in 2019 for the Souls Shot Portrait Project, which links artists with families or friends of victims of gun violence. The artists meet with the victim’s loved ones to learn about the victim’s life. The artists then go on to create diverse works focused on the essence of the person being portrayed.

I joined the project wanting to use my artistic skills to help others. I had no idea what a powerful impact SSPP would have on my life. After meeting each of these moms I went home to my teenagers and thought that none of these young men would likely be dead if it weren’t for our history of racism and inequality — and if our streets weren’t flooded with guns. Through my synagogue, Congregation Beth Am Israel, which now hosts the portrait project yearly, I’ve become active in gun violence prevention through organizations such as CeaseFirePA and the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia.

Here are the portraits I’ve done so far, beginning with the most recent:

TeJan Adris Jenkins

Terry Jenkins described her son TeJan as full of energy, craving action and loving to swim. He wished he could have a dirt bike or an ATV. He was very attached to his father, who died of a heart attack when TeJan was 12. TeJan was 19 when he was murdered.

When I asked Terry what she would want for a portrait of TeJan she talked about how she’d always been his protector and advocate. She wished she could give him peace and safety now. 

Water can represent maternal nurturing and protection, so I used watercolor to show him immersed and surrounded by water. I included an image of him with his baby daughter, Nurah, in whose life he very much wanted to be involved. The colors are soft and peaceful, and the action comes from TeJan’s big, joyful splash.

Tymir Miller

Tymir’s mother Cathy told me that Tymir was 18 when he was gunned down within blocks of home. Cathy heard the shots and prayed that Tymir was safe.

Tymir had a warm smile, steady girlfriend, many friends and a close relationship with his mom. Some of the more recent photos of Tymir show him with a tight-lipped smile covering his braces, which he got off shortly before his death. Sometimes Tymir had nightmares. He’d seen a therapist for anxiety.

Cathy spoke wistfully about how Tymir would now be 19. As I looked at her photos it was clear that Cathy, and the world, didn’t just lose Tymir the 18 year old. We lost Tymir as a toddler, a pre-teen, a young adult, a middle-aged man, a father, maybe a husband and an elder. 

I decided to show Tymir at different ages, suggesting all of the versions of Tymir that had been lost. 

Alan Christopher Gray

Alan had a warm, big personality with a huge smile in all of the photos. His mom Lisa Harmon invited me to her home where I met his stepfather and two brothers. Alan was clearly a man who loved and was loved. I wanted to keep Alan close to the people who loved him — especially his children. 

That’s why I decided to use photo transfers and paint his portrait onto them. I tucked his children close to his heart. The portrait is named “Forever Fresh” because Fresh was his nickname, since he always had a fresh pair of sneakers.