Mark your calendars, Canton. The Malone Art Gallery is set to welcome the 2024 Heart Gallery, a poignant art exhibition that pairs local talent with a mission—giving faces to the narratives of children in the foster care system hoping for adoption. According to the Stark County Ohio Job & Family Services, the grand reception will be held on November 4 from 5 to 7 p.m. the entrance is gratis (that's free, folks), and the experience is priceless.
Before attending the exhibition, here's a thought to chew on: Stark County currently houses 500 children in its foster care system, with a staggering quarter in permanent custody and adoption-ready. That's more than a statistic; hundreds of local lives are awaiting a place to call home. Amidst the canvas and color during National Adoption Awareness Month, attendees can immerse themselves in the personal stories of these aspiring adoptees—an engagement far beyond the usual gallery stroll.
Each painting in the Heart Gallery demystifies the too-often faceless crisis in foster care. Young Aiden aspires to a future filled with robots and made tangible by the brushes of Andrew Wells, an Alliance High graduate and Columbus College of Art and Design alum. Heather Bullach, armed with a BA from Malone University, translates Angel's musical musings and fashion dreams onto oil on canvas. In contrast, the sibling dreams of Cameron and Camri find expression through Maureen Magner-Sylak's interpretative landscapes.
The Heart Gallery moves beyond Malone post-opening. It's taking a grand tour, with stops at the Canton Museum of Art starting December 20, the Massillon Museum in late January, and a final bow at The Little Art Gallery at North Canton Public Library from late March to mid-April. It's a traveling testament to resilience, creativity, and the hope for permanence in children like Tyree, whose zest for Paw Patrol and puzzles is captured by Alaska Thompson’s galactic vision. Wielding a paintbrush, Alaska Thompson serves as a director at the Patina Arts Centre, interpreting Tyree's spirit.
Over the event's duration, the public can also engage with staff from the Division of Children Services, those on the ground at every step of the foster care and adoption process. It's a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with the portraits and stories that often slip under the radar. So, whether Cantonians are there to revel in the local artistry or to consider a deeper commitment to community, the Heart Gallery promises to be an exhibition with a pulse on what matters—the kids. For more details on the artists and their young muses or to get a preview of the stirring works of art, check out the Stark County website.
