Veterans and Students Share Stories Through Art
By MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
In the main hallway of Our Lady of Hope Catholic Academy, a row of watercolor portraits now hangs in tribute to 11 local veterans — each brushstroke telling a story of service, sacrifice, and connection. The artwork, created by seventh graders, culminates weeks of collaboration between students and veterans who shared their personal experiences in a project designed to bring history to life.
The project began in September when students met with veterans from the community to conduct interviews and sketch portraits based on their conversations. Under the guidance of art teacher Carmel Ann Caputo and English teacher Pat Honan, students later transformed their drawings into watercolor paintings and wrote biographical essays reflecting the veterans’ lives and service.
Principal Kara McCarthy said the idea was inspired by George W. Bush’s Portraits of Courage, a book of paintings honoring America’s veterans. “We had this idea last year,” McCarthy said. “Unfortunately, it was my first year in the building, so we decided to put it into motion this year. We got in touch with our local VFW and asked them for some vets to volunteer their time, where we could pair up the students and the veterans, and where they can interview them, ask them some questions about their life experiences, and then take some time to sketch them.”
For McCarthy, the project was more than an art lesson. “This is a piece of living history,” she said. “You can’t get this from a history book. You can’t get this from watching videos online. This is firsthand account of what happened—these people’s experiences when they left to go to war and what they faced when they came back.”
Caputo said she wanted the students to appreciate both the artistic and human elements of the experience. “There is a book by George W. Bush called Portraits of Courage,” she said. “So I explained that book to my students about how he used to sketch veterans. Then, in early September, we had veterans come in, we interviewed them, we sketched them, we took photos. And up until now, they were able to sketch the self-portrait and use watercolor paint.”
She guided students through techniques such as shading, proportion, and layering. “So today we are doing the portrait reveal,” Caputo said at the showcase. “Veterans were invited back with their family members and students with their family members to come back and see the finished piece of artwork, which is displayed in a hallway.”
Veteran Sean Baltrusitis, commanding officer of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 551 and a two-time Iraq War veteran, called the experience “a great partnership.” “Our Lady of Hope Catholic Academy always answers the call when we have youth programs,” Baltrusitis said. “These young patriots are so filled with patriotism, and they just grasp me for information. They just want to know what it was like during my time. I always tell people freedom isn’t free, and a lot of people forget about that sometimes.”
For students like seventh grader Julia Mace, the project was both intimidating and rewarding. “When we first found out about it, I was a little nervous, worried about talking to a veteran who served our country,” she said. “But after the project, when I realized that even I drew it and if it was bad, it was still going to be for a good cause, I realized that it was okay.”
Mace’s portrait depicted veteran Tammy Garcia, who served in the Iraq War. “We learned that she was one of the youngest people to join the military,” Mace said. “She was 16 when she first fully joined, and she served in the Iraq War. She said it was hard, and she was nervous, and she wasn’t sure why, but she realized that it was for a good reason.”
The final showcase, sponsored by Maspeth Federal Savings, brought together the veterans, students, and their families for a gallery viewing, pizza, and ice cream. McCarthy said the school hopes to make the event an annual tradition.
“It’s definitely been making a memorable impact on their lives,” she said. “Something that they will take with them as they move forward.”
