In Bloom: Memorialized Portraits

A Beautiful Tribute and Memorial from the Hearts and Minds of GDS 8th Graders

When Lower and Middle School Visual Arts teacher John Headley chooses projects for his students, many considerations weigh into the process. Aside from a handful of well-established ones repeated every year that have proved popular with students, he primarily sets a series of project goals throughout the year that focus on exploring different mediums, artistic styles, and various artists’ approaches—often centered around common themes. 

But when John was planning a project during the COVID-19 pandemic, circumstances were different. The students were working from home and didn’t have access to many of the materials they would typically explore. What they did have were computers. And so John had his 8th grade students use Pixlr, a free online photo editor similar to Photoshop.

“Around the same time, George Floyd was prominent in the news,” explained John. “It seemed kind of apropos to do something that was reflective of what was going on.”

He asked his students to use Pixlr to create images of Floyd and other victims of racial violence in the style of artist Charly Palmer. As part of the Black Lives Matter movement, Palmer created the now-famous July 2020 cover of Time Magazine for an issue entitled “America Must Change.” This issue featured beautiful but mournful portraits of George Stinney and James Baldwin, paired with American iconography and flowers. The floral elements that Palmer uses in his work represent life, death, love, beauty, and joy.

John sent out the assignment, but as he did, he wondered if the meaningful project might be emotionally heavy for some of his students. Then the responses began to arrive.

“All of a sudden, my inbox was populated with images from my students—not only doing the assigned work, but being particularly thoughtful about it. They were really wonderful,” he said.

John and the students posted their work on the school’s arts Instagram account and even tagged their inspiration, Charly Palmer.

“Charly was very excited that we had done it, and I was so flattered that he valued the project,” said John. “And I said then to myself, I’d love to do the same project again in his style but with paint.”

2025 turned out to be the year.

John reintroduced the project and provided pamphlets of information on suggested subjects. He also sought out images and background details from earlier in the individuals’ lives, with the hope of creating more personal connections for the students to their subjects.

“We talked a little bit about the fact that when people die suddenly or even violently, a couple of things happen. Often, the only image the public sees of these subjects are the images posted by the mainstream media, which have a tendency to be harsh or unflattering.”

John wanted his students to see these subjects differently—to think about the beauty they experienced throughout their lives and to present them to the world in this way through their art.

“Through creating this art, we’re trying to, in a way, reclaim their humanity,” said John.

“For me the project was very enjoyable throughout the entire process,” said Alix Kennerly ’29. “I don't have a lot of painting experience so it was fun to learn while also honoring someone else. One thing about this project that stood out to me was focusing on the people instead of what happened to them. I also enjoyed seeing my classmates' approaches to painting their person in different styles.”

The focus was on creating a beautiful memorial or celebration of the subjects and their lives. In keeping with the style of Charly Palmer, John asked the students to incorporate flowers or foliage into the design of their work. The rest was left to their own creative vision.

“One particular student wasn’t too enthusiastic about doing the project at first, but then really took to it,” John said. “She said, ‘I want to know more about the person I am doing,’ and she explored a bit more.”

Her subject was a girl who had been a victim of a church bombing. Authorities had only been able to identify her by her ring. The student, moved by this detail, incorporated a ring as part of the subject’s necklace in her painting.

The resulting works are now on display in the B1 Lobby of the GDS Lower/Middle School as part of the 7th and 8th Grade Art Show—a powerful tribute to justice, empathy, and the often healing artistic process.

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