Have you heard the buzz? Our project, Give Grief a Voice, is now in its second year. As with everything in 2020 we have been adjusting our plans even as our goal is consistent. Buzzy’s Bees’ Give Grief a Voice project provides families who have lost a young child an artistic representation of their child’s life. Feedback from our participating families has reminded us of the importance of celebrating the memory of each child with art.
The process involves the collaboration of a professional writer and artist who create their child’s legacy through artistic expression. We bring a writer to listen to and record each family’s story, then commission an artist to turn their words into a piece of art that the family keeps and cherishes.
The project’s primary purpose is to help families who have experienced the death of a young child, but the secondary goal is to help anyone who reads these stories learn how to better support the grieving people in their own lives. Ultimately, we hope to publish all the stories alongside the artwork in a book.
Buzzy’s Bees fundraises to cover all costs for the writing and art – there is no charge to the participating families. Since gathering as we have in the past to raise support for Give Grief a Voice is not possible, we will be offering an online art auction on November 7, 2020. Please mark your calendar and plan to join us.
As we lead up to the November 7th Give Grief a Voice event we’d like to introduce you to the artists who have generously created art for our families, and who have offered a piece of their work for our auction. Check out our blog for the next several weeks as we spotlight each of them and be sure to follow the link to their website to learn more about their inspirations and style.
Introducing Artist Joy Cha
Joy grew up in Seoul, South Korea. When she was eleven years old her family emigrated to the United States, arriving at the then newly built Tom Bradley International Airport at LAX on a bright April afternoon. Joy’s interest and talent in the visual arts guided her, and when it was time for college, she was accepted to Rhode Island School of Design and UCLA. She chose to remain in California and became a graphic designer after graduation.
Her move to Portland five years ago was prompted by a search for a change of scenery after her dad passed away. She discovered a renewed appreciation and zeal for art, a clearer understanding of the life, the journey, and the world in which immigrants exist.
She shares, “Working with Buzzy’s Bees these few months has been good for me. I’ve gained insights into the lives of these brave, hard-working, and heart-broken parents. I’ve learned I’m not alone in my own specific losses and burdens, and therefore I need to be more kind and generous to people I come across every day. We are together in this thing called life, that sometimes can be so cruel and rude. I hope my work honors the surviving parents and their journey. I hope it offers them some hope, acknowledgment, solace, and even joy – a little more space to breathe.”
