Over the next several weeks, we are excited to feature the artwork alongside excerpts of the stories from the thirteen families that participated in our 2021 Give Grief a Voice cohort.
The Give Grief a Voice project provides families who have lost a young child an artistic representation of their child’s life. A professional writer interviews the child’s family in order to ghostwrite the child’s story. Then, a commissioned artist turns the words of the story into a piece of art that the family keeps.
Buzzy’s Bees fundraises to cover all costs for writing and art – there is no charge to participating families. Both the writers and artists are paid per story.
If you have suddenly or unexpectedly lost a young child (stillbirth – 12yo) and are interested in participating, please fill out an application here. If you are a writer or artist interested in being a part of the program, contact Kelly Tilford at kelly@buzzysbees.com. You can donate to the project here and see photos from the event we hosted for the families here.
Artist: Vanessa Smith
Acrylic on wood panel, 24 x 24 inches
“You sent so many signs to us during those first months when things were so hard and when we needed it the most. Little bits of yellow here and there. The rest of our family saw them too in butterflies or birds. I planted a garden for you and decorated it with a yellow stone that says “This Little Light of Mine,” and scattered sunflower seeds around it. It’s all for you, Brooke.”
– Brooke’s Mom
