Lions Club breakfast to feature local artist’s fallen soldiers exhibit
By Canton CitizenBy Kathy Anderson
The 33rd annual Lions Club Pancake Country Breakfast, to be held Sunday, March 28, at Canton High School, will feature a poignant display by Woburn artist Gina Johnson and her traveling portrait exhibit “Faces of Remembrance,” a tribute to U.S. soldiers who have died since 9/11 in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars or from subsequent injuries sustained while serving.
Portrait of Lance Cpl. Shayne Cabino by Gina Johnson
Despite the fact that last Saturday marked the seventh anniversary of the beginning of the Iraqi War, Johnson said she creates her detailed pencil sketches not for political purposes but personal ones — her original 8×10-inch sketches of individual soldiers are given to their families and smaller copies swathe her exhibit wall. She has created 130 drawings since beginning her project in 2007, including one of Canton High School graduate Lance Cpl. Shayne Cabino, who perished on October 6, 2005, from a makeshift bomb while conducting combat operations against enemy forces near Karmah, Iraq. He was 19 years old.
“I originally began doing [soldiers’] sketches in 2007 because I was impressed that Channel 5 would put up daily segments on fallen heroes,” Johnson said. “Then I did my own research and got lists of all fallen soldiers by town and I thought that every parent deserved and needed respect for having a hero, and putting a face to a name.”
Johnson’s brother Paul, a friend of the veterans’ agent in Burlington, asked if his sister could set up a display of her portraits in January 2009. She had 44 at the time. By last June she had drawn 109 and displayed them at an event at the State House in Boston.
“I’ve had so many people tell me the drawings almost bring their loved one back to life,” Johnson said. “The most important detail is the eyes. When you capture their eyes, you capture their essence. Life is like a puzzle; you do one piece at a time. Shoulder to shoulder they’re all heroes and I want it to be personal for everyone. Every town that’s had a soldier go to war is so proud, and if they don’t come home, I want my project to celebrate their life.”
“Gina is such a fabulous lady and has done so much for anyone who has lost a loved one since 9/11,” said Lions Club Director Linda Carmichael. “She is incredible and her face lights up when she talks about her project.”
Johnson is in the process of creating a web site of her work, but said in the meantime she can be reached by email at operationhometies@gmail.com.
Sunday’s Lions Club breakfast will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Canton High School cafeteria. The cost of a full country breakfast is $6.50 and $4.50 for children under 12, and the Easter Bunny will make a special appearance for photos.
The breakfast proceeds will benefit local scholarships, eye research and blindness prevention charities.
Chartered on December 4, 1957, the Canton chapter of the Lions Club provides scholarships, talking radios to the blind and supports Canton Public Schools, public safety programs and the Canton Food Pantry. Anyone is invited to join and meetings are held on the third Wednesday of every month at Boston’s By the Viaduct Restaurant on Neponset Street at 7 p.m.
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Posted by Canton Citizen
on Mar 25 2010. Filed under Features, News.
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