Artistic opportunities give hope to imprisoned fathers and their children
By ELIZABETH ANDERSON
Observer Staff
Jan. 23, 2008
OBSERVER PHOTO courtesy of Hope House D.C.
Fathers and children create art with their fathers.
Deshayla Sherrod is a stylish teen. Her hair hangs to about her shoulders and her braces eclipse a friendly smile. The 14-year-old attends high school in Upper Marlboro,
The event showcased 12 murals created by D.C. area children and their fathers. Deshayla’s dad and the other dads couldn’t attend the show because they were in prison.
The murals were created as part of the 2007 Father to Child Summer Camp, hosted by Hope House,
a D.C. organization committed to helping incarcerated fathers maintain relationships with their children.
OBSERVER PHOTO courtesy of Hope House D.C.
Hope House arranges two summer camps each year.
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The 10 feet by 12 feet murals depicted program participants engaging in various activities with their dads. The fun ranged from volleyball to shoe shopping, playing basketball and skateboarding.
The murals were made from various craft materials such as solid and decorative papers, lace, glitter and yarn. Brown chenille yarn morphed into dreadlocks. Plates, orange tissue paper and black yarn turned into basketballs or, when covered with yellow paper, they were suns hanging in paper skies. In one piece called “Cooks Family Reunion,” there was even a three-dimensional grill with paper plates perched perpendicular to the mural. Each plate held felt hamburgers and hot dogs, complete with buns. A piece by Deshayla and her dad, William, was decorated with pretty 3-D paper purses.
OBSERVER PHOTO courtesy of Hope House D.C.
At the summer camps, children go behind prison walls to create art with their fathers.
The four and five-day Father to Child Summer camps held in Cumberland, Md. and Rivers, NC are just one of the ways Hope House helps build and maintain relationships between incarcerated dads and their children. Another way Hope House fosters relationships is through the Father to Child Reading Program.
Inmates can record children’s books into a tape recorder. The book and tape are then sent to their child or children. This program allows youngsters to experience having their father read to them.
