Portrait series 'Still Searching' highlights missing Black women, children - 1715 - Gay Lesbian Bi Trans News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. On Friday, Oct. 22, 2021 from 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m., Damon Lamar Reed, Nicole So Random, and 345 Art Gallery will collaborate to present Still Searching Art Exhibition at 345 Art Gallery in Chicago, IL (345 N Kedzie Avenue). This night of vivid, artistic display of visual and performing will highlight the faces of Chicagoland women who have disappeared. This show is to bring beauty, honor, and awareness to their stories, and serve as a call to action for all who encounter this timely creative experience. Some of the families in attendance will be members of Kierra Coles, Yasmine Acree, Sandra Rouse, and more. Also, several detectives that have worked on the cases of the 18 portraits that were painted will be in attendance. We are currently filming for the full-length Still Searching Documentary which was funded by Hulu, Kartemquin Films, and Still I Rise Films. There will be a raffle and a Silent Auction of 18 portraits of notable women and children that are still missing for purchase by Damon Lamar Reeed. All proceeds will be donated to the Still Searching Project, Linda's House, and a TBA non-profit organization that is determined to help find and/or shelter missing women and children.

The dialogue of the Still Searching Art Exhibition is "Do missing Black women and girls matter?" will be heavily addressed. The Chicago Crusader reports, "Many argue the stories of young Black girls and women who are missing don't get the same degree of local, national, and global attention as that of Elizabeth Smart or Natalee Holloway." While the proportion of those who have gone missing is steadily growing, additional details provided by law enforcement can be vague, lack valuable information, or fail to offer any resolution. Whether cases have gone inactive, been suspended, or remain unsolved with little to no progress, victims' families are left discouraged, angry, hurt, and in disbelief at the absence of essential local, national, global, and social media coverage.

Damon Reed combats this disparity by using his creative ability to paint these missing women and girls and keep their memories alive.

We are fighting to make sure no woman or young girl is left missing or behind! We are still searching.

Raised voice. Raised hand. In creative expression, we beckon her home. Our Mother, Daughter, Sister, Friend.

Tickets free, donations welcome: www.eventbrite.com .../still-searching-art.

Still Searching Documentary and Paintings: stillsearchingdocumentary.com .