Written by Tanya Terry, with featured photo by Tanya Terry
Featured photo: Julie Lopez, executive director of Crime Stoppers of Flint & Genesee County, Marcia McQueen, whose husband was shot and killed in 2007, and her daughter Rayven McQueen gathered before the Silence the Violence Walk on May 23.
On May 27, the HeART to Canvas project will bring together local artists and individuals affected by violence, showcasing thoughtful representations of crime victims through creative expression.
The idea originated about a decade ago when Adrian Montague (executive director of Doxa Development) saw a painting of a crime victim in Julie Lopez’s
(executive director of Crime Stoppers of Flint & Genesee County) office at Flint Police Department. The victim had died in his teens after a hit and run. Montague suggested helping families of crime victims working with Crime Stoppers through art to Lopez.
“What we did is we brought local artists together and we paired them with family members that I work with at Crime Stoppers who have been impacted by crime,” shared Lopez “The artists would ask them questions, and they got to know each other. They talked about their loved ones. And then the artist created an art piece specifically for them. And it is absolutely beautiful.”
families impacted by violence to create hand-painted portraits honoring loved ones lost. Photo courtesy of Crime Stoppers of Flint & Genesee County.
The first pairing event held in March 2025 at First Presbyterian Church in Flint, where approximately artists were paired with families. The artists met with family members, learned their stories and created personalized art pieces to honor their loved ones.
Lopez said First Presbyterian is a “beautiful space.”
There, Stax Creative captured the entire process on camera, producing a 13.5-minute mini documentary that tells stories about the impact of crime and how art can heal. Five to six final art pieces were created, each unique to the artists’ different styles, including landscapes, portrait and abstract works.
Participating artists included Erinn Schultz Art, LZ Artist, Martinez Studio, Annette Ingram-Geode Soul and David Puertas-Art City.
A free public screening of the Stacks Creative mini-documentary will be shown starting at 5:30 p.m., at the May 27 event, at First Presbyterian. According to Crime Stoppers, a moderated panel discussion with participating families and artists will follow the screening to further explore their stories and themes conveyed through the artistic interpretations.
“I’m excited about the event on Wednesday where we get to finally show this screening because the pairings happened last year, but there was a process that needed to be gone through,” Lopez said. “The artists, they shared their time and talent. In the film, you’ll see that they were a little apprehensive, wondering if they would be able to relate because they haven’t had that violence happen to them. But they were able to really listen to the families and capture what they were saying and put it so beautifully that you’ll see the artwork.”
Marcia McQueen, whose husband was shot and killed in 2007 on the South Side of Flint, participated in the project and shared how the artist’s portrait brought her husband’s memory back to life.
“It just brought back that that’s my kids dad and I miss him so much,” McQueen shared. “And it was just a joy in my heart.”
According to McQueen, there is healing in keeping her husband’s memory alive.
“I have three children,” she said. “I have a son that graduated from the University of Charlotte. I have a daughter that just graduated from Detroit Mercy, who’s going overseas this week to play basketball. And I have Raven, who has a full ride scholarship, going to college. And they overcame the situation with their dad. They did everything they did in memory of their dad. So, I’m happy and I’m blessed.”
McQueen, who said she can feel the pain of others in the community impacted by violence, now works as a community engagement representative for Crime Stoppers. She will be part of a panel discussion after the screening, alongside other families and artists.
Event organizers hope to secure funding to possibly make Heart to Canvas an annual event, potentially pairing additional artists and families in future years.
First Presbyterian Church of Flint is located at 746 S. Saginaw Street, in Flint.
RSVPs to the upcoming screening event are requested. Please visit HeART to Canvas – Premiere Screening (google.com) to RSVP.
