Elmhurst College to host reception for 'Portrait of a Soldier'
"Portrait of a Soldier," a memorial art exhibit featuring hundreds of hand-sketched portraits of Illinois service members killed in action since 9/11, is on display this week at Elmhurst College.
Former Gov. Pat Quinn will introduce it during an opening ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, in the Frick Center Founders Lounge, 190 Prospect Ave.
Cameron Schilling, an artist from Mattoon, began the project in 2004 when he drew a portrait of Charles Neeley, a fellow Mattoon resident who died in Iraq, and gave it to Neeley's parents.
About a year later, Schilling decided to draw a portrait of each Illinois service member killed in action since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He sends the originals to the service members' families and copies are added to the "Portrait of a Soldier" display.
The exhibit now includes portraits of more than 300 members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. It is arranged by each soldier's date of death, beginning with Patrick Murphy of Flossmoor, who died Sept. 11, 2001.
Admission to the exhibit and reception is free. The exhibit will be on display through Sunday, Sept. 15. For details, call (630) 617-5186.