Fallen soldiers’ portraits created, on display
by Cheryl Keffer
ckeffer@timesheraldnews.com
They were allowed some creative liberties and Emily Middleton chose to decorate her artwork with hearts.
That’s because the soldier whose portrait she created was awarded the Purple Heart, the Perry Hall Christian School sixth grader said last week.
Art students at Perry Hall Christian have worked since the start of school to create portraits of Maryland soldiers who have died in Iraq. (Art teacher Teddy Richardson gave some free reign though — one student drew a portrait of his grandfather who died in an earlier war.)
The creations are on display through the end of the month at the Perry Hall Library.
The philosophy behind the project is that “art is not just for our own sake. It should be meaningful for those who view it,” Richardson said during a reception held for the students last week.
Middleton’s portrait was especially meaningful for Michael and Brenda Adle.
Their son Patrick was the fallen soldier she drew.
The Belair residents are friends of the family, Middleton explained, and came down to Perry Hall to see the exhibit.
Through her research, which included personal interviews with the Adles, Middleton found out that Lance Cpl. Patrick Ryan Adle died June 21, 2004 at the age of 21 when a bomb exploded alongside the vehicle he was riding in.
“They learned a little bit about the person – that they’re not just a name,” said Michael Adle. “Each of these fallen soldiers have families just like (the students) have families.
“Projects like this teach the kids a lot about freedom and the cost of freedom,” said he added. “Hopefully they learned that these people who died believed in the cause they were fighting for.”
And what about Middleton’s version of his son’s photograph?
“It’s an excellent likeness,” he said, just like the one that hangs over the family fireplace.
Photo cutline: Perry Hall Christian School sixth grader Emily Middleton was among the art students whose work will be on display at the Perry Hall Library through the end of the month. The exhibit includes portraits drawn of Maryland soldiers who have died in Iraq, including Lance Cpl. Patrick Adle of Bel Air, shown at left in Middleton’s drawing. Photos by Cheryl Keffer