There’s still time to see “Portraits in Red – Missing & Murdered Indigenous People Painting Project.”

The exhibit is up now through August 30th. Exhibit Description: The murder rate for Native women is about 3 times more than that of most other women. 98% of Indigenous people experience violence in their lifetime, with only a 6% prosecution rate. Athol-based artist Nayana LaFond began painting a portrait, “Lauraina in RED”, in 2020 to support the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous peoples. The response was overwhelming. She painted another with a more overwhelming response. Nayana invited anyone wanting her to paint them or their loved one for free. She received over 25 responses that first day…and the messages never stopped coming.