40 Portraits to celebrate 40 years
Help us mark our 40th anniversary in 2022 and transform your child’s photograph into a beautiful hand-drawn portrait, for a very special art exhibition in London.
40 years of fighting childhood cancer
In 2022, we’re commemorating 40 years of fighting childhood cancer. The Neuroblastoma Society was formed in October 1982 by a group of parents whose children had neuroblastoma or had sadly passed away. The families were committed to helping children with this rare cancer, by funding research to improve diagnosis and treatment.
Four decades later, as Neuroblastoma UK, our commitment remains. Thanks to you, we have provided funding of over £7 million to vital neuroblastoma research projects, and awarded 68 research grants across 19 research institutions across the UK.
To mark this special occasion, Joanne Humphreys, a professional artist and long-term supporter of Neuroblastoma UK, is holding a very special art exhibition in London.
And we invite you to take part.
After losing her four year old son Graeme to neuroblastoma on 31st December 1999, Joanne’s art focused on personal themes and commissioned artwork for bereaved families. Her work continues to have a personal connection today. Read more about Joanne and her work.
‘Fighting Childhood Cancer: 40 Portraits’ series
Inspired by her son, Joanne plans to complete an emotive series of 40 portraits capturing the courage of 40 children affected by neuroblastoma. We hope that the exhibition will take place in London during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September or October 2022.
If your child has or had neuroblastoma over the last 40 years, we invite you to take part in this special event by sending us your favourite photograph of your child and/or their sibling/s.
Joanne will transform your child’s photograph into a beautiful sketch inlaid with glass or resin, to be exhibited as part of the ‘Fighting Childhood Cancer: 40 Portraits’ series. At the end of the exhibition, Joanne will very kindly gift the portraits to the families involved. We are very grateful to Joanne for this incredibly generous gesture.
The ‘40 Portraits’ series will be exhibited alongside other works documenting Joanne’s experience as a parent of a child with cancer. These pieces will help to raise vital funds for further research into neuroblastoma.
How does it work?
Photos can include children who are currently undergoing treatment for neuroblastoma, those who have recovered and those who are sadly no longer with us. You can also send photos of siblings.
Portraits will be completed on a ‘first come first served’ basis. Please send us your photos by Friday 31st December 2021.
Photos can be from any time over the last 40 years.
What photos do I need to send?
To help Joanna create an accurate portrait, we will require the following:
At least one colour or black and white photo. These should be at least A6 in size (4” x 6”). More than one photo will help Joanna to get a better likeness.
Front and/or side view to include a clear image of the child’s face and shoulders
We can accept photos taken on a phone, as long as they satisfy the above criteria
Photos can be sent digitally, or hard copies in the post
What else do I need to do?
Please complete our information form when submitting your photos and include your name and contact details in case Joanne needs to get in touch with you.
We would welcome a short written piece about your child and their experience of neuroblastoma. This may feature alongside their portrait and could appear in any associated press and PR. We will seek your permission before featuring your child in any media.
If sending hard copy photographs, please ensure they are clearly labelled with your name and address so that we can ensure they get returned to you. We recommend you use a registered / tracked postal service or take a copy if your photos have sentimental value, to avoid them getting lost in the post. We cannot accept any responsibility for any photographs that may get mislaid
By submitting your child’s photo, you give your permission for Joanne to paint their portrait and put it on display.
Where do I send my photos?
If you would like your child to be a part of this fantastic, emotive, and moving exhibition, please send your photos by email or post by Friday 31st December 2021 to:
Katherine Mobey, Fundraising Manager, Neuroblastoma UK, CAN Mezzanine, 7-14 Great Dover Street, London SE1 4Y or you can email photos to: stories@neuroblastoma.org.uk
If you have any questions, please contact katherine.mobey@neuroblastoma.org.uk or call 020 3096 7890.
About Joanne Humphreys
Much of Joanne’s work has a personal connection including experiences she had during the time when her son had neuroblastoma.
Joanne Humphreys has been a practising artist for 35 years. Originally from Blaenau Ffestiniog in North Wales, she moved to Cheltenham in 1983 and completed her Fine Art Degree with honours in 1986. Joanne returned to Wales with a solo exhibition of her work and many of her works remain in private collections.
During the 90s she continued to work on a commission basis on the theme of animals as well as illustration and portraits. Her work also evolved to include birds in their natural environment using chalk pastel and watercolour. In 2011 she joined the Cheltenham Open Studios group of artists and continues to exhibit and sell her work. Around the same time, she began working on a long-term project about Down Syndrome, and how the disability can coexist in harmony within society. She collaborated with the filmmaker Lee Mathews to create a thought-provoking film called the ‘Dis’. The film with a series of wood carving prints and linear portraits were exhibited at the Atrium gallery, sponsored by Cardiff University in 2015.
In recent years she has had numerous exhibitions of her work locally and nationally. Her work mainly has a personal connection, even down to the flower chosen in memory of her father and the geckos that remind her of days with her son Graeme.
While studying her Master’s in Fine Art at Hereford College of Arts in January 2020, she produced and directed a film called, ‘The Process’. The film is a cathartic look at the grieving process in connection to the experiences she had during the time when her son had neuroblastoma.
When the pandemic began, she moved her studio to her home where she worked on her final master’s project based on the ‘Lockdown Museum’ film that she produced and directed. A combination of a variety of materials were used to include porcelain, steel, concrete, and fabrics to make sculptures.
She won the acclaimed Sidney Nolan Award in October 2020 for her work in connection to the film, ‘The Process’.
Joanne is currently working on a series of sculptures and portraits in connection with her son Graeme.