Artist Mare Zanfagna from New Hampshire, who painted colorful portraits of young people who lost their lives due to drug overdoses, will now have her artworks displayed in Washington, D.C., according to an AP report.
Starting Monday, over 100 portraits drawn by Zanfagna will be displayed for five days in the rotunda of the Senate Russell Building in Washington. Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen had earlier invited the artist to display her portraits in the district.
Zanfagna lost her daughter to drugs in 2014. After she brought a self-made portrait of her late daughter to a support group of parents, others asked her to paint more portraits, and the collection grew.
Zanfagna also runs a not-for-profit organization called Angels of Addiction, which collects funds for scholarships to help young people who are battling addiction. The funds raised are also pooled for other resources to fight drug addiction.
NH woman's vibrant portraits of overdose victims now on display in DC https://t.co/eH0q78F0iX pic.twitter.com/SsbdEitnSw
— WMUR TV (@WMUR9) October 9, 2018
Zanfagna is hoping that by displaying her portraits the lawmakers will get to know what addiction does to the next generation.