Flint Crime Stoppers Wins National Honor for Art Project That Heals Grieving Families
Finn's Take· TL;DR- Flint Crime Stoppers won national award for "HeART to Canvas," pairing families of crime victims with local artists to create healing memorial portraits.
- Program emerged from idea to help grieving families process loss through art, creating personal connections between artists and families impacted by violence.
- Project demonstrates crime-fighting organizations can prioritize community healing and compassion beyond traditional tip lines, offering model for other communities nationwide.
Art as a Bridge Between Grief and Community
Crime Stoppers of Flint and Genesee County has received a national award from Crime Stoppers USA, Inc. — but the recognition isn't for cracking cases or boosting tip lines. It's for something far more personal: giving grieving families a way to remember the people they've lost through the power of art.
The award recognizes the organization's community initiative, "HeART to Canvas," a project that created space for healing, remembrance, and community connection through art. It's a program that redefines what a crime-fighting organization can be, proving that public safety and human compassion aren't mutually exclusive.
How HeART to Canvas Came to Life
The idea originated about a decade ago when Adrian Montague, executive director of Doxa Development, saw a painting of a crime victim in Julie Lopez's office at the Flint Police Department. The victim had died in his teens after a hit and run. Montague suggested helping families of crime victims working with Crime Stoppers through art to Lopez.
Lopez described the process: "What we did is we brought local artists together and we paired them with family members that I work with at Crime Stoppers who have been impacted by crime. The artists would ask them questions, and they got to know each other. They talked about their loved ones. And then the artist created an art piece specifically for them." Over the past few months, local artists worked with families impacted by violence to create portraits that honor the lives of loved ones lost.
The results were deeply personal. One participant, Marcia, widow of Ramone McQueen whose 2007 homicide remains unsolved, said: "I was thankful to give the artist pictures of my husband, and she brought those pictures to life. I smile every time I look at his portrait." For another family, Katie Reitano, daughter of Elizabeth Land, a missing person profiled in the project, said: "HeART to Canvas means hope is still out there. It gave me a way to share my story and have my mother's story shared so she won't be forgotten."
A National Stage for a Local Vision
The honor was presented during the annual Crime Stoppers USA Training Conference held September 17–20 in Washington, D.C. The conference brought together 208 program members representing 94 Crime Stoppers organizations. Crime Stoppers of Flint and Genesee County board President Tim Jones and Vice President Rachel Nanni were among those in attendance.
Executive Director Julie Lopez said: "We are incredibly honored to receive this national recognition. HeART to Canvas represents what Crime Stoppers can be when we look beyond the tip line and ask what our community needs." She added: "At Crime Stoppers, we believe safety and healing go hand in hand. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of the participating families and artists, Doxa Development, and Stacks Creative for helping bring this project to life and for capturing these stories through video and photography."
Beyond the Tip Line
A 13-minute mini-documentary titled "HeART to Canvas" was also produced by Crime Stoppers of Flint and Genesee County and Doxa Development, focusing on the collaboration between families impacted by violence and local artists, using art to honor and commemorate those who have died. Lopez said the project has had a meaningful impact on participating families: "More has come out of this by listening to a couple of the family members — they said that when they look at the art, they have a good feeling of their loved one who they lost to violence. And it has been just so many different things how it has touched their lives."
The national recognition shines a light on an approach to public safety that other communities would do well to study. Crime doesn't just leave victims — it leaves behind families who carry the weight of loss for years, often without support or acknowledgment. HeART to Canvas offers a model that other Crime Stoppers chapters and community organizations across the country could replicate: one where solving crimes and healing communities aren't separate goals, but the same mission pursued together.