Artist: Jason Leith
Location: O’Neill Park
Mikee gave us smiles. For the decades he sat outside the gate to O’neill’s Story Walk, he made people’s day brighter through his jovial greetings. A U.S. Air Force Veteran, he chose to live his later years among nature, enjoying connecting with people of R.S.M. He had little material wealth, and yet his legacy lives on. “Big Smiles Always.”
Update: All prints were taken within the first two days. Thank you!
Clay is fighting to be a father. This portrait is from the first weeks of recovering his life after a decade of rock bottom. He had been shattered by not having a father growing up, which caused his empty quest for fulfillment. “All I longed for was my dad to just hold me,” he said. After a long struggle, a near-fatal car accident, and time in prison, he was given a second chance at Faith City Mission in Amarillo. One evening in the dish pit, Clay released control. “Lord, I wanna be a dad to my little Cora,” he prayed. “Whatever the outcome of my legal situation, I put it in your hands.” The very next morning, his 20-year sentence was wiped clean. “My first thought was, Go be a dad.” Clay reflected. The Program Director said she noticed a new confidence in him after his portrait session. Through the retro clippings and the old hymn board found at the rescue mission, his portrait tells a story of a man who follows after God’s heart to be a present father for his children.
Displayed at Faith City Mission, Amarillo TX
Sid is a full-time driver, often working over twelve hours a day, yet still relying on basic resources from the HUB in Orange. His leased car consumes most of his income. Despite this, he encourages every passenger, often speaking about what truly matters beyond this life.
His name—“Said” in Arabic—means “happy.” His parents are Palestinian, born in Jerusalem. I created this portrait during the 2025 Israel-Palestine war. Carrying both Palestinian and Israeli heritage, Sid expresses a deep desire for peace. He often expresses our common humanity in the phrase “we all bleed red,” a phrase inscribed in English, Arabic, and Hebrew at the base of the work.
The composition reflects this tension: one panel shows the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7 attacks, the other children in Gaza grasping for a ration of food. The portrait is created on a cardboard box that once held 200 styrofoam food containers—the very same ones I would see Sid holding and giving away at the HUB. The portrait attempts to depict Sid’s generous heart, bleeding for others as he shares the little he has.
Price: $2400
Liz is a wellspring of resilience. After a lifetime of battles and losses, she recovered her life at Phoenix Rescue Mission. Her family is from the Lakota Tribe, and she is proud of her roots. She continues to seek how she may follow after God and honor her native culture.
The materials in this portrait are symbolically important. The clay roof tiles and old Bible were found In the dirt in an unseen corner of Phoenix Rescue Mission’s campus where Liz recovered her life. Their inclusion honors the vital role PRM staff and its programs played in Liz’s journey toward renewal. The uniquely turquoise Bible symbolizes how her Christian walk is impacted by her native culture. She says her goal is to share her newfound freedom in Jesus with other Natives. In a culture that is wary of this integration, she wants to “help somebody else reach out for him.”
To the Lakota Tribe, rain is associated purification. Joy and growth always follow the rain. This rain, coming down from the Word of God, is a symbol of the renewal that has happened in Liz’s story and the joy she has to share it with others.
On Display at Phoenix Rescue Mission, Phoenix AZ
