August 2017 Portrait of the Month - Anna Maria Steinbach

Anna Maria Steinbach

This portrait of Anna Maria Steinbach (Settela) was created by Valerie C. Val decided to attend a Memory Project workshop after seeing the documentary Finding Kalman on PBS. Its focus on passing family history from generation to generation resonated for her. She said that knowing her family history of coming from a strong cultural background of Peruvian Incas provides meaning to her life and helps her understand who she is.  

When Val began to draw, she became absorbed in the process: “As soon as I found out how the white was actually giving form to my black background…I couldn’t stop… my hands just weren’t stopping.” After getting to know Anna through drawing her, she learned some of the details of the young girl’s life: “What I really loved about Anna Maria is that she’s one of eight siblings. I find it fascinating when people have a huge family.”