Tributes in Art

Introduced by Mary Afton Greenwood

When Charis was born, Don and I were so enamored with our beautiful daughter that we simply couldn’t decide on a name that was good enough.  Not willing to settle for the familiar, my husband did a little research and, in the poetry of Ben Jonson, he found CHARIS, a name embraced in the word, CHARISMA.

In Greek Mythology, CHARIS was one of the three Graces or Charities: Goddesses of Kindness, Beauty, and Creativity.  Religiously the word CHARISMA connotes spiritually gifted.  In naming our daughter, we didn’t realize that she would grow to exemplify those very virtues and to be able to express her sensitivity and understanding with such grace in exquisite poetry.  The following three tributes in art are based on Charis’ gift of charisma as expressed in her poetry.