Tamara Ramos is a creative who is using her talent to raise awareness. She is a professional photographic artist who uses her gift to talk about and inspire others on a wide range of social issues and topics. That is why she chose to host a fund raiser for Woman Space, a non-profit in Trenton, NJ serving the women and families impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault. This fund raiser also signified the launch of her photography service that she chose to name Euphemia Photography.
What drove Tamara to support this cause is not just a love for photography and artistic creativity, but a chance to help other women and victims of domestic violence. What also drove her is the memory of a strong and courageous woman who was tragically killed as a result of domestic violence, her own grandmother who was also named Euphemia. Tamara never met her grandmother but was always told by family members that she looks just like her, causing some to weep when they see her because of the striking similarity. Tamara never understood the reason for this deep display of sadness until one day, one of Tamara's aunts finally sat her down and told her about what caused her grandmother to die at such an early age.
Tamara's father grew up in Puerto Rico, one of 13 siblings born to Euphemia and her husband. Tamara's father had a natural gift for painting; he was an artist. He painted whatever he could but not without fear from his physically and sexually abusive, alcoholic father, a man who was of the cultural belief that men who painted or did any kind of work attributed to women must be gay and needed to do more manly things like labor jobs. So Tamara's grandfather would beat her dad and throw hot grease on him, and he would also beat Euphemia until she decided to hide the works of art so they wouldn't be discovered by her husband. Tamara's father continued painting in secret and whenever he was in school he let his creativity unleash.
One day one of his teachers was so impressed by his work that she sent a letter home to his family to commend the 14 year old's talent. His father however, received the letter in the mail and in a drunken rage walked to his son's school, drug the young man out of his classroom by the hair and arms, letting his shoeless feet scrape and become bloodied by the dirt and gravel, until they reached home. He was then severely beaten and then the rage shifted to Euphemia. Her own husband violently beat her to death.
The police did nothing to the man whose hands had snuffed out the life of his precious wife. They were either unable to determine that he had actually killed her but more than likely they simply chose to ignore what at the time was considered a private family matter. The children lived in silence and fear with the knowledge of the atrocious, abhorrent act their father had committed. One by one they left home as the years passed by, all bearing the nightmare of how their mother, Euphemia had spent her last breath. Tamara's father gave up painting.
After Tamara heard this tragic recollection from her aunt she was terribly saddened but also inspired. She finally realized not only where her artistic talent came from but even more why she was naturally passionate about those who suffered abuse, why heart always surrounded social issues. She immediately could feel her grandmother's presence surrounding her.
Tamara was later approached by an events organizer named Candice that had seen her work and ask her if she had ever considered starting her own business. Tamara had thought about it but had focused on the shear love she had for photographic art. She asked Candice for recommendations on how to get started. Candice immediately began sharing some ideas and one of them was holding a fundraiser for Woman Space. Once Tamara learned more about Woman Space, it all began to make perfect sense.
So Tamara was joined with local fellow artists at this spectacular occasion to support a cause that serves abused women and also to realize several dreams, a dream to share her creative vision with the world, a dream to have her own business and a dream of a grandmother who gave her very life because she believed in the natural gift that was bestowed on a 14 year old young man, that would transcend to a beautiful young woman who would bear her image years later.
On April 10th, this event was hosted. To see the original story and the artists who also supported her in this event, click here.
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