Kaci Flora, a Slippery Rock University senior, molded the faces of 50 officers from the region and used them to create plaster masks, which she arranged as the “Thin Blue Line,” a symbol used to identify law enforcement, at SRU's James C. Myford Sculpture Building.

One aspiring artist studying at Slippery Rock University has used her skills to shine a light on “Faces of Courage.”

Kaci Flora, a senior, molded the faces of 50 officers from the region and used them to create plaster masks, which she arranged and bathed in blue light to symbolize the “Thin Blue Line,” a symbol used to identify law enforcement.

“I'm tired of seeing all the negativity,” Flora said of why she started the project. “I thought it would be impactful to see these people not from behind a gun and a badge.”

But she said the project was more important to her than simply class credit.

Flora said she started with the officers in her family and used their connections to recruit others to take part in her artwork.

The officers came from Butler, Pittsburgh and even Slippery Rock University's own campus police department.

“Faces of Courage,” which will be displayed from May 7 to 10 at the Martha Gualt Art Gallery, also served as Flora's capstone project on her way to earning a bachelor of the fine arts degree.

Read more about Flora's process and she learned in Friday's Butler Eagle.