BETHUNE, S.C. — Twenty-three-year-old Joshua Valentine was killed in a motorcycle accident in June, but his mother and sister are ensuring his art and its impact live on.
"I think he's just so talented, an amazing photographer, his sketches, his drawing, and his painting," Eva Valentine said as she sifted through his artwork.
"He started drawing and doing art in the elementary school, he just taught himself, if he wanted to do something he taught himself," she said.
Joshua received a college grant from the Bethune Women's Club in 2018 to follow his dreams of learning art at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
"I think it was $500 that they give out, so that was a good help and made it easier, money for food, and so it was a nice thing for him to get," Valentine said.
Since the women of Bethune's Women Club were instrumental in helping Joshua, his sister and mother gave them several pieces of his art so they will forever have a bit of him.
"It's a small community; everybody takes care of each other, and everybody knew him, so I thought it was a nice thing to do," she said.
Eva said she'd been blown away by the number of people wanting Joshua's art, and she's thankful for those who come and collected pieces.