THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 4, 1996 TAG: 9610020158
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: COVER STORY
SOURCE: JOHN-HENRY DOUCETTE, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 130 lines
AT WORK, MICHAEL A. Rivers is a parole officer working with Chesapeake young people whose lives are complicated by violence, drugs and conflict. He is there to help keep them on track.
At home he is a husband and a father of three boys.
He is also an artist, who is using his talent to help a good cause.
Through a door at the corner of a bedroom in his Chesapeake home is a small studio where he works, creating art that will soon be sold to raise money for the Hampton Roads United Way campaign. That money, he said, will be forwarded to ``distressed families in the Tidewater area.''
He is crafting pencil drawings of national and local landmarks and selling lithographs of the drawings. The proceeds, minus expenses, will go to the United Way.
He has produced two in a series of about 10 illustrations. So far he has completed a drawing of the MacArthur Memorial and one of Chesapeake City Hall. A thousand copies will be produced for national landmark illustrations, such as the MacArthur Memorial, and 300 for local landmarks.
Rivers' older drawings are of celebrities. He specialized in portraits before switching to landmarks about a year ago. One portrait is of actor Tom Selleck from his ``Magnum P.I.'' days. Another is of a young Eddie Murphy.
``Haven't seen that one in a while,'' said Rivers' wife Deborah, looking over his shoulder at his drawing of Selleck.
``Oh, yeah,'' she continued. ``I like all of them.''
Years ago, when the couple were children growing up in the same Prentiss Park neighborhood in Portsmouth, Mike Rivers drew his first lines. It was a picture of a rock.
His subjects have changed, but Rivers has been drawing ever since.
Rivers is the son of George and Danielle Rivers, who still reside in Portsmouth. His father has an artistic talent, too.
``He used to draw from real life,'' Rivers recalled. ``He's good.''
But, like his father, Mike Rivers never seriously trained as an artist despite an obvious talent. Rivers perfected his art himself over the years, in drawing after drawing. He worked in pencil, his medium of choice to this day, and worked from photos. He practiced drawing eyeballs, over and over again. Detailed studies, dividing the image into sections and fleshing out each part.
``I drew eyeballs all over my text-books,'' he said. ``People used to ask me, `Why eyeballs?' '' He would tell them, ``Because it keeps me drawing.''
His work progressed to people and cartoon characters.
As a student, Rivers entered a contest for admission to an art school - the kind where, he explained, ``you draw a lumberjack or Winky and send it in.''
He didn't win the contest. But one day a representative from the school came to his house.
``They said they saw real talent,'' Rivers said, but he never enrolled in the school.
Instead, at the age of 19, Rivers joined the Army. Within two years he married Deborah, and in 1977, their first son, Michael Jr., was born.
The senior Rivers was a military personnel worker by day, keeping track of other soldiers' records. He pursued his college degree at night. After seven years, he left the Army and returned home.
While attending a speech at Old Dominion University in Norfolk in 1982, he learned of a probation and parole program where interns trained with parole officers working with violent offenders. It sounded interesting.
Rivers joined and eventually got a job with Chesapeake's juvenile offender probation program, where he now works with the 1st District Court Service Unit.
He continued to draw, and by the mid-1980s he was selling lithographs of portraits of famous stars.
While art has never been lucrative for Rivers, it has always been an outlet.
``It's extremely good for relaxation,'' said Rivers.
Deborah Rivers said he is a man who never brings his work home with him, but Rivers said his his art is a release that helps him put aside the pressures of his high-stress job.
Rivers said it's tough to get through to some of the young people who have started out wrong, tough to convince them that there is another choice.
``Some of the kids, if they're artistic, I'd show them my work,'' Rivers said. ``I tell them to pursue their dreams.''
Mike Rivers' caseload a few short years ago included a young man with a flair for art.
``His work was displayed at all the JV centers,'' Rivers said. ``Hopefully he'll continue with creative artwork instead of the juvenile activity.''
Not every case is successful.
``It's hard to turn some kids around,'' Rivers said. ``When they're dealing, they can bring in big-time dollars. It's hard to get them interested in minimum wage. They just laugh at you.''
But just because a juvenile offender resists help doesn't mean that the parole officer gives up.
``Especially when you see that they're really trying, it's easy to get attached,'' said Rivers. ``Some come back (and visit after they're no longer on parole). Some call. They want us to know they're doing well.''
It makes it worthwhile, he said.
Last year he became a senior probation officer. In this job, he works with repeat offenders, resulting in a more intense involvement with his cases. He visits them at their jobs, in their schools and in their homes.
One of the pictures Rivers has on his to-do list is a drawing of his home in Great Bridge, a sizable house he and his wife had built to specifications that include an off-the-ground fireplace in the master bedroom and his small studio.
``I don't think we'll ever leave,'' Rivers said. ``We love it here. This is a great city.''
Deborah Rivers decorated their home, from the curtains that hang in their bedroom to arts and crafts items that hang from their walls. They have raised their three children there.
All are good kids, said their father, brought up in a positive atmosphere. ``Christian values,'' Rivers said, ``from Day 1 up until now.''
And he wants to give to a charity that will help people in Hampton Roads.
``I really have been blessed with this talent,'' he said. ``To give back is fulfilling.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos including color cover by L. TODD SPENCER
Parole officer by day, artist by night, Chesapeake's Michael A.
Rivers uses his talents to help others
Michael A. Rivers stands in front of a subject of one of his
paintings, Chesapeake City Hall. He is crafting pencil drawings of
national and local landmarks and selling lithographs.
Rivers has raised his children with Christian values, from Day 1.
Rivers' drawing of the MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk.
Graphic
AT A GLANCE
The drawings of Michael A. Rivers will be displayed at the
following locations:
The lithograph of Chesapeake City Hall will be at the Chesapeake
Department of Economic Development beginning Oct. 11.
The lithograph of MacArthur Memorial will be at Kirn Memorial
Library in Norfolk, the Central Library in Portsmouth and City Hall
in Virginia Beach. by CNB