MDA Celebrates 15th Year of Art Collection

TUCSON, Ariz., June 29, 2007 — The Muscular Dystrophy Association Art Collection is celebrating its 15th year of showcasing the work of artists affected by neuromuscular diseases.

Begun in 1992 by late MDA President & CEO Robert Ross, the Collection graces the walls of MDA’s national headquarters here and presents several exhibits across the country each year. The Collection has grown to nearly 350 original works by artists ages 2 through 82 and from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Its purpose is to showcase the many abilities and talents of people who have physical disabilities.

Ross, MDA’s chief executive for more than 40 years, died in June 2006.

“The art created by the brilliant and talented people represented in our Collection is a source of inspiration to all of us,” MDA President & CEO Gerald Weinberg said. “Bob Ross came up with a creative way to showcase the talents of those with neuromuscular diseases and assure that they’d leave a lasting impression on the world.”

The first piece donated to the collection, a colorful 21-by-27-inch construction paper collage titled “Amusement Park,” came from then 9-year-old Andrew Cameron of Fort Worth, Texas, who has Becker muscular dystrophy.

Since that acquisition, donations have poured in steadily from artists affected by any of the 40-plus neuromuscular diseases in the MDA program. Adults, including professional artists and many who discovered their artistic talents after they were diagnosed, have created more than 60 percent of the pieces accepted by the Collection.

The rest have been donated by children, including some pieces created in MDA art workshops led by prominent artists such as Milda Vizbar of New York, marine life artist Wyland of Hawaii, and MDA National Vice President and world-renowned 3-D artist Charles Fazzino of New York.

Some 40 workshops have been held nationwide at locations including the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, the Art Institute of Chicago, Detroit Institute of Art, Scripps Institution in La Jolla, Calif., and the Glassell Junior School of Art in Houston.

The artwork encompasses many mediums, including watercolor, oil, pastels, wood, bronze, ceramics, pen and ink, digital designs, acrylics, crayons and photographs.

The 100th piece was donated by Lynette Battles of Rathdrum, Idaho. She was affected by myasthenia gravis and was 82 when she painted “From Russia with Love.”  The “HMS Bounty,” a scale replica of the original British ship, sailed into the Collection as the 200th piece. It was created by Paul Topkin of Lakeland, Fla. Topkin has facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and is no longer able to build ships.

A former college professor from Laramie, Wyo., Katy Hinckley donated the 300th piece, “Have Wheels, Will Travel.” After receiving a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Hinckley and her husband took a road trip on a motorcycle and her painting shows the motorcycle and wheelchair wheels.

Bill Ross of Bronxville, N.Y., who is affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), has three pieces in the Collection.  The first two he submitted, “Heaven on a Summer Night” and “Twilight in Paradise” were painted using hand brushes.  When his arms weakened and he could no longer hold a brush, Ross began experimenting with a mouthbrush and created “Pride of the Yankees,” depicting Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech in Yankee Stadium.

One acrylic piece titled “Won’t Back Down 9-11,” by Jan Blaustone of Nashville, Tenn., is a tribute to fire fighters lost in the 2001 terrorist attacks. She has three other pieces in the Collection and is affected by limb-girdle muscular dystrophy.

Selected pieces from the Collection have traveled across the country, appearing in some 70 exhibits in 44 cities in various venues including museums, libraries, universities, airports and corporate headquarters.

Past exhibits include such distinguished locations as the Dallas Museum of Art, Cork Gallery at Lincoln Center and Forbes Magazine Galleries in New York, Capitol Children’s Museum in Washington, Los Angeles Children’s Museum, Chicago Public Library, the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, Calif., Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore and the Sheldon Art Galleries in St. Louis. It’s been estimated that the Collection has traveled over 125,000 miles and been viewed by more than 3 million people.

Artwork in the Collection is never sold, but reproductions have been shared with the public through MDA notecards, calendars, award plaques, e-postcards, and in national and local media features. Many of the pieces can be seen on the MDA Web site.

MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat more than 40 neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services and far-reaching professional and public health education. The Association’s programs are funded almost entirely by individual private contributors.