About MDA

Fighting every day to free individuals — and the families who love them — from the harmful effects of muscle-debilitating diseases so they can live longer and grow stronger

Art Collection

The Muscular Dystrophy Association Art Collection was established in 1992 to highlight the achievements of artists with disabilities and to emphasize that physical disability is no barrier to creativity. The collection, on display in MDA offices across the country, comprises 400 original works by adults and children who have muscular dystrophy, ALS or a related life-threatening disease MDA supports. Artists in the collection represent all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and range in age from 2 to 84 when the artwork was created.

The MDA Art Collection is one of the most varied collections in America. The versatility attests to the imagination and talent of the artists. The collection features unusual artistic media, from digital designs to collages with corn, to paint applied with wheelchair wheels and human feet. There are also many works in more traditional oils, watercolors, acrylics, pen and ink, crayons, pastels, bronze, ceramics and photography.

Subject matter ranges from self-portraits to landscapes, and from still lifes to outer space fantasies.

In addition to showcasing the work of talented artists who are affected by neuromuscular diseases, MDA's Art Collection allows the artists to articulate their distinctive vision of living with a disability.

The Culture of Disability

The MDA Art Collection illustrates the emergence of artists with a sense of pride in their experiences, including those as people with disabilities. Their work is an important element in, and vehicle for, the unique culture of disability. These works provide kids and adults served by MDA with the opportunity to visually communicate their experiences with neuromuscular disease.

Exhibits

MDA Art Collection exhibits are initiated by either MDA or the host location. All exhibits are underwritten by the participating facility or by corporate/individual sponsors.

Exhibits typically consist of 20 to 40 works and vary in duration from about four to eight weeks. The curator selects the works to be shown at each individual venue. Some exhibits emphasize range and diversity while others have a specific focus (e.g., landscapes, self-portraits, etc.).

Selected art from the collection has been exhibited at the Dallas Museum of Art; Cork Gallery at Lincoln Center and The Forbes Collection in New York; Tucson Museum of Art; Bishop Museum in Honolulu; Chicago Public Library; Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art; Los Angeles Children's Museum; JFK Center at Vanderbilt University, Nashville; Fresno Metropolitan Museum; Duluth Art Institute; Capital Children's Museum, Washington, D.C.; the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn, Mich.; and Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

To date, the MDA Art Collection has been viewed by more than 3.5 million people nationwide.

Support the Art Collection

The Muscular Dystrophy Association welcomes your support of our Art Collection and our efforts to find research breakthroughs across diseases, care for kids and adults from day one and provide services and support for families in hometowns across America. MDA's programs are funded almost entirely by individual private contributors and generous organizations. Contributions to MDA are tax deductible.

 

  • Braid Of Gold

    Barbara DanielsonSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

  • Brave Men and Women

    Jack MaccolemanMetabolic Myopathies

  • Breathtaking Metamorphosis

    Erin WorshamAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  • Brenton Point

    Warren BernhardtCharcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)

  • Bud

    June Marie SchneiderCharcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)

  • Camp Fun

    Alexis VillaSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

  • Camp Potawatomi Camp Fire

    Nathan EstesAll Disease

  • Candles and Holly

    William Bill RinaldiLimb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD)

  • Cape May Boat Yard

    George JohnsonAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  • Carnival

    Kenneth TurnerSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

  • Celebrate the Day

    Milda VizbarCharcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)

  • Challenges We Don't Face

    Caroline PennellLimb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD)

  • Chasing Windmills

    Ruth RubinsteinMyasthenia Gravis (MG)

  • Cheerful Snowman

    Benjamin KramichAll Disease

  • Chief Joseph

    Jim HellerPolymyositis (PM)

  • Christmas Dinner

    MaryAnn MillerEndocrine Myopathies

  • Christmas Memories

    Jack MaccolemanMetabolic Myopathies

  • Clown

    Samuel WilliamsCharcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)

  • Clown Fish

    Kerri BraunSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

  • Clown Quartet

    Monty TopcheAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  • Coler

    Lauren SanfordCharcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)

  • Coltrane Playing My Favorite Things

    Tommy RobertsBecker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD)

  • Columbines Shenandoah National Park

    MaryAnn MillerEndocrine Myopathies

  • Come Fly with Me

    Martin LauerMitochondrial Myopathies (MM)

  • Concept Car

    Kyle BrodbeckAll Disease

  • Conch Shell at Beach 1

    Pamela JablonskiMyotonic Dystrophy (DM)

  • Conch Shell at Beach 2

    Pamela JablonskiMyotonic Dystrophy (DM)

  • Conroe Landscape

    Nancy GilbertAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  • Contellation Gemini

    Nick BiddlingmeierBecker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD)

  • Cooking Up a Storm

    Monty TopcheAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  • Copper Engravings

    Various ArtistsMetabolic Myopathies

  • Cougar at Rest

    Jack MaccolemanMetabolic Myopathies

  • Country Christmas

    Jack MaccolemanMetabolic Myopathies

  • Crimson Dusk

    Stephen BlankenshipFacioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSH, FSHD)

  • Crossroads

    Ryan SannerAll Disease

  • Cuddly Christmas Bear

    Shane BourqueBecker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD)

  • Days End

    Michael RabeFriedreich's Ataxia (FA)

  • Days Gone By

    Richard McCuenCharcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)

  • Delight in His Beauty

    Theresa Baca PocheEndocrine Myopathies

  • Desert Sunset

    David CasnerLimb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD)

  • Diamond in the Sunset

    Amber StockSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

  • Dinosaurs on the Move

    Peter TachenyAll Disease

  • Discovering Gold

    Elizabeth ShirkMyotonic Dystrophy (DM)

  • Doilie Symphony II

    Elisabeth Preble MorleyCharcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)

  • Dolphin

    Austin WilburnAll Disease

  • Down By the Lake

    David CasnerLimb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD)

  • Dr.Glass

    Ferdinand RoccantiMyasthenia Gravis (MG)

  • Dragonflies

    Fred SiwakAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  • Dusty Jeans

    Nancy GaleCharcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)

  • El Santuario de Chimayo

    Melecio FresquezFacioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSH, FSHD)

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