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.

 

  • HMS Bounty

    Paul TopkinFacioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSH, FSHD)

  • Holiday Sleigh Ride

    Jack MaccolemanMetabolic Myopathies

  • Hornet

    Christian CowieAll Disease

  • House by the River

    Sebastian SprengSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

  • House in the Sun

    Chad CahillAll Disease

  • I Believe

    Jason PeckDermatomyositis

  • I Have Seen the Future

    Gary SpradlingAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  • Imagination Station

    Mallory PartonLimb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD)

  • In Our Hands

    Brian GrohMetabolic Myopathies

  • In the Zone

    Carlos SerbiaBecker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD)

  • Inca Messenger

    Kelsey SeegerSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

  • Itchy Ear

    Sarah BrodshaugMyotonic Dystrophy (DM)

  • Its Not Like Before

    Gay Lauritzen-AppleberryAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  • Its Wheely Art

    Various ArtistsMetabolic Myopathies

  • Its Wheely Art II

    Various ArtistsMetabolic Myopathies

  • Japanese Scene

    Jason BaringerAll Disease

  • Jerry Lewis

    John GilbertAll Disease

  • Joy

    Jared T. SmithAll Disease

  • Jungle Fun

    Crystal NegronMitochondrial Myopathies (MM)

  • Knit Work

    Audrey FalkFacioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSH, FSHD)

  • Kohala Coast

    Morris NakamuraSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

  • La Wall Mural

    Various ArtistsMetabolic Myopathies

  • Lady Di

    Tina PrinceLimb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD)

  • Leaf Collage

    Vickie GrahamAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  • Lean on Me When You're Not Strong

    Lois LewisAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  • Lilacs for Olivia

    Michael HudeckiLimb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD)

  • Little Angels

    George LittleFacioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSH, FSHD)

  • Little Pink Palace

    Vauta TenneyMyasthenia Gravis (MG)

  • Lone Tree

    Tom WilliamsAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  • Looking a Head

    Wilson LongAll Disease

  • Louisiana Shrimp Boat

    Joseph ThomasFriedreich's Ataxia (FA)

  • Mamacita

    Edith SarrailleSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

  • Martin Luther King Jr.

    Jason PeckDermatomyositis

  • MDA Camp

    Maureen RaischCharcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)

  • MDA Summer Camp Mokuleia Hawaii

    Morris NakamuraSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

  • Mental Chaos

    Mandi Zeiler ZiinoSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

  • Mine

    Edith SarrailleSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

  • Miss Millie

    Brent GauthierSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

  • Moon Over Mountains

    Jason PeckDermatomyositis

  • Mosaic Hummingbird

    Craig ShieldsAll Disease

  • Mountain Stream

    Rosalie TothCharcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)

  • Mountain View

    David EmmertAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  • Mt. Yale in Autumn

    Charles MotisherLimb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD)

  • My Dad and I

    Dorothy HuntAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  • My Fathers Tulips

    Michael KoesterSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

  • Mystical Peaks

    Les WoolleyCharcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)

  • Naomi

    Tina PrinceLimb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD)

  • Native American with Sheep

    Rosalie TothCharcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)

  • Nativity

    Jeff PetrieAll Disease

  • Nina de Alicante

    Luis BaezPolymyositis (PM)

Find MDA
in your Community