The Muscular Dystrophy Association Art Collection was established in 1992 to focus attention on the achievements of artists with disabilities and to emphasize that physical disability is no barrier to creativity. The Collection, on permanent display at MDA national headquarters in Tucson, Ariz., comprises nearly 400 original works by adults and children who have any of the neuromuscular disorders in MDA's program. Artists in the Collection represent all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and range in age from 2 to 82.

The MDA Art Collection is one of the most varied collections in the nation. 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, the 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 those 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 its Art Collection and its programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services and public health education covering neuromuscular diseases. The Association's programs are funded almost entirely by individual private contributors and cooperating organizations. Contributions to MDA, a nonprofit health agency, are tax deductible.

For more information about sponsorship of the MDA Art Collection or any other aspect of the Collection, please contact:

MDA Art Collection
3300 E. Sunrise Drive
Tucson, AZ 85718-3299
(520) 529-2000
communityprograms@mdausa.org