ARTWORK BY RHODE ISLAND ARTIST
ACCEPTED INTO MDA ART COLLECTION
 |
"Cuddly Christmas Bear" |
TUCSON, Ariz., April 5, 2005 – A painting by a Hope Valley, R.I.,
artist has been accepted by the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s
Art Collection. Now in its 14th year, the Collection features artwork
by people from across the country with neuromuscular diseases.
“Cuddly Christmas Bear” by Shane Bourque depicts a lovable,
brown teddy bear standing between a pile of presents and a Christmas
tree. Shane, who uses muted yellow, blue, green and red tones, implemented
a unique process in which he applied acrylic paints to acetate paper
in order to capture his enduring Christmas image.
Shane, 12, is affected by Becker muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder
that most typically affects adolescent and adult males, causing weakness
and wasting in muscles of the hips and pelvis, upper arms and upper
legs.
Shane is in seventh grade at Chariho Middle School, where his favorite
subjects are music, social studies and science. He’s been painting
for three years, and also enjoys playing with remote-controlled cars
and trains. He is currently serving his second one- year term as MDA’s
Goodwill Ambassador for Rhode Island.
“We’re deeply honored to welcome Shane Bourque’s work
into the permanent MDA Art Collection,” MDA President & CEO
Robert Ross said. “His contribution to our Collection will undoubtedly
delight all who see it as it travels to galleries and museums as part
of special exhibits of the Collection.”
The new addition by Shane is on display at MDA’s national headquarters
in Tucson, Ariz., and can be seen at www.mda.org. news/050405bourque.
It also will be included in MDA Art Collection traveling exhibits. The
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 permanent Collection comprises more than 300 works by artists aged
2 to 82 and represents all 50 states. Each artist is affected by one
of the neuromuscular diseases in the MDA program.
Selected art from the Collection has been exhibited at the Dallas Museum
of Art; Cork Gallery at Lincoln Center and Forbes Magazine Galleries
in New York; Tucson Museum of Art; Bishop Museum in Honolulu; Chicago
Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center; Fort Lauderdale Museum
of Art; Los Angeles Children’s Museum; JFK Center at Vanderbilt
University, Nashville, Tenn.; Fresno Metropolitan Museum; Duluth Art
Institute; Capital Children’s Museum, Washington, D.C.; and the
Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn, Mich.
MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat neuromuscular diseases
through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services, and
far-reaching professional and public health education. MDA maintains
a clinic for adults and children affected by neuromuscular diseases
at the Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.
The Association’s programs are funded almost entirely by individual
private contributors.
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