MDA campers from New York and world-famous artist Charles Fazzino teamed up to create "Summer Camp in the City"

What do you get when you combine a world-famous artist, dozens of kids at MDA summer camp and a car trunk full of art supplies?

A one-of-a-kind piece of artwork that combines the talent and whimsical style of "3-D artist" Charles Fazzino with the personal touches of 60 New York City-area children with neuromuscular diseases.

That's exactly what happened when the popular artist, known for his lively three-dimensional creations, visited MDA summer camp at Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck at Center Moriches, N.Y., last August for an afternoon of teaching and creating. Not only did the afternoon produce a unique piece of art, it made terrific memories for the campers, some of whom said the artwork was their favorite part of camp.

Art Collection Highlight

The 4-by-6-foot, 3-D creation, "Summer Camp in the City," combines a busy New York City scene with self-portraits and images created by campers. After a grand unveiling at a New York gallery, the artwork is now making its home in the MDA Art Collection, displayed at the Association's national headquarters in Tucson, Ariz.

Charles Fazzino

The camp project was just the beginning of the generosity provided MDA by Fazzino and his staff. Through a series of events and artwork donations, they generated thousands of dollars for the fight against neuromuscular diseases in 1999.

The camp-created piece debuted at Fazzino Arts for MDA, a gala event held at Rye Ridge Art Gallery in Rye Brook, N.Y., in October. The evening was the highlight of a month-long fund-raiser, in which 20 percent of all sales of Fazzino's artwork at two New York-area galleries owned by Matthew Bayer was donated to MDA. That effort alone raised $8,000.

Fazzino and his staff have gone the extra mile for MDA in many instances. They brought the summer campers postcards, posters and art sup-plies to use in creating the artwork. Fazzino also gave autographed posters to the first 100 people to respond to invitations to Fazzino Arts for MDA, said Edward Johnson, MDA regional coordinator who emceed the evening event.

"Charles is one of the greatest guys you'll ever meet. He and his staff have gone over and above what we ever could have imagined in our first year working with him," Johnson said.

Adding Dimension

It's easy to see why art lovers scramble to view and purchase the limited edition handprinted serigraphs of Fazzino's latest works. His creations combine quirky cartoonlike characters with incredibly detailed scenes that together reflect the true essence of their subjects.

The popular pieces feature a 3-D aspect — the result of a complex process Fazzino has pioneered and patented — that creates a visually entertaining feast of detail and vibrant colors that literally spring off the page.

To create the extra dimension, pieces from a hand-printed silkscreen of the original image are cut out, glued, glittered and assembled by hand in layers on top of the flat print.

"Since each piece of my art is constructed and painted differently, collectors of my work are actually buying unique pieces of art," Fazzino has said about the process.

Fazzino is best known for his renditions of the Big Apple — his hometown — but he has also depicted locales as far-flung as Jerusalem, Las Vegas, Disneyland and Texas; and sports teams like the New York Yankees and the Ohio State University football team, the Buckeyes.

Working Together

The campers created small self-portraits for the mural and assisted Fazzino by coloring in the background.

During his visit to MDA summer camp, Fazzino drew the cityscape backdrop — with input from the campers. Then he and the children worked together to create the final piece.

"The kids were shouting out the names of different tourist sites, and he would include it in the picture. He had some of them actually helping color in the picture. It was a really great experience," said Christina Rosa-Ragona, MDA program service coordinator in New York City, who oversaw the activity.

Fazzino said he's happy to be a part of any effort to help children.

"Working with organizations that help children is very important to me," Fazzino said. "I have a 9-year-old daughter, and if she were ever in need, I would want to be able to turn to organizations like MDA for support.

"The MDA's dedication to helping children in need is unequaled, and it's been an honor for me to be able to contribute to their cause by doing something that I love."