Participants from our Art Therapy Program have hit it big! Their art is included in the Community Partnerships Exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and will be on display through September 22. This Wednesday, September 11, we’ll be hosting a reception at the Museum to honor our art therapy participants and raise awareness for this incredible program. You can learn more about the reception here.
Before you see the exhibit, we wanted to introduce you to a few of the talented artists featured in this exhibit. Yesterday, we introduced you to Ragna Brown. Today, meet Darryl Hopkins.
In early 2013, Darryl was examining the safety of a silo before his crew went to work on it. He was at the very top, harnessed into the catwalk when the entire catwalk collapsed. Luckily, Darryl landed on sand, surviving the fall – but he did sustain a C5 spinal cord injury.
Darryl’s painting featured in the exhibit
While receiving rehab at Magee, Darryl participated in art therapy. The last time he had done art of any kind was when he was in school. But that didn’t stop him from trying. When he first started , he couldn’t hold a paintbrush and used a splint. He would move the canvas around to get just the look he wanted. He was surprised by how much he enjoyed it – loved it, really.
“Painting is a beautiful thing,” he said. “It takes your mind different places and let’s you forget about your injury. It’s also a good workout.”
When Darryl found out one of his paintings, a line drawing of a woman’s face, was going to be hanging on the same walls as Picasso and Monet, he couldn’t believe it. In fact, he thought it was a joke.
Darryl and his family will see the exhibit for the first time at tomorrow’s reception. And how does he feel about showing his family what he has accomplished?
“Proud,” he said. “I feel proud.”
Come see Darryl’s work and others at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Community Partnerships exhibit through September 22. Please also join us this Wednesday at the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a reception in the artists’ honor. Please call (215) 587-3090 for ticket information.
