Art of Parkinson’s

Date: Friday, March 15, 2013

Location: The Galleria Shops of Distinction, Edina, MN 

Tickets: $10/person.  Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Galleria guest service desk or directly from NPFM. Click here.

The Art of Parkinson’s is the National Parkinson Foundation Minnesota’s first artists’ fundraiser. Several artists from the Parkinson’s community are painting, sculpting, taking photos, and crafting beautiful pieces for purchase. The artists displaying their work will demonstrate and promote the creative influence they bring to the community. Their talent and passion is embodied in their work and demonstrates NPFM’s goal to help those with Parkinson’s live well.  Parkinson’s-friendly clothing will be modeled by a few volunteers who live with Parkinson’s.

If you require a parking spot close to the event, please enter the underground parking on the west side of the Galleria under the Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware.  Preferred parking will be available during the early hours of the event.  Please check the Galleria website to identify handicap parking locations if needed.  The event will be on the west end of the Galleria.  The Galleria is doing everything possible to make this a Parkinson’s-friendly event!

Artists participating in the event include:

Jackie Hunt Christensen: I am a wife, mother, activist, author and artist. I just happen to have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1998 at the age of 34. I had no hobbies prior to PD; all I did was work. Parkinson’s has really unleashed my creativity.

Since being diagnosed, I have ventured into making and selling jewelry; writing and publishing short stories and poetry; and painting with watercolors and watercolor pencils. My current love is making fused glass, although I like making mosaics as well. This alternative method of expression – art – has been a real blessing.  As my disease progresses, I find new ways of expressing my creativity to say “I’m still here. PD hasn’t won yet!”

 

 

Liz Ogren is a 5th grade teacher, Bruce’s wife, mother of teenagers Alex and Evan, and companion of her cockapoo Murphy. After being diagnosed with PD in 2007, she briefly became a self-described couch potato. Her family encouraged her “off the couch” and into a daily exercise routine. What a difference exercise makes! Ogren founded a biking organization called Pedal and Roll for Parkinson’s to encourage others with PD to get off their couch and enjoy the benefits of exercise.

Ogren talks to her students about her Parkinson’s disease and uses it as a teaching example about living well no matter what.  “I’m hoping I can be a role model for the fact that we all have hurdles in life,” says Ogren.

As part of Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Ogren shared her Parkinson’s story with KSTP Channel 5 News.

Sheila Moriarity always had passion for “the arts” whether that included the written word on a page or paint on a canvas. After much self-reflection that came with her Parkinson’s diagnosis in 1999, Moriarity found she’d spent much of her life doing what other people wanted her to do. She committed to spending the rest of her time demonstrating her own zeal and passion through water color artwork that was pleasing to her. The former high school art teacher characterizes Parkinson’s as an unruly teenager living in the house. “You don’t know what is going to happen next,” she says. “Parkinson’s is a robber. It takes a lot of things from you.” Luckily for the rest of us, it hasn’t stolen Sheila’s talent or ability to express what is on her heart in water color.

 

 

George Nadler: I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in the late 1990s  and was forced to retire from my orthodontic practice. I had dabbled in charcoals and pen and ink while attending college and professional school. When I retired I looked for something to occupy my time, my hands and my brain. I was always accustomed to working with my hands and through trial and error I found painting with watercolors was an excellent mental and physical activity. Over the past several years I’ve taken numerous courses by Pat Weaver, Don Andrews, Thomas Owens, Ted Nuttal, Linda Dolland and many others.

A city boy I took advantage of what New York City had to offer: Stuyvesant High School, Brooklyn College, and New York University School of Dentistry. I spent two years (1964-1966) on a Navajo Indian Reservation with the US Public Health Service. It was my first exposure to the magnificent blue, red and yellow colors of the Arizona Desert. I fell in love with the desert, the weather and it’s people.

I’ve exhibited my watercolors in numerous galleries including: The Skyline Country Club, Tuscon Jewish Community Center, Tuscon Botanical Gardens, Murphey Gallery and many others.

Bob Hardman hadn’t picked up a paintbrush until a year and a half ago.  He has been taking lessons from Peg Houck after failing at knitting and deciding to get involved in water color painting.  Peg has been his teacher since then.  Bob is a retired Episcopal priest who has had Parkinson’s Disease since 1996.  He has tried a magnetic helmet, aruvedic treatments in India, Chinese acupuncture, Native American sweat lodge, as well as traditional treatments/ Each has helped in some way for a short time.  Then 4 years ago, he decided to try Deep BRain Stimulation which took care of the tremors, which then allowed him to paint;  Painting is ‘very calming, relaxing, as well as fun and challenging and I plan to continue as long as possible because it lifts my spirit.

 

Sharyn Hultman received a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago at age 11 and has been wowing audiences with incredible works of mixed media ever since. Having Parkinson’s for the past 18 years has slowed the prolific painter yet she continues to support herself as an artist with works that include water color, burned elements and gold leaf. One of her more prominent works “Flowers in the Fire” is a vibrant, display of her talent and the spirit inside the woman herself. Now wheel chair-bound, Hultman remains the same bright light who creates gorgeous works that speak to people. “People look at people in wheel chairs like they’re different,” she says. “I’m still the same person.” Her work is on display at the Northern Warehouse in St Paul, MN.

 

One tour of Jack Jaglo’s basement provides a thousand stories-all told in black-and-white. The self-taught amateur photographer has captured everything from beauty queens on Aquatennial parade floats from days-gone-by to the spirit of foreign lands and people. The retired high school science teacher demonstrates his lifelong passion for photography by handling all parts of the creative process including photographing subjects, chemical processing of film, mat cutting and custom framing. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s years ago, Jaglo is committed to making Parkinson’s a singular image that tells only one part of his life story. As he deals with the illness, he channels his curiosity and creativity into telling other’s stories through his engaging images.

 

Carol Morken is an artist-in-residence for the Fargo Public School system. She has her own studio, teaches art classes to home-schooled children, writes children’s books, and shows and sells her own art work. She is a 1979 alumna of Rugby High School. Although she is a very talented lady, she has not missed out on life’s challenges. Morken has Parkinson’s Disease to work around. And work around it she does. She credits Mr. Kreklau, her junior high and high school art teacher, and an art teacher at Minnesota State University Moorhead, Mr. Oltzvedt, with encouraging her career in art.Her favorite medium is chalk pastels. Morken has her artwork on display in various locations around Fargo. For Nicole’s Pastry in downtown Fargo, Morken made cakes into artwork and displayed her work there. Morken is married to Jim Morken and they have three grown children. She was kept busy raising her children for 13 years and just got back into art recently. She was concerned about eventually losing her movement to the extent she couldn’t do her artwork so she has done a lot of art since her diagnosis. It opened new horizons for her to consider.

 

 

Having Parkinson’s disease has taken me on a life road I never expected to travel. My career as a teacher ended much sooner than I had hoped.  Creating art is a new hobby that keeps me busy and makes people smile.  I donate my art to raise money and awareness for Parkinson’s disease through multiple organizations.

 

 

 

It isn’t unusual for the lights to burn late at Joan Meneghel’s house while she pulls fabric from her stash and plans yet another quilt. Joan is a self-taught quilter and has been quilting for about eight years.  Her grandmother was a wonderful quilter.  Joan was born on her grandmother’s birthday and carries her grandmother’s name as her middle name.  She hopes there is a genetic rub off!  Since her recent Deep Brain Stimulation procedure my Parkinson’s disease does not effect my quilting.

 

 

 

 Carol Sirko, Ann Kirch and friends live in a senior living community where they can enjoy all aspects of living, learning, friendship and wellness.  Numerous residents came together to make birdbaths and stepping stones to raise money and awareness for Parkinson’s disease.  It was their idea to have an Art of Parkinson’s event to highlight the contribution artists living with Parkinson’s are making.

Together they keep each other moving by exercising together and keep their creative juices flowing with activities like these.

 

I have enjoyed the arts, especially music and painting, all of my life. I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2004. When trying to cope with the progression of the disease, I have to believe in myself and look for some creative activities too. Friends told me about how lucky I am to live in Minnesota where Struthers Parkinson’s Center is located, with a good medical staff and support group, I have learned to keep the body and mind active with exercise and creative activities. Since moving into Waverly Gardens Presbyterian Homes Community, I have enjoyed painting, sewing and making book of our trips to other parts of the world. These are all positive activities for me and hopefully I’m creating some dopamine of my own.

 

This event will be Parkinson’s-friendly.  Light hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served.  A Galleria special offers booklet will be provided to attendees.

Contact us at info@parkinsonmn.org or call (763) 545-1272 for more information on this event. For sponsorship information contact Julie Steen.

This event is generously sponsored by TEVA and UCB