Eight talented individuals in Gloucestershire, all living with Huntington’s disease, have launched a “joyful” art exhibition titled Our Creative Journey.
The event, organized by the Huntington’s Disease Association (HDA), aims to showcase how art can improve well-being for people living with this debilitating and incurable illness.
The exhibition is being held at St John Baptist Church in Cirencester from Tuesday to Saturday.
Huntington’s disease, caused by a faulty gene, leads to the progressive loss of brain cells, affecting movement, mood, and cognitive abilities.
Despite these challenges, the artists—Bert and Elise Holland, Charlotte, Clair, Evie, Kate, Spencer James, and Steven Hart—find solace, focus, and joy in their creative work.
Carol Dutton, an HDA specialist adviser, shared that the idea for the exhibition began during the Covid lockdown when it became clear how many artists in the Huntington’s disease community were creating meaningful art.
The artists’ stories are deeply personal. Bert has Huntington’s disease, while his daughter Elise has Juvenile Huntington’s disease, with symptoms starting before age 20.
Her mother, Alison, explained that Elise gains great pleasure from creating her weekly artwork.
Another artist, Spencer James, shifted his focus to digital art when his symptoms made it difficult to use traditional tools.
His parents, Phil and Charlie, described how Spencer now uses an iPad to create abstract images, which they print onto canvas and velvet.
Our Creative Journey serves as a testament to the resilience and creativity of those living with Huntington’s disease, highlighting the therapeutic power of art in the face of life’s toughest challenges.
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