Works of art completed by healed hand patients of OrthoCarolina
OrthoCarolina and The Mint Museum will host a public opening for a special new art exhibition, My Hand Can, on Wednesday, September 3. From concert musicians and professional artists whose careers were in jeopardy, to children born with abnormalities and more, the show entwines art with emotion and mixes professional artists’ work with that of novices. Each work was completed by a hand patient who has healed, returned and succeeded in some way, whether conquering massive career-threatening injuries, fully experiencing the joy of childhood or rediscovering simple joys in life such as knitting and gardening.
“Overcoming adversity is the common thread of all the art you’ll see featured in My Hand Can. We’re proud not only of our patients’ strength but also of their willingness to express how they feel after what sometimes has been a traumatic injury or significant surgery,” said Glenn Gaston, MD, Chief of Hand Surgery at OrthoCarolina’s Hand Center. “We’re honored that The Mint Museum is so graciously allowing us the opportunity to show off such a different kind of art.”
The idea for the My Hand Can campaign originally came from a young OrthoCarolina Hand Center patient whose index finger was surgically removed and reattached to function as a thumb. Upon discovering the ability to grip a paintbrush, the child’s reaction was “Now I can paint you a picture with this hand.”
To date, many of the works of art featured in the exhibit, including images, works of art, crafts, and sculpture, have been displayed in the Hand Center lobby.
“We are thrilled to partner with OrthoCarolina on this unique exhibition. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase how transformative art is to people, and how the ability to create works of art is essential to one’s creativity and self-expression,” said Dr. Kathleen Jameson, President and CEO of The Mint Museum. “OrthoCarolina has also been so gracious in their supporting sponsorship of our Sunday Fun Days family program, and this initiative is just the beginning of our partnership. We are very grateful for their support, and are inspired by OrthoCarolina’s ability to make art a reality once again for these hand surgery patients.”
The My Hand Can opening will take place in the STAR Gallery at Mint Museum Uptown on Wednesday, September 3 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The exhibition will be on view from September 3-14 during normal museum operating hours. For more information on My Hand Can, visit
myhandcan.com.
About OrthoCarolina
OrthoCarolina is one of the nation’s leading independent academic orthopedics practices serving North Carolina and the Southeast since 1922. OrthoCarolina provides compassionate and comprehensive musculoskeletal care including operative and non-operative care, diagnostic imaging and rehabilitative
therapy. Widely known for musculoskeletal research and training, OrthoCarolina physicians have specialized expertise in foot and ankle, hip and knee, shoulder and elbow, spine, sports medicine, hand, pediatric orthopedics, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Our 120 OrthoCarolina physicians see nearly one million patient visits throughout western North Carolina each year.