About the Artist

Mary Pat Rice

I have felt profound isolation in my experience with a disability that is invisible to the world. Soon after I became unable to work, a friend gave me a dog named Goma to look after as she was leaving the country. Our circumstances changed, and the arrangement became permanent. The constant companionship of Goma enhanced my well-being to a life-changing degree. Caring for him improved my level of function so much that I soon felt capable of caring for a family. It would be several years, various medical interventions, and creative exploration before I could begin building a new body of work. I returned to classical art education, beginning with charcoal drawing and introducing various materials and subject matter, learning to address my new physical challenges by choosing media that can easily be put down and picked up again. My subjects depict moments in time that elicit feelings of familiarity and universality but also elevate the mundane to the sacred.

Location: On display at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute