Blending Art With Science
On April 7, 2018 over 100 people gathered at Boston Children’s Hospital for a special conference called Success Strategies for Individuals and Families Impacted by Fragile X. It was an inspirational day that included presentations by 2 fragile X researchers, Dr. Craig Erickson from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and Dr. Carol Wilkinson from Boston Children’s Hospital. Both researchers are funded by FRAXA Research Foundation , the platinum sponsor of the conference. I am Director of Community Relations for FRAXA, and I invited my friend and artist, Maria Castellano-Usery to join us for the day. Maria started Brushstrokes With Impact™ , a campaign where she merges art, community, and raising money for causes she feels strongly about. Over the course of twenty-eight “Paint-a-Thon” events (which have taken place in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York) she has raised money for many good causes. At the conference she set up her easel at the FRAXA table and spent the d