Visit the Portrait of Spirit: This exhibit is about the cultural context in which disability occurs; a culture shaped by the fact we live in a society that, for the most part, is not invested in the experience of having a disability. In his foreword for Portrait of Spirit Christopher Reeve writes, “While many stories reflect grace and courage, bitterness and anger are represented as well. There is wonderful humor, pathos, and a very clear look at the society in which we all live, but in which disabled persons are often unseen,” Portrait of Spirit was first exhibited in Atlanta in 1996, as part of the Cultural Paralympiad, by VSA arts of Georgia (formerly Very Special Arts Georgia). The exhibit consists of 24 black and white photographs taken by Billy Howard, text panels of excerpts from 25 interviews conducted by Maggie Holtzberg, a forward by Christopher Reeve, and three title panels.
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© 2006 Southern Arts Federation. All Rights Reserved.
Through interviews and photographs Portrait of Spirit: One Story at a Time highlights the individuality of people with disabilities, and banishes common perceptions about those who live with disability. Black and white photographs and interviews tell the story of twenty-five individuals who fight the perception that their identity is limited to their disability. “Probably the thing that is most frustrating is that not everybody around me perceives me the same way I perceive me,” states Paralympics athlete Ann Cody.