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If health care reform passes, I will continue to paint portraits about the issue.  I will paint the before/after coverage (or lack of it) of individuals. The purpose of this project is to document this issue until the problems surrounding it are a distant memory. That may take some time.  The Democrats like me now.  As I continue painting the effects of government policy on real people, the Republicans might start to like me.  My only point is to stay on the subject until it’s resolved. The message of the project is for all parties to stay on health care reform until we get it right.

ART AS SOCIAL INQUIRY gets a mention on Sirius 114 radio show called  Dr. Radio (3/11/10). Cindy Mercer Jones Wynne tells her story. Her 23 yr. old uninsured, employed daughter, Courtney Leigh Huber tried to save money by cutting back on her diabetes medicine at night. She fell into a coma and died in Jan. 2010. Cindy has allowed me to paint a portrait (not yet posted) of her daughter for Art As Social Inquiry.  The Julie Love Diabetics Assistance Foundation posted a memorial to Courtney. The family has a Facebook page called In Memory of Courtney Leigh Huber.

ART AS SOCIAL INQUIRY GETS PRESS in the Bucks County Herald (8/5/09)  Click here to read the piece.

What’s coming: a blog, press room.

Invite everyone you know to become a “fan” of Art As Social Inquiry on Facebook. (Log in or sign up)

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The portrait, The Immigrant, launches the project, ART AS SOCIAL INQUIRY

I encourage you to participate and forward the site to anyone and everyone.

Maybe the picture stirs up old memories.  Do you remember when you first had an opinion on illegal immigration?  What do you think most shaped your opinion?  Do you know any illegal immigrants? Have you been hurt/helped by an illegal immigrant?  What do you think you are most afraid of regarding this topic?

My agenda is to connect social issues to real people through portraiture and invite conversation.

CURRENT PROJECT
I am painting portraits of American citizens and their health insurance “designations.”  While the topic of illegal immigration has just one portrait, my health insurance series should have about 100 paintings.  My goal is to ask, What does the American health insurance system look like in the faces of the American people?  I’ll post the paintings as I finish them.  My dream is to include in this series a portrait of  President Obama or Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton or Senator Mitch McConnell or anyone who has the very best  health insurance coverage a government job has to offer.

It also occurs to me that the portraits can be instruments of social change.  The portraits are pictures of real people, and they might sensitize us to the fact that all opinions affect real people.  Aiming our opinions at real people may, in turn, alter our opinions.  But this is just me thinking outloud.

Let’s have fun with this.