Artist with cerebral palsy returns to show
Artist with cerebral palsy returns to show
| CAPTION: Kayla Gahagan/Daily Mining Gazette Troy Parker holds one of his pieces of artwork Saturday. Parker has cerebral palsy and does his art on the computer. |
By KAYLA GAHAGAN, DMG Writer
EAGLE HARBOR — It’s a long way from Texas.
But Troy Parker didn’t come to the 46th annual Copper Country Associated Artists Fine Art Fair and Exhibit in Eagle Harbor for a vacation. He’s here to sell art.
The 38-year-old Tyler, Texas, native was juried into the art fair six years ago along with dozens of other artists staffing booths this weekend.
But the story of how he got here is different.
Parker was born with cerebral palsy, a disease that leaves him in a wheelchair with minimal use of his upper body. The muscular limitations make it difficult for him to speak as well as use his hands and wrists.
It wasn’t until he was 30, after he graduated from high school and completed a series of computer graphic courses at the local junior college that Parker found a hidden talent.
After completing an artistic creation on the computer by use of an Adobe drawing program, Parker submitted the work to be published in the college’s publication. It was accepted.
His art, large colorful pictures of blocky animals and sunsets, mountains and lakes, is all original, says his father Jud.
“It’s all labor intensive. There’s no clip art,” he says, pointing to a giraffe in one of the pictures. “I timed him on this one and it took him 38 hours.”
The best part, Troy said, is being able to create.
“I create the picture in my head and I can draw it on the computer,” he said. “Being able to draw, since I can’t hold a pen very good and draw on paper, is fun.”
Troy has faithfully returned to the show since he was first juried in, said CCAA President Edith Wiard.
“Each year he comes, his work is new and refreshing,” she said.
The work is ongoing. Each picture takes about four or five months and is sold as a framed picture or as notecards. He travels to juried shows around the U.S. including Texas, Nebraska, Indiana and Louisiana.
He created the business “TP’s HANDI-PEOPLE,” so he could design and produce advertising buttons, notecards and other products, and he was invited to display his work at the Institute of Technology on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin.
Being a part of a group of artists is important, said Jud, who quit his job to support Troy on the road and with the business.
“Troy is accepted as an equal here,” he said, adding that the family vacationed in the U.P. and Troy loved it. Art on the Rocks in Marquette was the first juried show Troy was invited to.
“When he is juried into a show, they don’t know he’s disabled,” jud said. “To him it’s an encouragement because he knows it mano y mano.”
Part of the traveling and exhibits is about Troy encouraging other families in the same position, Jud said.
“He wants to share this with other families that might have children with a disability ... to explore (things like) the computer.”
Saturday, a woman perusing Troy’s booth found a picture she liked — nighttime on a rocky beach, a cottage on the shoreline shining a light into a sea full of ships and boats. It’s reminiscent of the area.
“I love this,” she said excitedly, holding up the picture to Troy before paying for it.
He beamed.
“Of course I’m proud (of him),” Jud said. “It’s opened a whole new world for him.”
Kayla Gahagan can be reached at kgahagan@mininggazette.com.
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