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PUSH Gala Graduate Artist Showcase

April 20, 2018

Celebrating its 17th year, the annual Craig Hospital PUSH gala raises money to support programs, research, and the patient assistance fund. Since its inception, PUSH has raised more than $14 million for Craig programs and patients.

Former patients—among them professional and amateur artists in a variety of mediums—have donated artwork for the PUSH silent auction. Some of these artists use special adaptations to compensate for limitations caused by their injuries. Many are using their mediums as a therapy tool to aid in their rehabilitation. All of them are inspiring.

For the first time, individuals who are not attending the dinner may still bid on the PUSH Gala silent auction items. Visit push2018.gesture.com to bid on these works by Craig graduate artists and many other items.

Bid on Grad Art and More

Gallery

  • Jennifer Radil


    Jennifer Radil uses vintage maps, paint, pencils and coiled string, to create collaged topographical maps unlike those you’ve seen in any atlas. Her current residential commission is a large mixed media map of Augusta National Golf Club, where the Masters is played. 


    Jennifer spent three months at Craig Hospital after sustaining a spinal cord injury in 2000, at age 19. She graduated from Colorado College with a degree in Studio Art, and received a master’s degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, in 2006.


    Jennifer was honored to be on the cover of Craig’s Movin’ On publication in 2017, where she is shown creating “Mappa Mundi.” She is the recipient of a Creative Access Residency for Writers and Artists With Spinal Cord Injury, and, as a result, will spend several weeks in residence at the Santa Fe Art Institute this summer. 


    A registered art therapist and teaching artist, she balances facilitating creative opportunities for others with creating her own work out of her studio, in Omaha, NE. Her work is featured in the gift shop of Omaha’s Joslyn Art Museum and in several private and commercial venues. To see her map of Augusta and other works, visit her website, jenniferradilstudio.com.

  • Mappa Mundi. Mixed media on paper. 2016.
    By Jennifer Radil


    This limited edition framed archival pigment print features Jennifer's artist's interpretation of a world map. Jennifer created the mixed media work in 2016 as a private commission for a residence. The border is composed of atlas fragments and is hand stamped to mimic coordinates. The blue water field consists of watercolor, blocks of handmade paper, and inked lines tracing the paths of ocean currents. Major physical features are represented, from rivers to mountain ranges and deserts. Jennifer used a range of media; in addition to those listed a viewer can spot leather, vintage maps, embroidery floss, and colored pencil. The print is signed, numbered, and printed on a heavy cotton rag paper.

  • Brett Colonell


    Brett Colonell was paralyzed from the neck down in the summer of 1997 and rehabilitated at Craig Hospital.  Following his discharge he was able to finish his degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder and later earned an MBA from the University of Colorado at Denver.


    For the last year Brett has been using a custom made mouth stick that was a collaboration between Craig Hospital, Dr. Diorio and Peebles Prosthetics.  This has helped him transition from working digital to working with traditional mediums like ink, watercolor and experimenting with a variety of other mediums.


    He actively posts recent work to his social media accounts on Instagram (@brettcolonell) and Facebook. For contact information his website is brettcolonell.com.

  • Iwo Jima.  9"x12" watercolor.
    By Brett Colonell


    Brett used a mouth stick and M. Graham watercolor on arches 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper.

  • Hilary Cooper


    Hilary Cooper lives and paints in New York, the Connecticut Berkshires and Aspen. The child of diplomats, she grew up all over the world. Art was the constant; it grounded her, then and now.


    After Mt. Holyoke College, she moved to New York and studied at The Art Students' League, The National Academy and The Sculpture Center. Portraits - in oil, watercolor and bronze - have always been a major focus and gift.


    In the early 2000's, while spending time in Paris, she was taken with the idea of doing "portraits" of flowers. She did them in a stylized head, neck and shoulders motif. Floral bouquets "sat" for her on old plates and in pots she found in Paris antique fairs and flea markets.


    Back in New York, she resumed doing formal oil portraits (and sculptures) of high profile individuals. These days, a few are done in watercolor, like the flowers. It is an extremely difficult medium since the whole work must be done in an hour or so and there can be no editing. But, done right, there is an immediacy to them that she likes, especially in portraits of children.


    hilarycooper.com

  • Original 20"x16" watercolor bouquet 
    By Hilary Cooper

  • Susan Darling



    Susan is an artist, musician, adventurer, pet lover, great-grandma, and partner.   She has been a proud member of the Craig Hospital Family since 2015. 


    Susan was riding her bike when she was hit by a minivan doing 50 mph.  She sustained a serious traumatic brain injury and was broken when she came to Craig.   


    “I did not want to be here, but I did not have a choice,” she says.  “Craig Hospital and my team of caregivers literally gave me my life back. A new and wonderful life."


    Susan says: “I will not say it’s been easy. Life has never been easy. Believing in yourself and never giving up on your life, your dreams and especially never giving up on the people that love you, is what makes life worth living. Redefining possible is something we should all do, and daily. It’s amazing what one can accomplish given the proper motivation. Thank you to our Craig Family for your love, compassion, caring and for never giving up. You’re all simply the BEST!"

  • Quan Yin- The Goddess of Compassion and Mercy Bust

    By Susan Darling


    Quan Yin is about 13" long across the shoulder, 10" tall, and 9" in depth. She is made of Forton, a polymer, gypsum mix. Very durable indoors or outdoors. Finished in bronze with some patina. Wax sealed. Weight is approximately 17 lbs.

  • Neil Hannum



    Neil Hannum was raised in the American West and attended of Art Center College of Design in Pasadena with a focus on the communication arts and the commercial application of design. He  worked for such companies as Answer Products, a motorcycle and bicycle aftermarket supplier and for BULA, a ski head wear manufacturer. He was part owner of Creative Conspiracy and started Durango Snack Werks the maker of Chip Peddler chips.



    Neil sustained a traumatic brain injury in an when his bicycle was hit by a car.  He spent 8 weeks at Craig Hospital recovering. After being released he spent time working on rendering all of 45 presidents as part of his rehabilitation. Neil looked up the history of each president and how their time in office reflected where the country was at during their tenure in office. 


    See more of his work on Instagram.

  • 1947 Dodge WC Series 1/2-Ton Pickup

    By Neil Hannum


    Recently Neil has been working on a series of Vintage Truck renderings.  He shoots multiple photos of the vehicle and then prints out an image for reference when he is drawing them. He is not looking for perfection with the proportions as much as pulling out a personality from each truck.



    Neil believes this truck is a 1947 Dodge WC Series 1/2-Ton Pickup.

  • Rick Hildebrand



    Rick teaches art full-time at Linn Public School in Linn, Kansas. He has degrees in art and psychology and a master's degree in Education.



    In 2003, Rick and his wife Amy were involved in a car accident that left Rick paralyzed. He rehabilitated at Craig. Despite the loss of the use of his fingers, Rick learned to adapt to a new way of life. He found new ways to do his job and eventually, his artwork. He has won numerous honors for his teaching and his artwork.



    Many of Rick's art pieces include flowers or foliage from the Craig garden, which he collects when back for interdisciplinary evaluations.

  • Mixed Media Artwork

    By Rick Hildebrand



    Mixed media artwork, which includes markers and inks. The art from start to finish takes 30-40 hours.


  • James Murtha



    James Murtha III was injured in 2014 in Snowmass Village, Colorado while mountain biking. While he was at Craig Hospital rehabilitating, his occupational therapists introduced him to painting. He began to paint recreationally using a mouth stick. To date, he has made about 25 pieces.



    Some of his favorite pictures have included the Eiffel Tower, a lightning storm over Lake Michigan and a sunset over Mackinaw City, Michigan. James is studying social work at the University of Michigan and hopes to work with people who have spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries.

  • City Park

    By James Murtha



    This painting is inspired by a photograph the painter took of downtown Denver. The site of the is taken from a bench on the east shore of the pond in City Park, looking west towards the mountains. This is one of the artist's favorite places to watch sunsets over the city, claiming it is one of the best. Don't believe him? Find the bench well before sunset and just watch.

  • Keith Wortman


    Photographer, speaker, and Craig Hospital Grad Keith Wortman is extremely honored to be chosen to display his artwork at this year’s PUSH event. The Montana native spent 21 years traveling the world as a public speaker, lecturing on exotic venomous snakes, crocodiles, and rain forests and their importance to man, medicine and the environment. Wortman has also shown his work and put on expos with National Geographic, and is best known for his inspirational western images. 



    Keith was injured in a mining accident outside of Fairplay and rehabilitated at Craig. 

  • Wildlife Refuge Sunset

    By Keith Wortman


    This photo was taken at Lake McConaughy in Nebraska.

  • Gold at the End of the Rainbow

    By Keith Wortman



    This photo was taken from the Wortman’s ranch in Ennis, Montana.

  • Peter Lindsay

    Peter Lindsay lives in Denver and works as an executive with an international leadership development company. He is a professional speaker and training facilitator. He is an avid cyclist and was hit by a car in October 2017, which caused a traumatic brain injury. Peter continues rehab at Craig Hospital to rebuild his capabilities after significant cranial nerve damage, including damage that affects his vision.

  • Painting

    By Peter Lindsay


    "It is the unqualified result of all my experience with the sick, that second only to their need of fresh air is their need of light...And that is not only light but direct sun-light they want.... People think that the effect is upon the spirits only. This is by no means the case. The sun is not only a painter but a sculptor." Florence Nightingale, Notes on Nursing, 1860


    This painting project was the first time since the accident that he picked up a brush. His brain injuries caused a temporary loss of emotions that has persisted since the accident. About the painting, he wanted to create something that would express feelings or Peter's perception of a man who might be emotional in his healing.

  • Blake Foster


    Blake Foster is 23 years old. Four years ago he was injured in a motocross accident! Though Blake has returned to his passion on the fast moving vehicles post T4-T5 Spinal Cord injury, he also loves skiing, climbing the mountains in the jeep and his new found love of turning wood.


    Blake has donated two bowls, a pen, and a pencil, all turned out of wood. 

  • Woodworking

    By Blake Foster



    Blake has donated two bowls, a pen, and a pencil, all turned out of wood. 

  • Christopher Arbini


    Chris was in a serious bicycling accident which left him paralyzed from the mid-chest down and with limited use of his arms. 


    A web designer and digital artist, he says that doing artwork means a lot to him during this time of long recovery. He says it allows him to focus his mind in a creative way and distracts him from the hard work that still lies ahead of him. 


    Chris has donated a digital print on canvas of an original design.