Art and Epilepsy Article Wins International Journalism Award

An article about our art exhibition, research and participating artist, Megan O'Keefe, recently won an international journalism award. Click here for a link to the story.

Australian journalist Julia Medew received a highly commended award for her article "Art Helps Lift the Veil on Epilepsy", published in The Age, on May 2, 2009. Her article, which reached more than one million readers, told the story of a young woman's participation in a study examining the influence of epilepsy on artistic expression. The 2009 award, an initiative of the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and biopharmaceutical company UCB, aims to increase awareness, improve understanding, and encourage accurate reporting of epilepsy by inviting journalists to submit stimulating, informed and compelling stories about knowledge, data and real life experiences of people with epilepsy around the world. Articles were submitted from 17 countries.

Participant Drawing Winners

We recently had the drawings for the winners of the six separate cheques for $50 (AUD). All participants who entered the Sparks of Creativity Study after October 1, 2008 and who had completed Stage 1 by July 14, 2009 were eligible. The six winners are Alan Smith, Adele O'Keefe, Bernard Parker, Matthew Paul, Rhys Fletcher and Lynne Craig. We greatly appreciate the participation of everyone involved in the study.

Partial results from the study will be released periodically in 2010.

Sylvia Serville - Featured Artist with Epilepsy for June 2009

Sylvia Serville from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia is one of the two featured artists with epilepsy for June 2009. Sylvia received a purchase award of $1,000 from Epilepsy Australia for her painting titled Totems and Icons. Click here to review her artwork and personal story.

The article by Denise Chapman is reprinted with permission from the Epilepsy Report, May 2009.

Family Member Participants

Family members, spouses and partners of participants in our study of the influence of epilepsy and migraines in visual art, who are 18 years and older, are invited to participate in this research study as part of an important group for comparison. You as a parent, sibling or child of a participant have experienced similar environmental influences and have a close genetic background to your relative who is a participant. Spouses and partners also share a similar environment and life experiences. Volunteer family members of participating artists do not need to be artists by trade or by hobby to help in this study. Please do not hesitate to participate because you or others feel that your artwork and drawings are not “good” or you don’t produce art yourself as a hobby or a profession.

Family members of participants are asked to do two drawing exercises and answer a few background questions. A person may withdraw from participation at any time.

This research will evaluate how epilepsy and migraines, in some circumstances, can stimulate and/or enhance artistic creativity. Secondly, it will help reduce the level of misunderstanding and stigma that your family member and you may have experienced. Thirdly, this study explores whether there are genetic links or vulnerabilities to epilepsy and/or migraines. Fourthly, it will evaluate how drawings can be used to better understand these neurological conditions and also as a tool to diagnose if a person has epilepsy and/or migraines. Finally, this study will help to develop an effective way to evaluate what famous artists had epilepsy and/or migraines based on comparison to the art and experiences of living artists.

Invitation to Future Participants

Invitation for Future Participants

The successful launch of our groundbreaking web site at http://www.creativesparks-ep.com/ and the art exhibition has greatly exceeded expectations. There was a buzz of excitement on the opening night of the art exhibition in Melbourne, Australia on May 7, 2009. Our goal is to have the exhibition tour Australia in 2010-11, the USA in 2011-12 and hopefully other parts of the world as well. The current collection is available for veiwing at the "Creative Sparks Web Site".

All adult artists with epilepsy, from around the world, are invited to submit 10 images of one's artwork for consideration by an independent jury panel for inclusion in our on-line and in-person art exhibition. During each of the next two years, we will select 20 people with epilepsy to be "Featured Artists" on our web site and in the touring exhibition. Our hope is that this "collective biography" about artists with epilepsy will be published in a book.

9am David & Kim, plus Epilesy Reporter Article

On Wednesday May 13, 2009 I, Jim Chambliss, and Denise Chapman of Epilepsy Australia appeared on 9 am with David and Kim. It was an internationally broadcast on Channel 10 at 9:00 am.

The Epilepsy Report has recently published an article on the art exhibition and launch the web site. Click here for the story. Click here for the "Creative Sparks Web Site."

Artists with Epilepsy Award Winners

Award Sponsors:
St. Vincent's Foundation: International Purchase Award of $1,000 USD
UCB Pharma: Purchase Award of $1,000 AUD
Epilepsy Australia: Purchase Award of $1,000 AUD
JTA Associates pty. ltd.: Purchase Award of $1,000 AUD
Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria: Premier Artist Award of $450 AUD
Epilepsy Action of Australia: 19 $100 AUD awards for Featured Artists.