ALS Alert Newsletter | December

Scraps of Inspiration for ALS

Local artist Karen Flann’s show “Leaving Iowa” to benefit the Packard Center.

Artwork by Karen Flann on display at the Minas Gallery in Baltimore.

Karen Flann finds inspiration in the written word. Whether it’s a scrap of paper, a letter from a loved one, or just a clipping from a newspaper, Flann uses the printed word as the foundation for her interesting and transforming abstract collages. Her most recent show “Leaving Iowa” draws from her experiences early in her adult life leaving Iowa and travelling and relocating to pursue her art.

The show is currently running at the Minas Gallery in Baltimore and Flann, whose father and brother both died of ALS, is directing proceeds from the sale of her art to the Packard Center in memory of families who have lost loved ones to ALS.

Although her art doesn’t directly reflect the disease, the influence of ALS can be found in many of her pieces. “My brother used to tell me that ALS followed him 24 hours a day,” Flann explains, which is why the numbers 2 and 4 can be found in many of her pieces. “I put them in there for me, as a reminder and as a tribute to him.” At her recent opening, Packard Center staff found the numbers, often placed in subtle ways, in most of the pieces hanging in the gallery.

Flann began her art career as a painter, exploring watercolor and abstract acrylic painting while studying under several nationally-known teachers. She later became fascinated with abstract collage and today compares herself to “something of a bag lady,” constantly looking for stray bits of material to incorporate into her work.

“Her tribute to her family is a testament to her commitment to ALS research and finding a cure for the disease,” noted Milan Karol, the Center’s Development Officer. Karol, who attended her opening night noted that, "not only is her work beautiful and tells a poignant story, but knowing that she includes a hidden tribute to her brother makes her work even more meaningful to art lovers and the ALS community alike. We are happy to consider her a friend."

–– Suzie Connelly