Co-led by Dr. El Didden and faculty mentor Dr. Kacie Kidd
WVU Downtown Library Room 1020
June 2026 - May 2027

This powerful mixed-media exhibition bridges the gap between clinical research and human storytelling. Created through community-based focus groups, the collection offers a rare, intimate window into the visceral and joy-filled journeys of personal and societal acceptance within our community.

Through a diverse range of materials—from traditional canvas and paint to tactile string and markers—artists translated complex personal narratives into expressive visual art. Each piece is accompanied by an intimate artist statement, providing essential context and a direct connection to the creator's lived experience. (Much of the work shown are reproductions for security.)

Visitors are invited to explore this evocative intersection of medicine, research, and the humanities, celebrating the resilient complexities of the human spirit.