Westminster College to Host Artist for Presentation and Film Showing

Westminster College will host artist Dan Keplinger for "Disability and Visual Culture Abstract" and a film showing Tuesday, March 10, at 7 p.m. in the Witherspoon Maple Room of the McKelvey Campus Center.

Keplinger's presentation focuses on his art and working past the limitations of the cerebral palsy that has affected him since birth.

"At a glance, my work seems to be about my perception of society and how I overcome it," Keplinger said. "I include images of my wheelchair because it is my main mode of conveyance and a major part of my daily life, but these pieces are about much more than my disability."

"Obstacles and challenges are a universal part of the human condition," he added. "We all face them in everyday life, however, we also have a choice as to how we deal with them. Many of us are likely to get discouraged during difficult times in our lives. In my work I hope to show everybody that they have the ability to persevere."

When he was 10 years old, he was one of the subjects of the documentary Beginning with Bang. As an adult, he wrote and was the subject of the documentary King Gimp, which won both an Oscar and a Peabody Award. King Gimp will be shown as part of Keplinger's presentation, followed by a period for questions.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is co-sponsored by Westminster's Diversity Symposium, Department of Education, Department of Psychology, Office of Disability Services, and Office of Diversity Services, with assistance from the Department of Communication Studies, Theatre, and Art.

Contact Corey Shaw, Westminster's director of disability services, at (724) 946-7192 (e-mail shawcj@westminster.edu) for more information or to make arrangements for anyone needing special accommodations. Visit www.kinggimp.com for more information about Keplinger and his work.

Dan Keplinger