Seth Bailey will head to Washington D.C. this month as part of a national art award’s prize. Seth won the children’s category of the Everylife Foundation’s Rare Artist contest, which highlights artists with rare diseases who tell their stories through their work.
Seth said he found out that he won the contest back in November, and was excited for the $500 in prize money. He said the money will go toward his trip to Washington.
His mother, Sarah Bailey, said that Seth received the most votes out of all the awardees. She said that once in Washington, they will get the chance to meet with activists and lawmakers to advocate for research into rare diseases.
“There will be a rare artist reception on Capitol Hill where a lot of the legislators and members of Congress will be able to come and visit with the artists and see their art pieces,” she said. “We will also be going and talking with our legislators about getting funding for rare diseases, especially for infantile spasms.”
Seth suffered from infantile spasms as a baby. His drawing, titled ‘Self Portrait,’ depicts his infant brain, which was rewired from the spasms.
He said this will be his first time traveling to the nation’s capital and he’s excited to explore the city.
Both Seth and his mother thanked the community for voting for his art, which contributed to his win and trip to Washington D.C.
Get in touch with the author at christina@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
