Tonight the artwork of Kivrin Hopkins, a nine year old girl with congenital hyperinsulinism, will be displayed at the Rare Voices Gala in Washington DC, honoring members of congress, congressional staff and patient advocates who have raised the profile of rare diseases. Kivrin’s artwork is a 2012 Grand Prize winner of the Rare Artist Contest sponsored by the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases. The art contest and Rare Artist website are intended to bring awareness to the rare disease community. We are so excited that one of our own is bringing attention to congenital hyperinsulinism through her beautiful artwork. Kivrin’s artwork can be viewed at www.rareartist.org where there is also information about the upcoming contest and how to submit work. We interviewed Kivrin in honor of this event and her accomplishment:
Is your winning piece a painting or drawing?
It is a pastel drawing. I like to use pastels, colored pencils, markers and crayons to draw because it gives me more control over what is going onto the page, as opposed to painting, because the brush doesn’t always go where I want it to go. I like to start out with a pencil, so that I can outline what I want to color.
How did you find out about the artists’ contest?
My dad told me about it.
Were you very excited when you found out that you had won the contest and a prize?
Yes, I was very excited. I wasn’t expecting to win. I especially wasn’t expecting to win grand prize, but I was still very excited.
Is it exciting to see your artwork up on a website for all to see?
Yes, it is very exciting. It’s also strange, because I’m not used to that kind of attention.
What inspired you to paint the mountains?
I live in the mountains, so I wanted to draw something that reminded me of home. I like to draw things that make me comfortable.
In addition to mountains, what else to you like to paint?
I also love to draw dolphins, even though the tail never looks right. I also like to draw ancient Egyptian symbols and things like that.
Do you want to be an artist when you grow up?
I didn’t think about it until this contest. I think I want to be a vet when I grow up.
What are your other interests?
I love dogs, cats and dolphins. As long as it’s an animal, I’m interested in it, even though some of them can be a little bit scary. I’m also really interested in Ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology. Reading and writing are two of my favorite things to do with my free time. Another thing I enjoy doing is kung fu. I go to classes several times a week.
