Artists at the Library: Leah Potts

Join us for an artist reception with Leah Potts! Enjoy refreshments in the lobby while this month's featured artist shares how, following a skiing accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down, she overcame the odds by learning how to walk again and retraining herself to create art using her non-dominant hand. Our monthly Artists at the Library receptions provide a unique opportunity to meet and get to know our valley's exceptional local artists. About the Artist: "I actually thought I’d never paint again. Months after earning a fine arts degree from Central Missouri State University, a skiing accident paralyzed me from the neck down. Instantly, I became a quadriplegic. Doctors gave me little hope to ever walk, write or paint – again. With perseverance, help from friends and family, Challenge Aspen, Bridging Bionics and The Art Base; I chose to overcome the challenges life had dealt me. We all hurt, we all fall down, but we should dare to not accept anything but life to its fullest. The accident will not define me. Fast forward 20 years, something was missing — my art. There had to be more to life than rehabilitation. I needed an outlet, a way to express myself, to get out of my head and to create. Painting forces me to use my non-dominant left hand. Amazingly, I can see the same expressive line that I had witnessed with my right all those years before. My Art filled me with renewed hope, desire, passion and connection; which has helped me come full circle in my healing. Painting silences my struggles and I am free from the binding constraints that have restricted my body. I continue to love life, staying connected and finding peace." -Leah Potts