Children with arthritis create works of art for auction to support Arthritis Foundation

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - For the last several months, 15 children have been working with 15 local artists to create works of art that will be auctioned off.

Ross Alvine, 12, is one of the children living with arthritis pain. Alvine is a recent arthritis patient, diagnosed only seven months ago.

Alvine and his family are from South Dakota where there isn’t an Arthritis Foundation, so they received support from the Kansas City chapter.

“We felt pretty alone up there in South Dakota but realizing that people are working to find a cure and there were ways we could get involved and ways for Ross to get involved,” said Ross’ mother, Allison Alvine. “To give him some hope.”

Alvine paired up with local art teacher Tate Owens. They shared a love for books so they decided to work on a book collage.

“I think everybody is creative in their own right,” said Owens. “There's no wrong answer with art.”
They tore the covers and spines off the books, laid them out in random order and glued them down.
“It's fun just to rip books apart,” said Alvine.

While they worked, Alvine realized he could create something artistic, despite his beliefs that he wasn’t good at art.

And Owens learned arthritis is not a disease limited to just older adults. Children can get arthritis too.

“I had no concept of it affecting all people, all ages,” Owens said.

It was a lesson that artist Erick Warner learned as well.

Warner teamed up with Ellie Fuson, 9, who was diagnosed with arthritis two years ago.

“It sometimes hurts in my fingers and in my knees,” said Ellie.

While she learned to paint abstractly with latex paint, Warner learned that despite her pain, Fuson doesn’t let anything keep her from her love of art.

“It really makes doing this feel good,” said Warner. “This is the best idea I've had in a long time.”

The art that Alvine and Fuson have worked on, along with 13 other children’s pieces, will be up for auction at Art for Arthritis this Friday.

Money raised from the event will go to the Arthritis Foundation, to provide programs for families affected by arthritis and to research for a cure.

Art for Arthritis begins at 6 p.m. at the Carriage Club on Friday, Sept. 7. Tickets are $50.

41 Action News’ parent company, E.W. Scripps is a sponsor of Art for Arthritis. Morning anchor JiaoJiao Shen will serve as emcee.