NEUROGRAPHICA: My Brain, Dysautonomia, and Football
2024-09-14 14:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Positive Exposure Gallery, 83 Maiden Lane, New York, NY, 10038
Please join us on Saturday, September 14 from 2-5pm for the opening celebration of NEUROGRAPHICA, a collection of drawings and poems by Hank Bjorklund: former New York Jet, lawyer, educator, and now poet, singer, and artist. Presentation and Q&A at 3pm.

Transcription of the poem written within the drawing above: “Been wonderin’, askin’ a few years or so – never get an answer, I just don’t know. Say, where’d all the good people go? Been to every city, checked in every town. Loaded up the trailer, drove it all around. Looked in all the corners, opened every box. Rattled all the doors, picked at all the locks. Never met a soul, never heard a sound, ‘cept echos of lies stompin’ truth to ground. Say, I wonder, maybe you would know – where’d all the good people go?”
In 2016, Bjorklund’s active and dynamic life was turned upside down when he was rushed to the hospital after collapsing at the gym. Even after countless tests, doctors were perplexed. Eventually, FDG-PET scans showed widespread reduction of glucose uptake in his brain. Doctors said these findings indicated an atypical neurodegenerative syndrome such as progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, fronto-temporal dementia, or autoimmune encephalopathy.
In 2017, two world-famous neurologists specializing in disorders of the autonomic nervous system (dysautonomia) advised that they had no explanation other than Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), stemming from Bjorklund’s 16 years of football, from Pop Warner to the N.Y. Jets.
Recent research from the Boston University UNITE Brain Bank and the Concussion Legacy Foundation show that the risk of CTE increases with every year of tackle football played. Development of CTE is correlated with number of years played, number of sub-concussive hits received, and the force of each hit. CTE can only be diagnosed by autopsy; Bjorklund is among those participating in clinical trials seeking a way to diagnose CTE during life.
“If I have CTE, it’s an atypical form. While my executive functioning is not what it was, I do not exhibit the significant cognitive decline or erratic behavior typically associated with CTE. All of my former teammates or other NFL colleagues who have died and had their brains autopsied at the Brain Bank have been found to have had CTE.” Bjorklund believes that more medical practitioners need to understand CTE, now that it has been diagnosed in the brains of military veterans, victims of domestic violence, and athletes of all ages.
“There was a time when I needed a wheelchair; my unstable blood pressure, lack of heart response, and vestibular malfunctions wouldn’t allow me to stand or walk. But now I’ve improved dramatically, both in my exercise capacity and in my functional fitness. And poetry, singing, and artistic expression have been magical healers encouraged by my wonderful wife, my physical and neuro-psychological therapists, and my cardiologists.”
When asked how he began to draw in 2023, Hank explained that it was a suggestion from the teacher of a local poetry class, Evelyn Kandel. “Evelyn is the former Poet Laureate of Nassau County. One of her prompts was to draw a free-form figure on paper and then to write a poem within the spaces that you created. I became instantly hooked. I just can’t stop doing it–it’s very meditative. I did this for myself. I never thought this would lead to me showing it to other people.”
Victoria and Hank Bjorklund have been married for 52 years. “Hank is a guy who only ever sang in the shower, who can’t read music, who hadn’t written poetry since high school, and has such significant brain challenges,” says Victoria. “But now in 2024, he’s published a book of poetry and essays, does public readings and songfests, and has studio-recorded eight of his poems into songs with his talented musical friends, Diane Menzel and Helen Kotzky.”
“It was just a few years ago, when his neuropsychologist was urging him on and his neuro-physical therapist was teaching him to walk again, that he’d go outside, even in winter, to practice with his hiking poles. The neighbors and I would watch as he walked around the patio in circles, reciting and sometimes singing at the top of his lungs his mantra poems that he wrote to encourage himself to keep on living. Now look at what he has done in poetry, music, and art, as well as his physical recovery. It’s amazing.”

This poem was selected by producers from Morning Edition on National Public Radio in celebration of National Poetry Month, and in April of 2021 and again in 2024, Bjorklund recited it on the air.
In his book, Head Hits I Remember, Bjorklund shares vignettes from his life and essays on the toll that repetitive head hits can have on the brains of those who play contact sports. His poems and prose discuss coping with chronic life-altering brain conditions, including dysautonomia and encephalopathy. He aims to inspire hope in those seeking the strength to persevere for one more day or to find a path toward a new normal.
Image Description: On a blue background is the following text: in a white title, “POSITIVE EXPOSURE GALLERY OPENING CELEBRATION Saturday, September 14, 2-5pm; On view September 14 – October 1, 2024” and in yellow text, “NEUROGRAPHICA: My Brain, Dysautonomia, and Football. Hank Bjorklund.” In the center is a drawing by Hank containing an abstract, round shape outlined in black and colored in with blues, yellow, pink, orange, black, and greens. Toward the top of the drawing is a poem in blue text on a white background reading: “Been wonderin’, askin’ a few years or so – never get an answer, I just don’t know. Say, where’d all the good people go? Been to every city, checked in every town. Loaded up the trailer, drove it all around. Looked in all the corners, opened every box. Rattled all the doors, picked at all the locks. Never met a soul, never heard a sound, ‘cept echos of lies stompin’ truth to ground. Say, I wonder, maybe you would know – where’d all the good people go?” Beneath the image is the NYSCA logo and the following text, in white: “OPENING CELEBRATION, Saturday, September 14, 2-5 pm, On view September 14 – October 1, 2024. Contact: 212-420-1931. 14 East 109th Street, NYC.”

Northeast Regional Sickle Cell Collaborative (SiNERGe)
2024-09-17 | NY
Northeast Regional Sickle Cell Collaborative (SiNERGe)
Inaugural CBO Leadership Summit
held as part of the 6th Annual Johns Hopkins Sickle Cell Symposium
September 15 – 17, 2024
Hilton BWI Airport Hotel, Baltimore
Positive Exposure will screen: The Strength To Fight: FRAME Film on Sickle Cell.

About SiNERGe and the SiNERGe CBOs
Sickle Cell Improvement in the Northeast Region through Educa:on (SiNERGe) is a HRSA-funded
collabora:ve of 46 non-profit, community-based organiza:ons and medical providers in the
Northeast U.S. The Northeast Region accounts for approximately one-third of the U.S.’s
es:mated popula:on of sickle cell warriors (Hassell, 2010).
The SiNERGe Community-Based Organiza:ons (CBOs) are working toward longer, healthier lives
for individuals with sickle cell disease. Their mission is to gather momentum in the fight against
sickle cell disease by promo:ng ongoing collabora:on among the organiza:ons, providing
access to capacity-building exper:se and resources. The 30 CBOs share best prac:ces through
the Project ECHO peer-to-peer learning plaWorm, coordinate the annual Shine the Light on
Sickle Cell awareness campaign, and develop strategies for reaching and engaging unaffiliated pa8ents
throughout the region.

About Face: Craniofacial Awareness Month
2024-09-25 14:00 - 15:00 | NY
Cranial Facial Acceptance MonthSeptember 25 @2pm Image of Rick in black sweater and the Logo of Positive Exposure, young girls with albinism jumping in the air›

National Task Group on Intellectual • Disabilities and Dementia Practices
2024-09-26 15:00 - 16:00 | NY
Virtual Presentation
The NTG is a not-for-profit organization charged with ensuring that the interests of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia – as well as their families and friends – are taken into account.

DREAM Symposium
2024-10-01 09:00 - 17:00 | NY
Third Annual DREAM (Disability Rights & Employment Awareness Month) Symposium – October 1, 2024
Albany, NY
Please join CICU at the Third Annual New York State Disability Rights & Employment Awareness Month (DREAM) Symposium on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, sponsored by:

The NYS Office of the Chief Disability Officer (CDO)
The NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD)
The NYS Department of Labor (DOL)
The NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH)
The NYS Department of Civil Service (DCS)
The NYS Education Department (SED/ACCES-VR)
The NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS/CFB)
The NYS Office of General Services (OGS)
The NYS Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB)
The NYS Division of Human Rights (DHR)
The NYS Office of Employee Relations (OER)
The Yang Tan Institute at Cornell

The Symposium acknowledges the rights that people with disabilities are entitled to, celebrates the extreme value that disabled New Yorkers bring to the workforce, and assists in matching prospective qualified candidates with employers. The highlights of the event include a vendor and technology fair, ten workshops (tentatively scheduled), an in-person job fair, a Special Olympic Interactive Athletic Event, and more!

Grand Rounds: Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation @ Columbia
2024-10-03 08:00 - 09:00 | NY
NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Hammer Health Science Center
GRAND ROUNDS
Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Columbia Campus (701 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032).
The Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S), Weill Cornell, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital are at the cutting edge of medical science and rehabilitation medicine. Led by our award-winning faculty, our Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency (PM&R) Program consistently ranks among the top ten rehabilitation programs on Doximity’s Residency Navigator. Our world-class facility offers an ideal setting for a diverse and comprehensive clinical experience.
Before its inception, our training program existed as two separate residency programs: Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and New York Weill Cornell. The PM&R residency training program at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center was formed in 1948, pre-dating the creation of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in 1952. The following year, a pilot rehabilitation program was established at New York Weill Cornell, which received full accreditation in 1962. Six years later, Weill Cornell would institute the Division of Rehabilitation Medicine.

DEFINING BEAUTY: Portraits of Birthmarks & Facial Differences
2024-10-06 13:00 - 16:00 | Positive Exposure Gallery, 83 Maiden Lane, New York, NY, 10038
Our dear friend Celina Leroy is back! Following her hugely successful Vascular Birthmark Portrait Show last year, we are delighted to invite you to a special pop-up show featuring some of Celina’s latest portraits.
Celina is a Brooklyn-based artist and New York City art teacher. Her portraits showcase the beauty of individuals with facial differences, including those caused by port-wine stain (PWS) birthmarks and other venous malformations.
For this series I created portraits of people with facial differences and birthmarks. I started this project because I was born with a Port Wine Stain Birthmark. This kind of birthmark is caused by enlarged blood vessels creating a reddish purplish mark on the skin. Depending on the size and location it can have various physical and psychological effects. I myself have one, on my lip and chin. As a child I experienced bullying and it caused me to feel insecure and alienated by my peers. I didn’t know anyone who looked like me. As a society we are taught to look at any type of unsymmetrical feature as a sign of ugliness, disease or an evil marker. If it’s small like mine, you learn how to hide it and live in disguise. But if it was around my brain it could have caused seizures, or if it was around my eyes it could have caused glaucoma and blindness, which is the reality for some of the people I paint.
I made this project to spread awareness and help reduce the stigma for my friends with facial differences. I hope to in a small way change the narrative on what is beautiful, or at least educate folks on different conditions. What if we think of facial differences as artworks on the body, maps of red and white on the skin? I’ve been flooded with requests from people and families around the world to paint their portraits. If I’m lucky I get to meet them in real life, take their photo and make their painting. Though I am focusing on my lived experience, it speaks to us all because we all have differences but ultimately are just flesh on bone and want to feel seen, loved, and accepted.
Follow Celina on Instagram: @portwinestainpaintings
This event will be in collaboration with the Birthmark Society Apparel Company:
“We want to reduce the stigma associated with having a vascular birthmark. Normalize and show that birthmarks are dope. Our goal is to enhance community connection through our own representation and hopefully one day globally bring us together. And as we grow we look forward to creating in person community events via the brand and organizations such as The Sturge Weber Foundation. Nevus Outreach organization. And The Vascular Birthmark Foundation (VBF).”
@birthmark_society_apparel_co

Image Description:
On a white background is a collage of colorful paintings of individuals with birthmarks and other facial differences. Above it is the following text: POSITIVE EXPOSURE PRESENTS WITH BIRTHMARK SOCIETY. DEFINING BEAUTY. PORTRAITS OF BIRTHMARKS & FACIAL DIFFERENCES. BY CELINA LEROY. Sunday October 6, 2024 from 1pm-4pm. 14 E 109th St, New York, NY 10029.

DEFINING BEAUTY: Life Drawing Workshop
2024-10-06 16:30 - 18:30 | Positive Exposure Gallery, 83 Maiden Lane, New York, NY, 10038
You are invited to join a Life Drawing workshop following the opening of Defining Beauty. Led in the gallery by our featured artist, Celina Leroy, you will have the opportunity to draw portraits of six models with facial differences.
Open to all skill levels. Bring art supplies if you have them, practice your observational skills, and have fun!

The workshop is free, but donations will be graciously accepted for our models.
Positive Exposure Gallery
14 E 109th Street NY NY 10029
Our models are:
@anii.bruce
@aaliyah.booker
@theaustinhalls
@justinstewartt
@jguceta
@birthmark_beauty_

Sarah Lawrence Genetic Counseling Students
2024-10-07 10:00 - 12:00 | NY
A visit from 1st year Genetic Counseling Students from Sarah Lawrence.
Joan H. Marks Graduate Program in Human Genetics at Sarah Lawrence College. Integrating education, healthcare, and humanism, this celebrated program prepares genetic counselors to work in a growing, dynamic field.
The mission of the Human Genetics program is to improve health care for all people by educating and training individuals to become genetic counselors so they are prepared to meet current and future needs of their clients, their communities, their profession, and society at large.
Established in 1969, the program was the first of its kind in the United States. It remains the largest graduate program in genetic counseling in the world.
About Genetic Counseling
Genetic counseling is the process of helping people understand and adapt to the medical, psychological, and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease. This process integrates:

Interpretation of family and medical histories to assess the chance of disease occurrence or recurrence.
Education about inheritance, testing, management, prevention, resources, and research.
Counseling to promote informed choices and adaptation to the risk or condition. (National Society of Genetic Counselors Definition Task Force. Journal of Genetic Counseling (2006); 15(2):77-83.)

Annual Fundraiser & Celebration of Humanity
2024-10-08 18:00 - 21:00 | Riverside Church, 91 Claremont Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, United States
Tuesday, October 8, 6-9pm at Riverside Church in NYC
Details and Tickets Here!

POSITIVE EXPOSURE promotes a more equitable, compassionate world for individuals and communities at risk of stigma and exclusion through photography, film, storytelling, education, and advocacy.
Your support plays a critical role in helping us achieve our mission in celebrating the beauty and richness of human diversity. Please join us at our annual FUNDRAISER & CELEBRATION! Cocktails and cuisine from around the world will be served, and a silent auction will offer the opportunity to bid on art, vacations, and other experiences.
This year we gather to celebrate four amazing members of our community with the 2024 Spirit of Change Award and the 2024 Rising Leader Award. We will also honor our great friend, New York City’s Disability Social Justice Warrior, Carr Massi.
If you would like to spread the word about Positive Exposure with your friends, family, company, or community, please feel free to share our sponsorship deck. Thank you for your support!

Image Descriptions:

Horizontal banner featuring eight close-up portraits of individuals of diverse ages and ethnicities, followed by the following text on a black background: “Annual Fundraiser and celebration of humanity. POSITIVE EXPOSURE. Tuesday, October 8, 2024 6-9 pm. Riverside Church. 91 Claremont Ave, NYC.”
Grid of 14 portraits surrounding the Positive Exposure logo.

Cozy Corners: Jin Li's World of Colors and Comfort
2024-10-10 08:00 - 2024-10-16 17:00 | Positive Exposure Gallery, 83 Maiden Lane, New York, NY, 10038
Korean Artist with Autism Visits New York!
Come experience Jin Li’s Cozy Corners, enjoy refreshments, and participate in a collaborative painting session with the artist.
Jin Li 진리 (b. 1994, F, with autism) is an artist from Seongnam-si, South Korea. Jin Li, whose name means “truth,” focuses on what is true and positive, capturing everyday imagery in a playful way.
During the opening event on Thursday, October 10, Jin Li will lead a live demonstration of her color-mixing techniques, which will be recorded and displayed throughout the exhibition on iPads for reference. Visitors can observe and draw inspiration from the artist’s process before adding their unique color combinations to the communal canvas.
RSVP for the opening event on Thursday, October 10, 5-8pm
RSVP for the closing event on Wednesday, October 16, 5-8pm

Image Descriptions

On a dark blue background is a painting of a blue cat on a red background with an image of the artist, Jin Li, in the corner, and the words “Everyone had their own paintbrush” written in white. Surrounding this image is the following text: “Positive Exposure Gallery. Cozy Corners: Jin Li’s World of Colors and Comfort Jin Li (b. 1994, F, with autism), whose name means ‘truth,’ focuses on what is true and positive, capturing everyday imagery in a playful way. Gallery Events Thursday, October 10, 5-8pm, Wednesday, October 16, 5-8pm.”
On a white background is the following text in dark blue and red: “COME EXPERIENCE COZY CORNERS. OPENING EVENT: Thursday, October 10, 5-8pm. 5-8pm: Open Viewing and Collaborative Painting. 6pm: Artist’s Presentation. CLOSING EVENT: Wednesday, October 16, 5-8pm. 5:30pm: Video screening. 6:00pm: Speeches by Jin Li and her mother. 6:30pm: Open viewing and mingling. Cozy Corners is also available to visit by appointment during the following times. Please email events@positiveexposure.org to make an appointment. Friday, October 11, 9 am – 5pm, Saturday, October 12, 9am – 5pm, Sunday, October 13, 1pm – 5pm, Monday, October 14, 9am – 5pm, Tuesday, October 15, 9 am – 5pm.”

World Mental Health Day Event
2024-10-10 18:00 - 21:00 | NY
Images from Positive Exposure’s Collaboration with PRISMA and University of Alberta will be on display.
6:00-6:05 Welcome remarks from Vikram Patel
6:05-6:15 Me2 orchestra member performance
6:15-6:30 Rick’s presentation
6:30-6:40 Student dance performance
6:40-6:50 10 minute intermission
6:50-8:35 Sing Sing film
8:35-9:05 panel discussion
9:05 one to two minute wrap up from Vikram
The Global Mental Health @Harvard initiative and the Provost Office’s annual World Mental Health Day Event will be on October 10th from 6 to 9pm ET in the Cinema at the Student Organization Center at Hilles in Cambridge, MA.

Join us for a screening of Sing Sing, a new A24 film about Divine G, who finds purpose acting with fellow incarcerated men at Sing Sing prison. This powerful true story of resilience and the transformative power of art stars an ensemble of formerly incarcerated actors. After the screening, stay for a panel discussion with actors Dario Peña, Mosi Eagle, and Charles Moore, a staff member from the real-life program.

During the evening we will also feature a student dance performance, a classical music performance by members from the Me2/Orchestra, and a presentation from photographer and founder of Positive Exposure, Rick Guidotti.
Join us for this exciting evening celebrating resilience and healing through the arts! The event will take place October 10th at 6:00pm ET in the Cinema at the Student Organization Center at Hilles in Cambridge, MA! The address is 59 Shepard St, Cambridge, MA 02138. Seating will be limited and first come first serve.
Images from Positive Exposure’s Collaboration with University of Alberta and PRISMA will be on display.

Disability Visibility in Medicine
2024-10-14 16:30 - 18:30 | NY
In collaboration with SMADIE: Stanford Medicine Alliance for Disability Inclusion and Equity.
Rick Guidotti, award winning photographer and the founder of Positive Exposure, has partnered with SMADIE and the Office of DEIJ to exhibit photos of healthcare workers with disabilities to decrease stigma and enhance disability visibility in medicine.
SMADIE started as an Employee Resource Group (ERG) at Stanford Medicine, and its scope and mission now extend globally and well beyond the initial ERG. SMADIE’s priorities are CHARME: promoting Community, Health Equity, Advocacy, Research, mentorship and Education in medicine.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
PHOTO EXHIBIT
+ WINE & CHEESE RECEPTION Join us for an exhibit of photos of healthcare providers with disabilities to enhance disability visibility in medicine
from award winning photographor, Rick Guidotti.
Monday, October 14
4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Center for Academic Medicine
3rd Floor Great Room
453 Quarry Road, Palo Alto 94304
Rick Guidotti, award winning photographer and the founder of Positive Exposure, has partnered with SMADIE and the Office of DEIJ to exhibit photos of healthcare workers with disabilities to decrease stigma and enhance disability visibility in medicine.

Pediatric Grand Rounds: Stanford
2024-10-15 08:00 - 09:00 | NY
PEDIATRIC GRAND ROUNDS

CAM GRAND ROUNDS ROOM Pediatric Grand Rounds in Recognition of
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
Positive Exposure: Seeing Beyond Diagnosis
Rick Guidotti
Founder and Director, Positive Exposure

An Intimate Journey: Paintings Inspired by Brain Scans
2024-10-19 - 2024-11-23 | Positive Exposure Gallery, 83 Maiden Lane, New York, NY, 10038
Elizabeth Jameson is an artist and writer who explores what it means to live in an imperfect body as part of the universal human experience. Before her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, she served as a public interest lawyer representing incarcerated children; she later represented children living with chronic illnesses and disabilities in their attempts to receive medically necessary care.
As her disease progressed, she began using her MRIs to create art as a way of reclaiming agency over her own medical data. She transformed the unsettling, clinical images into work that invites people to open up conversations about what it means to have an illness or disability. Her work is part of permanent collections both nationally and internationally, including the National Institutes of Health, major universities, and medical schools.
She now writes personal essays and speaks across the country sharing her experiences living with illness and disability. Her essays have been published by The New York Times, British Medical Journal, WIRED magazine, and MIT’s Leonardo Journal. Her essay, “Losing Touch, Finding Intimacy,” was included in the New York Times book, About Us, released in September 2019 by Norton Publishing.
Many of her lectures at medical schools and symposiums have been recorded and shared, including her TedX talk, “Learning to Celebrate and Embrace Our Imperfect Bodies.”
Click the links below to view her recent talks:
Story of Impact – Stanford Medicine X 2017
Learning To Embrace and Celebrate Our Imperfect Bodies – Stanford TEDx 2017
Acknowledgements
Due to the ever-changing and progressive nature of life with MS, Elizabeth Jameson has worked with several studio assistants over the years including writing with Catherine Monahon. Currently she collaborates with writer, editor, and media creator Lisa Foote, and journalist, Lucia Graves.

Image Descriptions:

Photograph of a woman with light skin, light blonde hair with bangs, wearing glasses, a black shirt, and teal scarf, sitting in a wheelchair and looking up at the camera.
Image of an abstract etching resembling a segment of the brain, painted in yellows and oranges, with blues and greens in the background.
On a navy blue background, surrounding a grid of bight, colorful paintings resembling brain scans, is the following text: “POSITIVE EXPOSURE GALLERY. AN INTIMATE JOURNEY. A Retrospective Celebrating the Art of ELIZABETH JAMESON. Opening Saturday, October 19, 3-6pm. On view through November 23, 2024. 14 East 109th Street, NYC. events@positiveexposure.org PH: 212-420-1931.”

An Intimate Journey: Opening Event
2024-10-19 15:00 - 18:00 | Positive Exposure Gallery, 83 Maiden Lane, New York, NY, 10038
Elizabeth Jameson is an artist and writer who explores what it means to live in an imperfect body as part of the universal human experience. Before her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, she served as a public interest lawyer representing incarcerated children; she later represented children living with chronic illnesses and disabilities in their attempts to receive medically necessary care.
As her disease progressed, she began using her MRIs to create art as a way of reclaiming agency over her own medical data. She transformed the unsettling, clinical images into work that invites people to open up conversations about what it means to have an illness or disability. Her work is part of permanent collections both nationally and internationally, including the National Institutes of Health, major universities, and medical schools.
She now writes personal essays and speaks across the country sharing her experiences living with illness and disability. Her essays have been published by The New York Times, British Medical Journal, WIRED magazine, and MIT’s Leonardo Journal. Her essay, “Losing Touch, Finding Intimacy,” was included in the New York Times book, About Us, released in September 2019 by Norton Publishing.
Many of her lectures at medical schools and symposiums have been recorded and shared, including her TedX talk, “Learning to Celebrate and Embrace Our Imperfect Bodies.”
Click the links below to view her recent talks:
Story of Impact – Stanford Medicine X 2017
Learning To Embrace and Celebrate Our Imperfect Bodies – Stanford TEDx 2017
Acknowledgements
Due to the ever-changing and progressive nature of life with MS, Elizabeth Jameson has worked with several studio assistants over the years including writing with Catherine Monahon. Currently she collaborates with writer, editor, and media creator Lisa Foote, and journalist, Lucia Graves.

Image Descriptions:

On a navy blue background, surrounding a grid of bight, colorful paintings resembling brain scans, is the following text: “POSITIVE EXPOSURE GALLERY. AN INTIMATE JOURNEY. A Retrospective Celebrating the Art of ELIZABETH JAMESON. Opening Saturday, October 19, 3-6pm. On view through November 23, 2024. 14 East 109th Street, NYC. events@positiveexposure.org PH: 212-420-1931.”
Photograph of a woman with light skin, light blonde hair with bangs, wearing glasses, a black shirt, and teal scarf, sitting in a wheelchair and looking up at the camera.
Image of an abstract etching resembling a segment of the brain, painted in yellows and oranges, with blues and greens in the background.

MIDWEST DENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH CONFERENCE
2024-10-20 - 2024-10-21 | Hyatt Hotel and Conference Center, 300 East 9th Street, Coralville, IA 52241
Hyatt Hotel and Conference Center
300 East 9th Street
Coralville, IA 52241
Closing Keynote – “Change How You See; See How You Change!”
Rick Guidotti spent fifteen years as a fashion photographer working in New York, Milan, Paris, and London. In 1998 he founded Positive Exposure, a nonprofit organization dedicated to highlighting the beauty of physical, behavioral, intellectual or genetic diversity and challenging the stigmas associated with differences in appearance. Rick is helping the world see differences differently. Rick will discuss Positive Exposure and a new initiative: Textbook Beauty.
Rick Guidotti, Owner and Founder Positive Exposure

Annual Retreat for Nursing Leadership 2024 “Re-Energize the TEAM…Stronger Together”
2024-10-24 09:00 - 11:00 | NY
“Re-Energize the TEAM…Stronger Together”
9:30- 10:45 – Guest Speaker: Rick Guidotti
The retreat gives the nursing leadership team the opportunity to take a break from daily operations & be off-site and disconnected from the constant demands of cell phones, needs of the staff and patients/families. During this retreat we will be encouraging relationship building, reconnecting with “the WHY, we are doing what we do every day”
The overarching goal is to respect one another’s individuality & contribution to the team. We want to breakdown some silos, level egos and replace the feeling of inadequacies & working alone with the belief that we are “Stronger Together… as a Team” As a team, we want to move forward into the next year with both humility & gratitude for what we do and what we can accomplish together.

University of Louisville School of Medicine
2024-10-25 08:00 - 2024-10-27 17:00 | NY
Community Based Photography and Exhibition!
Rick on campus creating an exhibition celebrating the beauty of human diversity in Louisville!!

Kennedy Krieger Institute
2024-10-27 08:00 - 2024-10-29 17:00 | NY
Neurodiversity in the Workplace Conference
Join the collaborative conference that brings together a community that is committed to improving employment outcomes for the neurodiverse workforce.
Through collective impact, we will engage in dynamic discussions, learn from expert presenters, and build a network of change-makers who promote diverse and inclusive employment practices. This conference empowers employers to build a dynamic workforce and enhance the workplace.
Rick scheduled to photograph at lunch on Monday 28 October then present on Tuesday 29 October.
1:15 – 2 p.m. Afternoon Plenary
Rick Guidotti, Founder and Director, Positive Exposure
This lecture will create opportunities to hear from and explore the experiences
of people living with a variety of genetic, physical, behavioral and intellectual
differences. The lecture will provide a lens into various genetic disorders and
give a voice to those featured in the photographs and their respective families.
Audiences will be able to hear from individuals and their families living with
genetic disorders through innovative multimedia tools developed by Positive
Exposure.

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine: Workshop
2024-10-30 13:00 - 15:00 | NY
COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE
Worksop 3 of 3 planned with 1 st year med students..

Pulse of Art: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
2024-11-05 10:00 - 13:00 | NY
Gallery Visit:
Exploring the intersection of art and medical history
The Pulse of Art program harnesses the power of art to hone observational skills, enhance empathy, illuminate the course of medical history, and respect others’ perspectives in the face of ambiguity.
The Pulse of Art is a program developed by Barry Coller, MD and Bobbi Coller, PhD that integrates the history of art with the history of medicine.
The Collers co-teach the Pulse of Art program and have led a yearly course at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai since 2009. In addition, they have delivered presentations at the Rockefeller University and Stony Brook University. They have also taught in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s on-line educational program.

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
2024-11-07 12:30 - 14:00 | NY
1st Year Med Student Lecture

Indiana Network of Genetic Counselors
2024-11-08 08:00 - 17:00 | NY
The presents a Continuing Education conference on the most recent applications of genetics in practice.
Upgrade for Genetics Conference
CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES:
• Examine the current landscape of inherited hematological malignancies and preimplantation genetic testing.
• Gain insight into patients’ lives by seeing beyond a diagnosis, listening to a lived experience having a child with autism and the importance of empathic communication with families.
• Explore newer advancements such as using AI to understand impact on variants on α-Dystroglycanopathy phenotypes, new technology to improve clinical utility, insights into neonatal rapid WGS and therapeutic interventions for achondroplasia.

22q Texas Retreat and Photos
2024-11-10 - 2024-11-11 | NY
Photos all weekend!!! YAY!!
San Antonio: Camp Morgan’s Wonderland.

Swarthmore Student Lecture
2024-11-11 08:00 - 17:00 | NY
Swarthmore, PA
Student Lecture
NOVEMBER 11
SCHEUER ROOM 4:30-6PM
RICK GUIDOTTI, AWARD-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER, CELEBRATES THE BEAUTY OF HUMAN DIVERSITY. RICK IS THE FOUNDER OF POSITIVE EXPOSURE, A NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION, THAT PROMOTES A MORE INCLUSIVE WORLD, THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY, FILM, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, IN COLLABORATION WITH INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES AT RISK OF STIGMA AND EXCLUSION
Sponsored by the departments of Art and Educational Studies; the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility; The Center for Innovation and Leadership; Health Sciences Office of Student Affairs; The Mellon Tri-Co Disability Studies Collective
Contact Donna Jo Napoli for more information
(dnapoli1@swarthmore.edu)
Image description: Man with grey hair smiling into the camera. CHANGE HOW YOU SEE, SEE HOW YOU CHANGE LOGO in bold white letters on black background.

Nemours Children's Hospital: Nursing Grand ROunds
2024-11-13 12:00 - 13:00 | NY
Virtual presentation.
Presenting to:
Advanced practice providers, registered nurses, social workers, and allied health personnel.

Mayo Clinic Genetic Counselors Program
2024-12-12 13:00 - 14:00 | NY
Virtual Presentation

NYU: Faculty Development Program
2025-01-08 12:30 - 13:30 | NYU Nagle Auditorium
Positive Exposure/ Rick Guidotti will present during this session:
This lecture will create opportunities to hear from and explore the experiences of people living with a variety of genetic, physical, behavioral, and intellectual differences. The lecture will provide a “lens” into various genetic conditions and give a “voice” to those featured in the photographs and their respective families. The NYU Community will be able to hear from individuals and their families living with genetic conditions through innovative multimedia tools developed by Positive Exposure.
Learning Objectives:

Describe the social and psychological experiences of people of all ages and ethno-cultural heritages living with genetic, physical, behavioral and intellectual differences.
Discuss ways to best meet the needs of children and families with, or at risk for a genetic disorder.
Explore opportunities to see each individual living with a genetic difference first and foremost as a human being with his/her own special needs, rather than as a specific diagnosis/disease entity.

The Faculty Development Program will take place twice weekly on Wednesdays and repeated on Thursdays, with one session each day from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. Both sessions will occur in the Nagle Auditorium. Lunch will be provided.
The sessions will also be simultaneously broadcast by Zoom. The goal in offering the same topic over two days is to maximize the opportunity for faculty to attend. One session will also be recorded and archived in NYU iLearn as a resource for NYU Dentistry faculty.
Upon completing the session evaluation, participants will receive one credit hour of Continuing Dental Education (CDE) for each FDP session in which they participate.
Throughout the fall and spring semesters, NYU Dentistry will provide FDP programming in five areas:

Teaching, Learning, Assessment, and Curriculum (TC)
Research, Scholarship, and Career Advancement (RS)
Leadership and Management (LM)
Maximizing Technology (MT)
Clinical Dentistry and Systemic Health (CD)

NYU: Faculty Development Program
2025-01-09 12:30 - 13:30 | NY
