Feb 10, 2009
Web site launches to honor life of painter and longtime society member Ian Darragh
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Meghan Finn
212-453-3209
mfinn@msnyc.org
New York, NY – A Web site has launched in honor of Ian Darragh, an Irish-born artist whose works appeared in various publications and exhibitions including The New York Times Book Review; Christie’s Inaugural Exhibition in London; The London Times; and the Texaco Children’s Art Competition, which he won early in his career. Darragh lived with multiple sclerosis for 10 years until his death in 2008 and was a longtime member of the National MS Society where he generously donated his talents and created artwork for calendars, holiday cards and Society magazines.
A collection of his complete body of work, comprised of over 1,500 images, is housed on the site where they are divided into six albums representing pivotal periods of Darragh’s life. The last album consists of works unfinished at the time of his death.
If you own any of Darragh’s work and would like to add it to the online archive, contact info@ian-darragh.com. Feedback, contributions and suggestions are also welcome. Donations can be made to the Ian Darragh Memorial Fund here.
About the New York City Chapter
The New York City Chapter of the National MS Society is committed to helping the thousands of New Yorkers impacted by MS continue moving their lives forward. The chapter raises funds locally to support the Society’s critical research initiatives and to provide hundreds of comprehensive support services and educational programs to people living with MS, their family and friends. Visit www.MSnyc.org for more information.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. In 2007 alone, through our home office and 50-state network of chapters, we devoted over $136 million to programs that enhanced more than one million lives. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested over $50 million to support 440 research projects around the world. We are people who want to do something about MS NOW. Join the movement.
Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. To learn about the options, individuals should talk to their health care professionals and contact the National MS Society at www.nationalMSsociety.org or 1-800-344-4867 (1-800-FIGHT-MS).
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and it stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.5 million worldwide.
###