World MS Day: Navigating the Journey

Each year, World MS Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness and celebrate the strength and resilience of those living with MS or other neurological conditions. It’s a day to foster greater understanding within the community and shine a light on lived experiences, create meaningful connections and make the invisible visible through the power of storytelling. 

We've always known how important art is to our community. For some, it helps them relay emotions and experiences that can be difficult to put into words. For others, it can help them heal and come to terms with the unpredictability of living with a neuro condition. 

This year, we're proud to have hosted our largest Art Without Limits exhibition to date with over 60 artworks displayed in Perth and Bunbury! The growing community involvement is truly special and we'd like to thank everyone for sharing their stories of challenge, strength, resilience and how you each have navigated the journey. 

To help our community explore the theme in a way that feels most authentic to them, we organised workshops with different art mediums across our Services Centres throughout the month of May. This year, we also saw more collaborative creations come to life, such as the Butler Art Club’s Snakes and Ladders piece which was featured on Channel 10! 

In Bunbury, the exhibition was hosted across the entire month of May, giving the South West community the opportunity to visit the exhibition for a longer period – sparking conversations and encouraging everyone who attended to share their stories. The opening night was a great success, with Emily Ace, MSWA Community Engagement Manager stating;

We thank the incredible artists for sharing not only their beautiful masterpieces with us today, but for being so generous in sharing their stories.”

“It's an intimate thing to do, but the impact of this gift for us all in this room tonight cannot be understated.” 

Excitingly, we also had a huge turnout for our Perth exhibition opening night with over 100 people coming out to Central Park Tower on a wintery Monday night. The quartet, The Stromatolites created the perfect ambiance for the evening while all the artists, family members and the neuro community browsed the artworks, sipped on wine, ate delicious canapes and voted for the People’s Choice Award. Rhonda Adamsam, who is a key member of the Butler Art Club, spoke of the night, “I love the name Art Without Limits. It allows us to come together, share our stories and make the invisible visible.” 

A lot of people looking at me wouldn’t know everything I go through because it’s an invisible disease, but that doesn’t mean to say you’re not still in pain. It’s a really nice recognition from MSWA.”

A big thank you to all who submitted, attended or spread the word – this years’ event was a huge success, and we can't wait to see the exhibition return next year, with the new theme, 'Unlocking Possibility'. 

Also, thank you to the amazing Stirling Street Art Centre, The Stromatolites and our continued partnership with Central Park Tower – we couldn’t have done it without you.

First Place

A Journey Between Worlds by Drey Jackson 
A vibrant cosmic landscape unfolds as meteors streak across a star-filled sky above glowing planets, while a bear and her cub walk together along the horizon beneath a crimson celestial glow. 

About Drey
I am a 32-year-old artist living with quadriplegia and ventilator dependence following a traumatic accident in 2003, where I was crushed between a truck and a four-wheel drive. The accident caused a brain injury, stroke, multiple fractures and a spinal injury that left me quadriplegic and dependent on a wheelchair and tracheostomy for breathing. Before my accident, I had a deep love for art and rediscovering that passion has become an important part of my life and recovery. Using mouth-painting techniques, I am able to create artwork that expresses imagination, resilience and my unique perspective of the world. Art has given me a powerful way to reconnect with creativity and share my story through each piece I create.

Second Place

Demyelination by Jake Huckstep

Third Place, Tied 

Gone Pear Shaped by Anita Asker
Young Light and the Shadow Fight by Nicole McCaughey

First Place Tied

Tree of Life by Leanne Green
Tree of Life represents resilience, growth and the strength to remain grounded through life’s challenges. The vibrant colours reflect energy, change and beauty that can still emerge through difficult times, while the reflection in the water symbolises both inner and outer journeys. Created as part of my MS journey, this piece is a reminder that even as life shifts, we continue to grow, adapt and find balance within ourselves. 

I’m Not Alone on This Journey by Pauline Kamchevski 
Carrying the weight of an illness can be heavy, but others help, and my backpack also has tools I can use. This acrylic on canvas is actually a Diptych (two canvas’ as one painting).

Second Place

Skateboard Lamp by Chris McEncroe

Third Place

Hanging Table by Terry Compton

To demonstrate that Art Without Limits just gets bigger and better every year – the WA media industry joined the fun, with Bunbury’s exhibition even scoring the front page on the Bunbury Herald! We are so happy to see this event get the recognition it deserves and can’t wait to see what's in store for 2027.

As always, alongside celebrating the incredible talent showcased through Art Without Limits, WA once again lit up red in recognition of World MS Day. Iconic landmarks across Perth were illuminated in red to help raise awareness and show support for people living with neurological conditions, as well as their families, carers and communities. 

Landmarks that turned red included Council House, King's Park, Matagarup Bridge, King's Park, Joondalup Drive Bridge, Mount Street Bridge, Northbridge Tunnel, Sky Ribbon, Great Northern Highway Interchange Bridge, Kombana Bridge, Marlston Hill Lookout, Koombana Bay Footbridge, Koombana Bay Foreshore, Marlston Waterfront, Guppy Park, the Navigators at the Koombana Drive roundabout, Richmond Reserve, Arrol Crane and Koolambidi Woola.