About the Cover Artist: Rock Island by Rodrigo Duran

Rodrigo Duran is an artist from Dallas, TX, who has been living with congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) and epilepsy for most of his life. Despite the significant challenges associated with these conditions, Rodrigo has not wavered from his goal of working in the art industry. For instance, while in college, he illustrated a book written by one of his instructors and designed a poster for a school dance. Rodrigo graduated from college in May 2015. He is still working hard as an artist, despite frequent interruptions to his work resulting from difficulties associated with CMD and epilepsy.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has provided Rodrigo with an artistic outlet and encouraged him in his artistic journey. After learning more about the MDA’s mission and the various programs they offer, Rodrigo signed up to be an MDA Ambassador. In 2023, the MDA encouraged Rodrigo to participate in Cure CMD’s Creative Contest and the EveryLife Foundation’s Rare Artist Contest. He won third place in the Cure CMD Creative Contest and placed in the top 10% (out of over 300 submissions) in the Rare Artist contest.

As an MDA Ambassador, Rodrigo enjoys attending the MDA’s Uncork a Cure Gala every year and donates one of his paintings to be sold at the silent auction. He also creates TikTok videos in which he shares his stories of living with CMD. He records these videos in English and Spanish in an effort to maximize the impact of these videos and encourage the diverse population of individuals affected by neuromuscular diseases. Rogrigo is very grateful to the MDA for their advice and encouragement; they have helped him find a path to a more independent life, and he is hopeful this will help him accomplish his goal of securing a job in the art industry.

Rodrigo’s artwork can be found on his social media sites: https://www.instagram.com/the_dallas_d.a/ and https://www.facebook.com/Ri8o991/.