About the Cover Artist: Looking at Daisies by May Ling Kopecky

May Ling Kopecky, an artist based in Plymouth, MN, experienced her first multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms at age 13, and was diagnosed at age 15. For many years, May Ling struggled with talking about her diagnosis, facing skepticism due to her young age and healthy appearance. Her paintings and drawings serve as a response to this skepticism. 

May Ling’s work visualizes her experiences with MS, focusing on topics like healthcare, medical imagery, and MS symptoms. Her recent work shares point-of-view perspectives, highlighting how MS affects her daily life. She uses her own photographs as reference, creating paintings and drawings that reimagine the original image to reflect symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, heat intolerance, and double vision. Through her work, she strives to spread awareness about individual disabilities and advocate for people living with invisible illnesses. 

May Ling received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Minnesota and her Master of Fine Arts from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD). Her work has received numerous awards in exhibitions across the United States. In 2021, May Ling was awarded second place for the Kennedy Center VSA Emerging Young Artist Competition in Washington, DC, where she advocated for students with disabilities and accessibility in the arts. Her work has been featured in publications such as New American Paintings, the National MS Society’s Momentum Magazine, and the Mayo Clinic News Network. May Ling currently works in the Learning Center and Accessibility Services department at MCAD. 

More information about May Ling and her artwork can be found on her website: https://www.maylingkopecky.com/