Annual Exhibition and Sale
Art Ability: A benefit celebration for Bryn Mawr Rehab and artists with disabilities
Preview Party & Dinner
Saturday, November 8, 2025 at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital
Art Ability will celebrate its 30th year this fall and we are thrilled to bring you an exciting evening honoring Art Ability’s past and present. The evening will kick off with an opening cocktail reception in the halls of the hospital, immediately followed by a seated dinner program under the tent.
This year's fundraising efforts will support the Creative Arts Therapy Endowment, Bryn Mawr Rehab’s endowed fund that supports our art and music therapies. Through the Creative Arts Therapy Endowment, we are securing the future of these transformative therapies, ensuring that patients can access evidence-based, alternative treatment options alongside physical, occupational and speech therapy. Our team works to create personalized therapy plans, utilizing the arts to enhance recovery and improve outcomes.
30th Annual Exhibition and Sale
Sunday, November 9, 2025 – Sunday, February 1, 2026
Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital – 414 Paoli Pike, Malvern, PA 19355
Exhibit will be open daily during visiting hours. Tours will be available upon request. Please email artability@mlhs.org or call 484.596.5607 to schedule a private tour.
Artwork will be available to view in late October and sales will go live on Sunday, November 9 at 10 a.m.
Art Ability at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital is a year-round program which serves as a showcase and marketplace for talented artists. The program educates the community about the remarkable abilities of people with disabilities and inspires artists to reach beyond their limitations and explore their own creativity.
The annual, international juried Art Ability exhibition and sale is twelve-weeks in length and features art and fine crafts by artists with physical, cognitive, hearing, and visual impairments.
Participating artists express their creativity through painting, photography, sculpture, fiber arts, stained glass, jewelry, and fine crafts. Through these creative modes of expression, artists can convey their talent, receive recognition for their work, and often also to further progress in recovering from a life-altering illness or injury.
The exhibit is then open free to the public and enjoyed by more than 3,500 individuals annually, including the hospital's patients, their families and friends, hospital staff and visitors — making it the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of its kind in the nation.
Are you interested in touring the show? Please email artability@mlhs.org or call our Art Ability Coordinator, Erin Panner, at 494.596.5607 to schedule a guided or self-guided tour.
Our process
A stringent, two-step jurying process ensures that Art Ability presents highly professional artwork, demonstrating the strength of artistic talent within the disability community. The first step is led by the Art Ability Curator and jury reviewing the submitted images and choosing artwork for the exhibition. The second step includes esteemed judges who are selected based on their expertise and prominence in the fine arts community. They judge the work, selecting the pieces to receive awards in their respective categories.
2024 Art Ability Award Winners (pdf)
The planning of the exhibition involves the members of the Art Ability committee and the hospital board, including members who have been disabled by stroke, polio and brain injury. Feedback from local and national past Art Ability artists is solicited through each stage of the project.
To join our mailing list for our events, email artability@mlhs.org or call 484.596.5607.
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