Bucks County artist paints portraits of people who don’t have health insurance

An artist from Bucks County has been painting portraits of people who do not have health insurance.

Theresa BrownGold has painted the faces of more than 100 people and is bringing a selection of her work to four stops on a one-day blitz through Bucks County.

She stood with her paintings outside the U.S. Supreme Court on the day the Affordable Care Act was upheld, and demonstrated in front of the U.S. Capitol for five months before that.

BrownGold is a staunch supporter of the health care overhaul, but she says she doesn’t want her work co-opted into a political message.

“I am not here to get someone reelected,” she said. “I didn’t start this project four years ago thinking, ‘How can I use this to get someone reelected?’  I started it because I wanted to know, and the project completely pulled me in.”

By the same token, BrownGold says she wants her art to prompt a conversation about health care, and it’s all the better, to her, if that discussion informs people’s votes this fall.She says after the election, she’ll be doing less demonstrating and more art – but acknowledges she’ll continue to document stories about health care.

“I want to see how the health care law plays out and if and when there are weaknesses, I want those addressed,” BrownGold said. “I am going to be on it.”