January 21 - March 10, 2025

Sophia Pineda paints in the Chinese brush stroke watercolor style. Her work often focuses on the natural world – especially flowers and birds – and features vibrant color and bold lines. Sophia, who has been painting in this style for about eight years, is a young woman with Down syndrome.

Sophia has studied ballet for more than 15 years, dancing in many local productions. She also has grown to become a self-advocate, involved and engaged in the community. In 2013, she was selected to walk the runway as a model for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s Gala in Washington, DC and, in 2016, the National Down Syndrome Society chose her picture as one of many people with Down syndrome to appear in its video to kick off the national Buddy Walk in New York City.

But it is art that truly captures Sophia's imagination and has become her heart-felt way to express herself. Through camps and classes at Libertytown Arts Workshop, she is exploring other art forms, such as oil painting and hand-building pottery. She brings an infectious sense of joy, humor and exuberance to her art and to her life.

This exhibition continues a tradition of showcasing artists with disabilities during ReelAbilities Film Festival of Greater Washington January 30 – March 6, 2025 theJ.org/ReelAbilities