RACHEL MINDRUP

RACHEL MINDRUP

  • About
    • Biography
    • Curriculum Vitae - Exhibitions
    • Awards, Honors, Grants & Residencies
    • Artist Talks / Presentations / Workshops
    • Bibliography
    • Curatorial Work
  • Many Faces of Neurofibromatosis (NF)
    • NF1 ~ Portraits
      • Statement
      • Oil Portraits NF1 (United States)
      • Oil Portraits NF1 (Worldwide)
      • Watercolor Portraits of NF
    • NF2 ~ Portraits
      • Oil Portraits NF2 (United States)
      • Oil Portraits NF2 (Worldwide)
      • Watercolor Portraits
    • NF ~ State Show Collections
      • NF ~ Arizona
      • NF ~ Missouri
      • NF ~ Nebraska
        • Drawings from Life
        • Paintings
      • NF ~ Tennessee
    • NF ~ In Memoriam
      • NF1 Memorials
      • NF2 Memorials
    • NF ~ Marriage
    • NF ~ Kids' Oil Portraits
    • Ashok Shrestha's NF Transformation
      • Drawings
      • Paintings
      • Monotypes
      • Ashok's Visits
  • The Art of Medicine
    • Painting / Drawing
    • Printmaking / Intaglio
  • The Boys
  • Solo Exhibitions
    • 2025
      • Gallery 92 West
      • CHI Bergan Mercy Hospital
    • 2024
      • Permission to Stare - Mayo Clinic - Scottsdale
    • 2023
      • See Me: Portraits of NF, Rockhurst University
      • Portraits of NF2 - Deming Gallery, Creighton
      • Murfree Gallery
      • Many Faces of NF: Positive Exposure - NYC
    • 2022
      • Scanxiety
      • NF Tennessee - Vanderbilt University
      • Permission to Stare: Living with Neurofibromatosis - Creighton University Phoenix
    • 2021
      • Many Faces of NF: Good Samaritan Hospital
      • NF: Kansas and Missouri
      • Neurofibromatosis: A Portrait of Nebraska - Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts
      • Many Faces of NF: Stocksdale Gallery
    • 2020
      • Neurofibromatosis and a Portrait of 1 in 3000 - Creighton University
    • 2019
      • Neurofibromatosis: The People, Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art
      • Many Faces of NF - Hibbing Community College
      • Many Faces of NF: Carnegie Arts Center
    • 2018
      • Many Faces of NF: Norfolk Arts Center
      • Washington University School of Medicine
      • Governor's Mansion - Lincoln, Nebraska
    • 2017
      • Bryan Medical Center
      • Portrait of a Disorder: Neurofibromatosis - KCAC
    • 2016
      • Portrait of a Disorder: Neurofibromatosis - Creighton University
    • 2015
      • Many Faces of NF - Portraits of Neurofibromatosis - UNO
    • 2014
      • Rachel Mindrup: Many Faces of NF - Northwestern College
      • Many Faces of NF - UNK
      • Many Faces of NF - UNL
    • 2013
      • Neuro Art Culture - UNL
  • Paintings / Drawings
    • Oil Paintings
      • Figurative Works
      • Still Lifes
    • Drawings
      • 5 Hour Portraits
      • The Body
  • Airport Sketching
  • Children's Books
  • Blog
  • Contact
Nena Picking Oranges
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico ~ 2016
Oil on Canvas
30" x 24"
MaElena (Nena) Gomez has NF, lives in Monterrey, Mexico and has been married 40 years with her husband Carlos Garcia. It wasn't until she was married and already had two daughters that she found out her diagnosis. In Mexico, not much is known even to doctors about neurofibromatosis. Her daughters and four grandchildren are the engine of her life. Nena's hobbies are cinema, enjoying nature, and the face and happiness of her grandchildren.

One day Nena was talking with a young person about suicide because life with NF is difficult. He felt that no one would want him, even had friends that didn't take to the idea of forming a tumor by his face. In Mexico there just is not a big priority placed on NF and people do not go to specialists because they have it. Over time, Nena realized just how many people also had NF and to her great surprise throughout the world there is a lot of information about it. There is also a lot of misinformation as well and that is where she decided to get out and start working at raising awareness. Nena has spearheaded the one protection law draft that has to go through the congress of Mexico. She has met with two senators and in the meantime she interviews and continue to fight to make society aware about the disorder. There is more information for all doctors, patients, families and society in general that are like them with a genetic condition. She finds others with NF and together in her words, "we laugh, we cry, we must work to live, or the same needs as the rest of the world. My challenge is to keep working at it, in honor of my father who inherited it, to patients to keep hope alive, and to know that we also have a challenge to work together for attaining the transformation of society. for a world without DISCRIMINATION more aware, and we are all happy fundamental right of every human being."