Angela Casperson is a painter who has been making art professionally since 2019, though she knew she was an artist from much earlier on. Under the business name of Magic Calendar Studio LLC, Casperson offers studio commissions of paintings of wildlife, pets, nature, landscapes and portraits, and will be entering her third year as a live wedding painter.

She also works as a seamstress at Nu-Way Cleaners. But Casperson, a single mom, is presently unable to work following a rough surgery.

In November, a liposarcoma tumor – a slow-growing cancer – was discovered in Casperson’s abdomen. Based on its size, it could have been developing for 15 years.

“It was connected to my kidney, my spleen … It was the size of a watermelon, doctors said,” Casperson said.

The original cover art by Manistique artist Ryan Gilroy for the book "The Legend of Kitch-iti-kipi" by Carole Lynn Hare is displayed in a homemade birch frame. Gilroy is requesting art donations from others, as he has organized an art sale fundraiser for a local painter recovering from surgery. (Courtesy photo)

Surgery was scheduled for Jan. 15 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor through Christina Angeles Sarcoma Cancer Specialist at Rogel Cancer Center. Following the removal of the tumor and other parts, then suffering complications, Casperson was finally discharged on the 29th and made the trip back up north with her family.

“They had to remove my kidney, my spleen. There was damage to my diaphragm they had to repair, and I had complications in the hospital. I ended up getting a blood clot in my liver, and I couldn’t keep food down, so they kept me longer in there than normal,” Casperson shared.

Of course, now there are bills to contend with. She’s off of work for about six weeks to recover from surgery and temporarily has no income.

Ryan Gilroy, the pastor of the church to which Casperson belongs, Lakeside Christian Church, had the idea to organize a fundraiser. As an artist himself, Gilroy wanted the event to be something that celebrates and promotes local artists while raising money for Casperson.

“I thought, well, you know, let’s not just do a regular spaghetti dinner or just something traditional. Let’s do something along the art line,” Gilroy said.

An oil painting by Ryan Gilroy of children jumping into Calspar Quarry is shown. Art by Gilroy and others will be shown and sold at an event at Lakeside Christian Church at the end of the month to benefit artist Angela Casperson. (Courtesy photo)

He has since made plans to gather art pieces donated by creators who work with a number of mediums. The works will all be for sale and displayed in the church as though it were a gallery for two days.

An opening reception with beverages and hors d’oeuvres is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 27 at Lakeside Christian Church, located at 2300 South 21st St. in Escanaba. That event, to be held from 6 to 8 p.m., will be the first opportunity to see the full collection and purchase pieces – but Gilroy requests that buyers leave the art behind until after the second day, if possible.

On Saturday the 28th, the display at the church will again be open to the public between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Those items that were not reserved the night before will again be available for purchase.

So far, Gilroy has at least 10 artists interested in donating art, but invites more to contribute. To do so, people may contact Gilroy at 219-798-2965 and arrange a time to drop off artwork or other donations to be sold to benefit Casperson.

Confirmed contributing artists whose work has already been collected include Mike Olson, a photographer living in Ford River who specializes in outdoor scenes and has published a book called “Forest Graffiti”; Eric Staib, from Lansing, whose work may be described as abstract or cubist and sometimes features recycled elements; and Gilroy himself, a painter who works with oils and more and illustrated the book “The Legend of Kitch-iti-kipi.”

Local businesses are going to donate items as well; these will likely be raffled off as door prizes during the opening gala on the 17th.

More artist contributions continue to be sought. Gilroy tends to be at Lakeside Christian Church on Sunday mornings, so before or after mass may be a good time to make dropoffs, but it’s best to call him at the number specified above.

As part of the bio on Casperson’s art website (magiccalendarstudio.com) states: “Everyone needs positivity and color in their lives. Everyone needs that extra boost to keep them going when times get tough.”