Articles

The Artist and His Angels

Columbia Metropolitan 2005

In his book, Angels – God’s Secret Agents, the great evangelist Billy Graham writes that angels are real, angels have powers beyond human imagination and the presence of angels can reassure and comfort us in times of crisis. Philip Powell has first-hand experience with angels. He knows and understands them.

When Philip was growing up, he always knew he had a guardian angel protecting him because his mother Alice told him so.

And when this very special 19-year-old who was born with Down syndrome experienced a tragic loss – the death of his beloved older brother - a wise teacher comforted him and counseled him. Page Steinart (Miss Page) also gave him a picture of an angel to hang over his bed. Protected by his guardian angels, Philip began to heal.

So it’s no wonder that when a special family friend was battling leukemia, Philip decided his friend needed an angel. He set about drawing one for her.

Philip’s family has a creative bent. His dad, Beau Powell, is a professional home builder whose hobby is woodworking. His mother loves to sew and quilt and his older sister Anna has a graduate degree in art therapy. Philip’s twin sister Molly is a student in graphic communications. In the Powell household, art and paint supplies are always at hand. So, when Philip drew his angel, it was just natural for his mom to suggest he go another step and paint his picture. Thus, an artist was born.

The Artist and His Work
Philip paints his angels with acrylics on stretched canvas or on wood that Beau Powell prepares for him. He loves bright colors and has a special eye for mixing the lively tints that excite his playful, energetic spirit.

He paints “all kinds of angels. Girl angels, boy angels, blondes, brunettes, redheads, white, black and native American angels. Cat and dog angels. He’s even done a chicken angel because he used to be a big Gamecock fan.” But now that sister Molly has headed off to Clemson University, he’s switched his collegiate loyalties. “I guess we can look for some tiger angels pretty soon,” laughs Alice.

Today, Philip’s angels are traveling all over the world. “If we hear of a friend going somewhere we’ve never had someone go before, we give them some of Philip’s angels to give away,” says Alice. On the back of each angel, the Powells give their contact information and ask the recipient to let them know if there’s a story to be told in connection with their angel. The stories have flowed back. Tale upon tale has let Philip know of the power his angels bring to the lives of others.

Alice tells of one girl her daughters Anna and Molly met while traveling in Prague. “They picked her out randomly in a park where she was doing art work and they gave her one of Philip’s angels. She later sent us an e-mail and said this angel came to her at a crucial moment in her life when she was thinking of giving up her art. Philip’s angel gave her the courage to continue. Since then, we’ve been in touch with her and have even been able to buy some of her art for our home.”

Philip has his own website – www.philippowell.net. The site currently features a map of the U.S. showing states where Philip’s angels reside. Soon a world map will be added and, wherever there’s a story to tell, an “angel pushpin” will be linked to share that experience. And you can be sure that there will be plenty of stories because Philip’s angels are clearly very hardworking guardians. His first “angel buddy” is now in remission from her leukemia and his Prague “angel buddy” artist has gone on to become quite successful.

The Artist and His Mission
This past summer, Philip Powell was a man on a mission. He and his mom – who serves as his chief paint squirter, brush cleaner and water toter - “worked like crazy” to get ready for a very big art show – a major public event to benefit Aldersgate, a special needs ministry of the S.C. United Methodist Conference. This show, to be held at Epworth Children’s Home on Thursday, October 20, from 4 to 7 p.m, will be part of the launch of Columbia’s first Aldersgate home.

The Reverend Stephen Taylor, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Sumter, serves on the statewide board for Aldersgate. He explains the intent of this ministry, inaugurated in South Carolina in 2004:

“Aldersgate homes are meant to be safe, loving refuges for adults with special needs. In our state, there are over 3100 special needs adults living at home with parents who are 55 or older. We have 274 special needs adults whose parents are 80 and over. Right now, the only way for parents to secure housing for a special needs adult child is to die or become disabled themselves. We believe that the church has a responsibility to provide these parents and their children with better choices. Church-sponsored group homes for special needs adults have been successful all over the southeast. North Carolina is running 23 Aldersgate homes already. Here in South Carolina, our initial plan calls for three homes – one in Orangeburg, another in Rock Hill and one in Columbia.”

Each home will house six residents. Columbia’s first Aldersgate home will be for women and will be built on property made available by Epworth. Stephen Taylor says, “We’re building off the lessons learned by our sister organizations. There’s a similarity of design to all Aldersgate homes. Each has six bedrooms and three baths. There’s a mini-apartment for a resident caregiver. Every home offers all the basics of family living so that residents can live independently, go to work, receive appropriate therapy and function together as a family. We’re not looking to isolate our residents but to place them in locations where they’ll experience a good quality of life. Each resident will share in the responsibility of their household, contributing to family life on their level - taking care of the home, setting tables, doing laundry, preparing meals – all the things that make up everyday family life.”

Already, Columbia’s generous community has caught the Aldersgate fever. Shumaker Builders has offered to build the first home and the Columbia Homebuilders Association is working to secure donated building materials. Philip Powell is doing his part too.

In addition to the October 20th art show, Philip is the impetus behind another Aldersgate program that will be unique to the South Carolina ministry. It’s called Aldersgate Angels. The Reverend Taylor explains, “An Aldersgate Angel is someone who will support the ministry with a contribution of $24 per month. Each Aldersgate Angel will receive a Philip Powel angel lapel pin and, every month, they’ll get an angel notecard with one of Philip’s original designs on the front. The money raised by the Angels’ program will go into our general operating budget to run and maintain our group homes. Many angels will make for many secure homes for our special needs adults.”

“Philip is a loving, generous young man who wants to help others,” says Taylor. “And he wants to see us get our Aldersgate homes built because he wants to live in one.”