Will's Wish to Inspire Through Art

For an artist at work, a clear vision and a strong passion can create something truly spectacular. Ever since he was a small child, wish kid Will from Millersville, MD, has been drawn to visual arts. He comes from a creative family where his mother lives life with an artistic flair and that trait rubbed off on Will and his brothers. Will loves art – observing and creating it. His family’s entire home is filled with art he’s created over the years. To this day, he keeps busy by doing something with his hands - typically, the result of that turns into a fantastic work of art.

Art is steadfast source of release and inspiration for Will, especially in tough times. Will took various art classes in middle school. He was gearing up for the big step to high school when a surprise brain tumor diagnosis changed his life. Will missed the first part of his high school experience but was eager to take more art classes when he was able to go back to in-person learning. Post-surgery for the removal of his tumor, Will was visited by an artist while he recovered in the hospital. He and the artist made tree sculptures together and it’s a fond memory he carries from that difficult time.

When Will was in the discovery stage of his wish journey, he knew he wanted to incorporate art, but was just unsure as to how. He knew he wanted his wish to have lasting impact and far reach. After careful consideration, Will wished to create an art installation for his community. “I was so proud that Will’s first thought [when thinking about his wish] was, ‘what can I do for others?’”, Will’s dad, Dave, said.

When Will’s favorite sports team, the Washington Capitals, heard about his story, they worked with Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic to install his piece at their training facility, MedStar Capitals Iceplex. In collaboration with Hatch Exhibits, the companies joined forces to donate their hanging and display expertise so Will's installation could match his vision.

This piece is Will’s first time ever creating a large-scale mosaic, and a far cry from the self-proclaimed “silly” art Will enjoys making most, like his flamingo mug or banana sculpture.  He was just filled with excitement about the opportunity and became a self-taught artist for this design. He watched lots of videos on mosaic-making and even made a smaller version to map out his work before creating the actual piece. Once he had the confidence and knowledge he needed, he spent hours painstakingly picking out various materials in different sizes and colors checking the reflectiveness on each piece to ensure that they would all look cohesive when put together under light. After three months of tiling, the result revealed a huge, sparkling mosaic of the Capitals’ weagle in red, white and blue.

“It’s been wonderful for our family to see him working every day on this mosaic and make something he’s really proud of,” Dave said. “Although it took up all the space on our dining room table for so long, now we miss having it there!”

Throughout Will’s medical journey, he and his mom spent a lot of time together. There was a long period where he had radiation treatments five days a week and they had to drive to Baltimore for it each time. “During his wish experience, it was really nice for Will and I to be able to bond over something non-medical. It was a stress-reliever for all of us,” Will’s mom, Eileen, said.

Now attending community college, Will is already thinking of his next designs and where his potential art career could take him. One thing he knows for sure is that being able to constantly visit his art display at the Capitals' training facility will continue to bring him joy, and he’s looking forward to showing it to all his family and friends. He hopes that each time a player looks at his mosaic installation, they see their logo in a new way. Each time Will sees his wish art, he says to himself, “Even though I’ve had all these medical issues, I can still do amazing things.”