Allison Massari has been the subject of numerous stories I have written over the years, beginning in 1998 when I chronicled a horrific wreck in which she was hit head-on and almost burned alive in her car in Pinellas Park. At that point she was on the verge of gaining major recognition for her remarkable talent as a painter. She endured more than most people could ever imagine. But she began to heal. She even founded a camp in Colorado for young burn victims.

And, then the unimaginable happened again. She was rear-ended and had another serious setback.

Her story was beginning to sound like a Greek tragedy.

But Allison has always seemed to draw from a deep well of self-awareness and resolve. She again took up art, doing some painting and dabbling in conceptual art. She began making lovely pictorial collages of torn paper. As her early works were mostly self-portraits, so are these. They're far different in tone, though, lighter, inspirational, not as visceral or confrontational. Maybe that comes from learning so much about the limitations of your body.

And she continues to sell her jewelry, such as her pendants that resemble little frames and hold a small print of one of her paintings.

Now she's adding another component: motivational speaker.

In conjunction with an exhibition of her work at the Morean Arts Center opening Friday, Massari will give a talk at 7 p.m. Saturday. Part of the $15 ticket will go to fund her burn camp. 

I don't know if this is a new phase so much as building on all the things she has experienced during her eventful life. But it will definitely encompass creativity as a life force far bigger than the ability put paint on a canvas. Click here for details.

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