Hampton Co. art teacher, artist prepares to put art in national spotlight amid cancer battle

HAMPTON, S.C. (WTOC) - A Hampton County art teacher is getting ready to showcase his art on a national stage in Florida. He is doing all of it while battling a recent cancer diagnosis.

For four years, art teacher and former professor Ian Welch has taught students in and around Hampton County.

“I can provide them a chance to have control in moments and times when they don’t feel like they have a lot of control,” Welch said.

Welch teaches art to students at Estill Elementary and Hampton Intermediate.

He also helps outside of the classroom with Hampton Friends of the Arts, a group that gives students fine arts opportunities outside of school.

“One of the most dedicated volunteers that you could imagine,” Executive Director of Hampton Friends of the Arts, Heather Bruemmer said.

THE DIAGNOSIS

On Thanksgiving morning, Welch was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer, which came as a shock to him because he is only 38.

“One of my NP’s described me as a unicorn in my diagnosis, so I should hopefully be a unicorn in my prognosis,” Welch said.

A diagnosis that now doctors will try to treat when Welch starts chemo on Friday.

“The hope is that we can shrink it, get contained. Then it becomes like any chronic illness that I must treat.”

PERSERVERING THROUGH THE TREATMENT

Welch says that whether it be going to the doctor, creating art, or teaching his students, his goal during his treatment is make each day count.

“I’m just really trying to focus on really giving each day a purpose. Trying to make sure that every day I do at least one thing that I feel like gives me purpose and reason to keep going.”

MESSAGE TO STUDENTS

The first round of treatment is expected to take 120 days, some of which Welch will be in the classroom with students, with whom he was able to talk about his diagnosis and about how they can help him through the process.

“What you can do is you can help me get better by being the type of people that I know you are,” Welch said. “When I am here, let’s make as much cool stuff as we possibly can.”

COMMUNITY RAISES MONEY TO PAY FOR TRIP TO FLORIDA

This will also be during a time when Welch will show 20 to 25 of his art pieces at a gallery in Key West next month.

A trip that is now trying to be paid for by Hampton Friends of the Arts.

“Being able to support him at this time when so little is in his control, to give him one thing that is going to go right,” Bruemmer said. “That feels like a big gift that this community can help give to him.”

Ian’s work will be up in the Zabar Lobby Gallery in Key West from January 8 to January 29.

No fundraisers have been made to help his cancer journey, but if you would like to help fund his trip to Key West, a link to do so can be found here.