Dan Keplinger

Artist Dan Keplinger (born 19 January 1973) was featured in the Oscar-winning documentary short, King Gimp. Born January 19, 1973 with cerebral palsy, he lives in Towson, Maryland, where he continues to paint.

After attending a school for disabled children, he was mainstreamed into Parkville High School in Maryland at age 16. He is a 1998 graduate of Towson University with a major in mass communication.

Dan visits schools as a guest motivational speaker. He shows that with some determination, you can achieve anything you desire.

Dan married Dena Huggler in April 2009.

According to The Baltimore Sun, "King Gimp was the name neighbors gave him as a child because his house was on the top of a hill and he liked to roll down it in his wheelchair. A fighting spirit, he calls himself." He explained to a huge audience that "gimp" means fighting spirit to him, when he was featured in a Super Bowl ad for Cingular Wireless in 2001, See Advertising and disability.

Through school Keplinger participated in many Art Department shows. In addition, his work was shown all across Maryland sponsored by Very Special Arts. In 1993 he was the Very Special Arts featured artist in their show at the Eubie Blake Cultural Center in Baltimore City. Currently, he is exclusively represented by the Phyllis Kind Gallery in SOHO, New York.

Keplinger had his first solo show in May 2000. He has had work in several shows across the country including 2001-2002 eMotion Picture, An Exhibition of Orthopedics in Art. San Francisco, California Herbst International Exhibition Hall at the San Francisco Presidio, Washington, DC Millennium Arts Center, Chicago, Illinois Chicago Cultural Center, New York, NY United Nations, United Cerebral Palsy Great Expressions art show 2000 and 2001, Towson and MD Sheppard Pratt Conference Center. Keplinger's art features large canvases with bold colors and many are self-portraits.

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Wikipedia