When a group of surfers with disabilities took to the water off the beach at Wildwood, N.J., for the annual “They Will Surf Again” program on Father’s Day, one of the surfboards they rode to shore was more than just a surfboard—it was an authentic work of art influenced by none other than the French impressionist Claude Monet. And the creative spirits who painstakingly painted the Monet-inspired water lilies that decorated the board from nose to tail were none other than the members of the art therapy program at MossRehab—with support from longtime associates at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

So the question is: Why Monet? Well, first, there is the clear association with water. But there’s something more.

“Our theme all year has been telling stories through portraits,” says Marya Camilleri, MA, art therapist and Art Therapy Community Partnership Coordinator at MossRehab. “We’ve been focusing on stories of people who have had interesting or adventurous experiences—either the artists or the subjects of their artwork.”

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Breezy weather. Water temperatures in the comfortable high 60s. And thanks to Mother Nature, an endless supply of perfect, frothy waves.

If you were a surfer on Sunday in Wildwood Crest, N.J., it was hard to imagine a more flawless day.

On the beach at the foot of Rambler Road, more than 60 people who might not get many chances to surf had an opportunity to do just that, thanks to a MossRehab-sponsored program called They Will Surf Again, the flagship program of Life Rolls On, a nonprofit that serves as a resource and advocates for people whose lives have been affected by spinal cord injury.

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