The Center for Disease Control publishes this magazine. Information about it and the mask is below.

Volume 20, Number 5—May 2014

About the Cover

Courage Unmasked

Sharon Bloom 

Author affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia,

Radiation treatment for head and neck cancer involves the use of custom-molded plastic mesh masks placed over the head and shoulders to immobilize the patient and facilitate the stereotactic positioning of radiation beams. This month’s cover art was selected from the “Courage Unmasked” project, which was founded by Cookie Kerxton, a head and neck cancer survivor and artist, who during one such treatment session envisioned the use of art to both raise awareness of and support fellow patients in need. After the discarded masks have been transformed into works of art, they are exhibited and auctioned off.

Fiber artist B.J. Adams was one of more than 100 artists invited to create art from used radiation masks with materials of their choice. Inspired by Italian artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527–1593), who created portraits by using objects, such as flowers, vegetables, and fruit, Adams chose brightly colored artificial flowers and insects to create a spring-like mask to symbolize rebirth and rejuvenation. Adams was born in California and studied fine art; she has been working in mixed media for ≈60 years and lives in Washington, DC.

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As was stated my inspiration for covering this mask came from Arcimboldo.

I have long admired the imagination and creative thinking that went into these wonderful portrait paintings. 

It was quite a surprise to have my flowery mask chosen for the cover to represent the many really unusual masks created by so many artists

who took part in this continuing project.