Little Ava: Creating a Sculpture of Hope for the Appalachian Valley Autism Center

What began as a deeply personal family story became a sculpture intended to represent something much larger: hope, possibility, and the children and families served by the Appalachian Valley Autism Center.

The Story Behind the AVA Center

Pikeville Medical Center established the Appalachian Valley Autism Center to provide specialized therapy for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

The AVA Center provides multidisciplinary services including Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and feeding therapy.

Its mission centers on identifying children early and providing individualized services designed to help each child reach their potential.

Behind the institution, however, is the story of Ava herself.

In a June 2, 2026 letter supporting Statues, Inc. and Victoria Karpos, Donovan Blackburn explained that the sculpture was modeled after his granddaughter Ava when she was four years old. He also identified her as the first learner of the AVA Center.

From a Child's Story to Sculpture

The finished sculpture depicts Ava in a graduation cap and gown, her arms raised high in celebration.

The pose communicates immediately.

There is movement, joy, accomplishment and optimism.

Rather than presenting Ava in a formal or static pose, the sculpture captures a moment that feels triumphant — an image of a child looking forward.

The vivid blue graduation gown creates a strong visual focal point, while the warmer treatment of the face, hands and hair emphasizes the portrait and expression.

A Sculpture Children Could Connect With

One of the most meaningful measures of a sculpture's success can come after installation.

Statues.com's original project account describes the response surrounding the unveiling of Little Ava. Members of Blackburn's family had not known about the sculpture beforehand, while children at the center responded directly to the finished piece.

Children approached the sculpture, touched it and interacted with it.

Little Ava is not an abstract institutional symbol.

She is a recognizable child directly connected to the history and identity of the center.

A Beacon of Hope and Inspiration

Years later, Donovan Blackburn described the significance of the sculpture even more clearly.

That description may be the best measure of what this commission became.

Its significance goes beyond depicting the girl after whom the center was named.

It reflects what her story represents.

A joyful child in graduation clothing becomes an image of achievement, development and possibility.

The Importance of Understanding the Story Before Sculpting

Little Ava illustrates an important principle of custom portrait sculpture : a successful likeness alone is not enough.

Before sculpting begins, the creative team needs to understand why a person is being represented.

What should viewers feel?

What moment should be preserved?

What does the subject represent to the people who will encounter the finished work?

Those questions influence pose, expression, clothing, scale, finish and placement.

For Little Ava, a reserved portrait would have communicated a very different story.

The raised arms, graduation clothing and joyful expression turn the portrait into visual storytelling.

Part of a Long-Standing Creative Partnership

The Little Ava project was not the first collaboration between Donovan Blackburn and Statues, Inc.

Blackburn's 2026 letter describes a relationship that began while he served as City Manager of Pikeville with the commission of the Mayor William C. Hambley Statue in downtown Pikeville's City Park.

He also identifies the Governor Paul E. Patton Statue at the entrance of the University of Pikeville as another significant project developed through the relationship.

Repeat commissions are meaningful evidence in significant portrait and public sculpture.

Returning clients already understand the artistic, collaborative and logistical demands involved in bringing an important sculpture from concept to completion.

Blackburn also emphasized the team's ability to understand the emotional importance behind each project.

From One Little Girl to a Regional Mission

The AVA Center continued to grow after its original Pikeville location opened.

Pikeville Medical Center later announced an additional AVA Center campus in Prestonsburg.

PMC has described the Pikeville facility as a four-story, approximately 27,000-square-foot center designed with autism-sensitive attention to features including texture, acoustics and lighting.

Regional reporting has subsequently documented continued growth in the number of children served by the program.

That development adds another layer of meaning to Little Ava.

The little girl represented by the sculpture became associated with a regional mission much larger than any one child or family.

When Sculpture Becomes Part of a Place

There is a difference between creating a statue and creating a sculpture that truly belongs somewhere.

Little Ava belongs at the AVA Center because the story of the sculpture and the story of the institution are inseparable.

Visitors do not need an art-history explanation to understand the raised arms and graduation gown.

They see celebration.

They see a child.

They see possibility.

For families arriving at a center dedicated to helping children develop and thrive, those ideas carry particular meaning.