03/09/2026
Announcing --- Charity Conlin-Jennings, PhD Named The Maya Handler Postdoctoral Fellow at cc-TDI Live Auction Proceeds Fund Pediatric Cancer Research in Honor of Maya Handler
Vinings Gallery marked its 25th Anniversary in August 2025 with a three-day celebration in historic Roswell, bringing together acclaimed artists, collectors, and friends in support of a meaningful cause.
The highlight of the weekend was a one-hour live “paint off” featuring Thomas Arvid, Alexei Butirskiy, Michael Flohr, and Steven Quartly. Spirited bidding during the event raised enough to fully fund The Maya Handler Fellow at the Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute (CC-TDI), a research position dedicated to advancing treatments for rare pediatric cancers.
In December 2025, Dr. Charles Keller, CEO of CC-TDI, announced the appointment of Charity Conlin-Jennings, PhD, as The Maya Handler Postdoctoral Fellow.
The fellowship honors Maya Handler, the late daughter of gallery owners Gary and Cindy Handler, whose courageous battle with pediatric cancer continues to inspire the gallery’s philanthropic mission. Dr. Keller attended the anniversary celebration to recognize Maya’s legacy and share the impact this fellowship will have on children’s cancer research.
“For childhood muscle cancer, the last national clinical trial with curative intent for relapsed patients ended in July 2013,” said Dr. Keller. “That twelve-year gap underscores the urgent need for new drug development. The Maya Handler Fellow will work in our lab, in partnership with a major pharmaceutical company, to develop a new class of drug—called a protein degrader—specifically for children, adolescents, and young adults facing the same challenges Maya did. For the Vinings Gallery community, art is the heart that makes hope tangible for families impacted by this disease.”
“Celebrating 25 years with so many friends, artists, and collectors was already a dream,” said Gary Handler. “To turn that joy into funding The Maya Handler Fellow makes the milestone even more meaningful. It’s a powerful reminder that art doesn’t just inspire—it can change lives. We look forward to following Dr. Conlin-Jennings’s important work.”
Photo Credits
first photo: Charles Keller MD, Scientific Director & Executive Director, CC-TDI (left) and Charity Conlin-Jennings PhD, The Maya Handler Postdoctoral Fellow hold “Maya’s Sunflower,” painted by Kevin Kehoe. The sunflower was Maya's favorite flower.
second photo: Group photo of Vinings Gallery owners Gary Handler, Denard Stalling, and Bill Handler with visiting artists including Thomas Arvid, Stephen Harlan, Michael Flohr, Alexei Butirskiy, Nicoletta Billetti, Tim Lotton, Simon Kenevan, and Chad Awalt, along with CC-TDI’s CEO, Dr. Charles Keller. The weekend-long celebration’s proceeds fully funded the Maya Handler Fellow, which through CC-TDI will support highly specific pediatric cancer research. Photograph, Catrina Maxwell.
