LOWVELO is for everyone: Hollings researcher and artist finds creative way to fundraise
Jennifer Wilson | May 23, 2025
LOWVELO’s main event is a bike ride, so when non-riders first hear about it, they usually respond with some version of “Oh, I don’t ride, so I can’t participate.”
But LOWVELO is actually so much more than a one-day ride. It is a year-round fundraising movement that brings individuals, communities and organizations together to raise awareness and resources for lifesaving cancer research – and all of the participant-raised dollars stay in South Carolina, funding research at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.
The ways to get involved are limitless, and Hollings researcher Nancy Klauber DeMore, M.D., is the perfect example of how anyone can join LOWVELO. Her art collection, “Blooming Expressions: A Dance of Color” is currently being featured at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery, and she is donating a portion of all sales during the month of May to LOWVELO.
DeMore is a board-certified surgical oncologist with extensive research experience in developing new therapies for breast cancer that have led to clinical advances in patient care, particularly for those with metastatic disease.
In 2023, she had to stop operating due to neck issues caused by the strain of positioning during surgeries. She suddenly found herself with free time she hadn’t had since before her medical career began and immediately immersed herself in the world of art, which she feels was a natural transition.
“Surgery is kind of an amalgamation of art and science, and so it was something that was already a huge part of me. I had to stop operating immediately, so I needed to find some other kind of creative outlet. And plus, I had a lot more time, right?” said DeMore.
Strolling down King Street during her newfound hours of leisure, she would wander through various galleries to look at paintings, and quickly became inspired to create her own art.
“I had such an emotional response, like some of the paintings would take my breath away, and that’s really what inspired me,” shared DeMore.
Her next step was to look for a teacher. She found Silvia Belviso Blair and Dru Blair at the Blair Center for the Arts and began regular classes, which she still attends. She easily fell in love with painting.
“When I love something, I take it on with a passion. It was kind of therapeutic getting through the transition of not operating, which was a huge part of me, a huge part of my identity,” said DeMore.
Her work is characterized by a vivid interplay of nature and abstract portraits, brought to life with dynamic, bright colors. In her art, DeMore strives to evoke emotion and uplift viewers, choosing subject matter that resonates with her both emotionally and personally.
Her current exhibition is a series of paintings that showcase her distinctive style, merging abstract and realism with bold colors and reflecting her deep connection to nature and her desire to bring joy and introspection to her audience.
With over two decades of experience as a breast cancer surgeon, she found that the techniques that were critical in her former career, like precision, keen observational skills and exceptional hand-eye coordination, were also beneficial when creating art.
“I think that a lot of surgeons or dentists, when they retire, do take to art, because some of the skills that you learn in one profession blend easily into the other,” said DeMore.
Although her surgical days are in the past, DeMore still conducts research at Hollings, and has been involved with LOWVELO since the first event in 2019. While physical restrictions keep her from riding a bike or joining a spin class, she is a proud “Home Team” participant, which allows registrants to complete any type of activity, any time and at any place, to raise funds for cancer research.
Her research is focused on tumor angiogenesis, which is the growth of new capillary blood vessels that provide tumors with oxygen and nutrients. Her lab focuses on discovering novel
factors that stimulate this growth to develop a new drug to block it and therefore inhibit tumor growth. She has also been a recipient of LOWVELO funding and said it has made a huge impact. One hundred percent of the funds raised by LOWVELO participants go directly to cancer research at Hollings.
“I have been blessed to be a recipient of research funds from LOWVELO, and they have been very crucial in generating data that has helped me to subsequently get other grants to further my research,” said DeMore.
Both of DeMore’s passions in life, science and art, create positive impacts for countless other people. Whether she’s pioneering novel research that could save the lives of future patients or mixing vibrant colors to create new worlds on canvas, joy is the ultimate goal.
“I like to paint things that show power and self-worth. I like my paintings to have an emotional response. That, to me, would be success – to create a positive emotional response. I want to give people that feeling of joy.”
To view and purchase pieces from Dr. DeMore’s collection, visit the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery, located at 160 East Bay Street, Charleston, SC. The gallery is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about her work, visit: lowcountryartinspire.etsy.com
