A social woman by nature, Lois found the confinement and lack of interaction frustrating and aggravating. She began chain-smoking cigarettes as a way to comfort herself and have something to do, since she was not provided with ways to pursue her talent of painting.  Lois would periodically pick up the phone and call Sue Jamieson at Atlanta Legal Aid, always asking the same question: "When can I get out of here?"

After being released for the last time from an institution, Lois decided to devote her time to art. Her work has been displayed in many different venues, the most prestigious being the White House, where she visited in 2011 to meet President Barack Obama and his family. In 2007, Lois received the Harriet Tubman Act of Courage Award for her incredible triumph over a system that did not think she was worth fighting for, and proving that having a disability did not define her.

Thanks to Tom Olin for sharing the portrait of Lois Curtis.