The 100 Cleft Portraits Tour, Presented by ACPA, Brings Healing, Representation, and Connection to Families Across America in 12 U.S. Cities

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., July 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness Month this July, an observance established through the advocacy of American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association (ACPA) members, the ACPA today announced the 100 Cleft Portraits Tour, a powerful national traveling art exhibition celebrating the strength, beauty, and lived experiences of people born with cleft lip and/or palate. Created by UK-based artist, advocate, and trauma-informed coach Katie Manning, the tour will visit 12 cities across the United States from July through August 2026, with national support from Children's Mercy Hospital-Kansas City, Smile Train, myFace, and the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

Featuring 100 stunning portraits of individuals affected by cleft — each accompanied by a deeply personal story — the tour challenges the way society sees and understands the cleft experience. Rather than presenting cleft through a clinical or medical lens, the portraits celebrate people as whole, complex, and beautiful human beings whose identities are shaped by far more than their diagnoses.

"I am incredibly proud that ACPA is presenting the 100 Cleft Portraits Tour to families across the United States this summer," said Adam Levy, Executive Director of the ACPA. "For more than 80 years, our organization has worked to improve outcomes for individuals with cleft and craniofacial conditions — and this tour is a powerful testament to the strength, beauty, and resilience of the community we serve."

The exhibition made its world debut in London in July 2025, where it was met with an overwhelming response from the cleft community. Now, in partnership with ACPA Approved cleft and craniofacial care teams across the country, the tour is bringing that same experience home to American families.

"This tour exists because people born with a cleft deserve to be seen in their wholeness and not as a before-and-after, a diagnosis, or through a purely medical lens," said Katie Manning, creator of the 100 Cleft Portraits Tour. "These hundred faces celebrate the beauty, strength and humanity of a whole community and I hope everyone who visits leaves feeling more connected, and more proud, carrying these faces with them."

The tour is anchored by three core pillars: visibility and representation, offering portraits that help people see themselves as whole humans rather than a "before/after"; education and awareness, fostering understanding within the cleft community and beyond; and connection, acknowledging that the cleft experience can create real trauma responses in the body, and that being truly seen matters.

"Smile Train is proud to be a sponsor of the 100 Cleft Portraits Tour and support the work of Katie Manning, a member of our Cleft Community Advisory Council, whose advocacy continues to elevate the voices and experiences of people born with clefts," said Adina Lescher, Vice President of Community Development, Smile Train. "This tour reflects our commitment to helping individuals thrive and fostering a world where everyone feels seen and valued."

"We're honored to play a part in bringing the 100 Cleft Portraits Tour to Kansas City this August," said Dr. Shao Jiang, Division Director of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Children's Mercy. "This event celebrates the dynamic range of human beauty and reinforces why patient-centered, multidisciplinary care is vital throughout every phase of life. As surgeons, we focus on restoring form and function not so much to delight the eye but to buoy the spirit, but this work goes far beyond that, shining a light on our role in empowering all children to reach their dreams."

"For 75 years, myFace's mission has been rooted in one powerful belief: that every person with a craniofacial difference deserves to be seen, supported, and celebrated for their full selves," said Bill Villafranco, Executive Director of myFace. "Sponsoring the national 100 Cleft Portraits Tour is deeply important to us, because this exhibition empowers individuals to see themselves represented as the fascinating, diverse, complex human beings they are."

Each tour stop will take place at or in partnership with an ACPA Approved Cleft and Craniofacial Team and will feature an exhibition of portraits, complemented by trauma-informed education sessions, creative workshops, and community conversations — creating a direct and inspiring connection between healthcare providers and the families they serve.

For more information, visit acpacares.org/100-cleft-portraits-tour.

• Philadelphia, PA — July 28–30
• Salt Lake City, UT — August 1–2
• Winston-Salem, NC — August 6–7
• Atlanta, GA — August 8
• Orlando, FL — August 11–12
• Grand Rapids, MI — August 13–14
• Indianapolis, IN — August 16
• Chicago, IL — August 18
• Madison, WI — August 20-21
• Kansas City, MO — August 23
• Houston, TX — August 26
• San Diego, CA — August 29

About ACPA ACPA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving care for individuals with cleft and craniofacial conditions. Since 1943, ACPA has advanced interdisciplinary, team-based care through education, research, advocacy, and clinical standards. Representing more than 30 disciplines in over 50 countries, ACPA is the global leader in craniofacial care. Learn more at acpacares.org.

About the 100 Cleft Portraits Tour The 100 Cleft Portraits Tour was created by Katie Manning, a UK-based artist, cleft advocate, and trauma-informed coach. Manning began the project in 2021, inspired by her experience as the mother of a child born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. The exhibition debuted in London in July 2025 before embarking on its first U.S. tour. Learn more at acpacares.org/100-cleft-portraits-tour and katiemanning.co.uk.

About Smile Train Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We advance a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children's lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. To learn more about how Smile Train's sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.org.

About Children's Mercy Founded in 1897, Children's Mercy is a nationally recognized, independent pediatric health system and a world leader in pediatric translational research committed to transforming the lives of children and families. With hospitals and specialty clinics across Missouri and Kansas, Children's Mercy delivers world-class, family-centered care closer to home. As a nonprofit organization, Children's Mercy reinvests every dollar donated into advancing pediatric medicine, supporting innovative research, and training the next generation of pediatric specialists. Visit Children's Mercy and the Children's Mercy Research Institute to learn more.

About myFace myFace is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals with facial differences and their families by providing access to coordinated care, education, resources and community. The world is stronger when every person - no matter how they look - is valued, respected, included and empowered to achieve their greatest potential. Learn more at www.myface.org.

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SOURCE American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association