VSA arts Honors Students' Artwork at Congressional Reception
WASHINGTON, June 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- VSA arts will host a congressional reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on June 6 on Capitol Hill honoring 13 students with disabilities for their artwork. The students participated in ArtLink, an international cultural art exchange program. Their work is part of the "CultureScope: Focusing in on My Life" exhibition on display at Union Station from June 5-24.
ArtLink paired 51 U.S. classrooms with a classroom in another country last November. Students of all levels of ability aged 7-14 created visual artwork and exchanged it with their partner classroom. One piece of artwork by a student in each classroom was selected to join the exhibition at the festival.
"The Capitol Hill reception honors the student's achievements and artistic talents in front of our nation's leaders," said Soula Antoniou, president of VSA arts. "The ArtLink program takes place in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, using art as an important educational tool to promote diversity and cross-cultural learning."
The thirteen students who will be in attendance at the reception are: Seng Keng Moua from Anchorage, Alaska; Robert Bernal from Sacramento, Calif.; Queen Hudgins from the District of Columbia; Catie Updyke from Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.; Kim Squires from Kansas City, Kan.; Curtis Schaefer from Clio, Mich.; Alexis Baham from Puckett, Miss.; Dylan Gray from Aberdeen, N.J.; Luke Montemarano from Westerville, Ohio; Erin White from Pawtucket, R.I.; Jose Antonio Prado from Salt Lake City, Utah; Matthew Cartner from Brattleboro, Vt.; and Gabrielle Reimann from Casper, Wyo.
The "CultureScope" exhibition includes artwork from students from Albania, Argentina, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Estonia, Ghana, Kenya, Kuwait, Malta, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, St. Lucia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Zimbabwe. Representatives from the embassies of several of the participating countries will also be in attendance at the reception.
VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where people with disabilities learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. VSA arts provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and the tools to support arts programming in schools and communities. VSA arts showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities. Each year millions of people participate in VSA arts programs through a nationwide network of affiliates and in more than 60 countries around the world. VSA arts is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information visit [Link].
