NAEAnews. “SPECIAL NEEDS,” October, 2004, Vol. 46(5),P.16 - VSAarts Festival & Institute in D.C., Barbara Suplee, guest columnist.

Barbara Suplee, past-president of the Special Needs Issues Group, attended the 2004 VSAarts Conference and Festival in Washington, DC and describes it for us in this column.

VSA arts celebrated its 30th anniversary at the 2004 International VSAarts C onference and Festival in Washington , D.C. , June 9-12. Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, sister of President John F. Kennedy, founded VSA arts in 1974 to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to express themselves creatively. Why? In her words, "The arts are fundamental to our humanity, and each one of us has the right to full artistic access."

What began as one woman's visionary venture three decades ago has grown into an international organization with a network of affiliates in all 50 states and 60 countries across the globe. VSA arts provides opportunities for five million children and adults with disabilities "to learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts" each year.

VSA arts ' 4th International Festival showcased special artists' creative work in the visual, performing, literary, and media arts in venues across the nation's capital city. Exhibits, activities, and performances were held at the Hilton Washington Hotel, Farragut Square, Union Station, City Museum of Washington, DC, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Georgetown Waterfront Park, Smithsonian Institution Castle, National Museum of Heath and Medicine, The Harold and Sylvia Greenberg Theater, Gallaudet University, WVSA School for Arts in Learning, National Press Club, H Street Playhouse, and the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Opening ceremonies were held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and those in attendance enjoyed moving and inspiring performances by Ben Vereen, Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan, Laura Dodd, RUST with Mikko Herranen, the Wild Zappers, The Matt Savage Trio, Imagination Stage, among others. To witness these performers required a ticket, whereas other festival venues such as Union Station captured the casual passersby.

Union Station was the site for the Festival Mural, adult and children's art activities, live performances, studio demonstrations, Panasonic's Odyssey Stage, and roaming Informance Artists. It was also the location of an international art exhibition of 138 artists' work that included ceramics, computer art, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. “Powerful” and “magnetic” are words that best describe the exhibit, often so crowed with people that it was difficult to find a quiet space to contemplate the ideas and emotions on display. Interestingly, many viewers expressed amazement that people with disabilities like autism, bi-polar disorder, cerebral palsy, retinal detachment, multiple sclerosis, paralysis, schizophrenia, and Down syndrome could create such beautiful and moving art. What better reason to have such exhibitions or events–to focus on what individuals with disabilities can do and accomplish… rather than what they cannot do?

The VSA arts in Education Conference also featured an International Research Symposium, an International Summit on Cultural Access, and sessions that included hands-on workshops, panels, and roundtable discussions. Arnold Aprill and Bree Walker Lampley were conference keynote speakers. Aprill, a theater artist and Executive Director, Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE), is the co-author, with Richard Deasy and Craig Dreeszen, of Learning Partnerships: Improving Learning in Schools With Arts Partners in the Community . He is an editor, with Gail Burnaford and Cynthia Weiss, of Renaissance in the Classroom: Arts Integration and Meaningful Learning . According to Aprill, "The arts are a powerful force for effecting equity in education. They have the power to transform students' lives and education in general." But, he maintains, “we as educators need to know what works to achieve this and share that knowledge with others. We must become researchers, document what we are doing, and share our findings with the educational community-at-large.” To facilitate that, VSA arts has created the Living Research International Database.

The Living Research International Database will be more than a warehouse of information. It will be dynamic and interactive, a place to submit research related to arts, education, and disabilities and have it reviewed. This is an exciting initiative, one that calls for something comparable in Art Education! Further, it lends credence to our interfacing with organizations like VSA arts , to collaborate with and to share and disseminate research that supports the value of arts in education for all students, with or without disabilities. There is strength in numbers when individuals work together towards a common cause.

And, if you ever have an opportunity to attend a VSA arts Conference and Festival or VSA arts Institute, do so. It will be time well spent. What you will learn about inclusive practice–with respect to multiple intelligences, learning styles, linking to standards, developmentally appropriate practice, ongoing assessment and evaluation–can enhance your teaching and the educational environment.

 (Information about VSA arts and the Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) can be found on www.vsarts.org and www.capeweb.org).

Check our site, too <www.southernct.edu/~gerber/SEDarts/>.