Table of Contents Foreward by the President About VSA arts Participating Young Artists Culminating Exhibit VSA arts Institute and Educational Programs A Guide to Disability Awareness Speaking with "People First" Language Communicating with Persons with Disabilities VSA arts Board of Directors Foreward Every child deserves an opportunity to experience the arts. The arts are a valuable tool that can open doors, incite dreams, and build bridges. When thinking about art, many students remember their first clay sculpture, music lesson, or poetry study. Yet the arts take on many different roles within the lives of children. The arts are, in many cases, a vehicle for learning basic educational skills and identifying abilities. VSA arts encourages students to pursue the arts in the classroom and at home. The power that is experienced when one creates can stretch any boundary and defy any limitation. Through the arts, we are able to identify talented children whose abilities may otherwise go unrecognized. During the fall of 2004, VSA arts launched a call for art asking children to "Discover What Art Is...." We sent participants on a quest to experience art, not only to identify working artists, but also to find art wherever it was and to experience it in a new way. The final exhibit featured in this catalogue takes the audience on a journey to discover the arts from a child's perspective. Through their creations, participants explore and share with us what they believe art is, artists that they have met, where they find it in their community, and why art is important. Children express how they see and experience the world around them - the buildings, the sounds, the words and the motion - through the visual arts. When we set out to "Discover What Art Is..." we found out that art is, most importantly, a place where disability is welcome. Soula Antoniou President, VSA arts About VSA arts Founded in 1974 as an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the participation of people with disabilities in the arts and society. VSA arts provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and tools they can use to support arts programming in their schools and communities; showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities; and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities. Five million people participate in VSA arts programs every year through a network of affiliates nationwide and in 60 countries worldwide. VSA arts is the creator of Start with the Arts(c), a comprehensive early childhood resource for classrooms that encourages the development of literacy and school readiness skills; Express Diversity!(c), a program of instructional materials for increasing disability awareness through the arts; and the VSA arts Institute, a professional development training for teachers, teaching artists, and arts administrators offering arts-based teaching strategies to include students with disabilities. VSA arts has also created a companion booklet to this exhibit that includes two collections of educational arts activities for use in the classroom or at home. The first four activities are based on VSA arts' resource Start with the Arts(c) and were highlighted at the Start with the Arts Family Festival. These are followed by a set of activities that were developed for VSA arts' call for children's art "Discover What Art Is...." To acquire your free copy, or learn more about the resources mentioned above, please contact us at 800-933-8721 or visit www.vsarts.org Participating Young Artists Chrysalis Faith Nowell, Alabama Aaron Craver, Alaska Briana Ferrara, Arizona Loey Goad, Arkansas Rachael Wilson, California Clinton Cortez, Colorado Laura McCaffery-Meyer, Connecticut Aya Kuzbari, District of Columbia Sarah McDowell, Delaware Martina Gigante, Florida Alex Fields, Georgia Ralph Eurich S. Patacsil, Guam April Alvarez, Hawaii Brooklynn Hathaway, Idaho Margaux Moyer, Illinois Josh Ward, Indiana Scott Skophammer, Iowa Zack Oswald, Kansas Aislinn Lindsey, Kentucky Jordan Snyder, Louisiana Travis Larrabee, Maine Kierra Morgan, Maryland Darota Wieczorek, Massachusetts Patrick Green, Michigan Krystyna Dennis, Minnesota Brandon Edwards, Mississippi Joseph Waner, Missouri Shandi Berry, Montana Anonymous, Nebraska Amber Pappas, Nevada Dylan Evans, New Hampshire Gabriella Gonzalez, New Jersey Ashley Dusseau, New Mexico Raymond Jones, New York Kathy Vannachith, North Carolina Sydney Schneider, North Dakota Jennifer Maeder, Ohio Heather Newby and Alyssa Torres, Oklahoma Hallee Martinez, Oregon Mariam Khan, Pakistan Megan Kaulius, Pennsylvania Jarred Amat, Rhode Island Mahar Shabana, Saudi Arabia Lee Pough, South Carolina Ashton Kulesa, South Dakota Kaitlin Flynn, Tennessee Julio Serra, Texas Sarah and Sam Weyrich, Utah Kristen Frehse, Vermont Eric Kirby, Virginia Sarah Spunaugle, Washington Pamela Sue Thompson, West Virginia Grace Keegan, Wisconsin Connor Demorest, Wyoming . Alabama "Art is important to me. I think about being inside of this picture. Birds can fly and sing pretty things all the time." Chrysalis Faith Nowell (Age 9) Daphne, Alabama "Art is... Birds in Nature" crayon and watercolor on paper (15" x 11"), 2004 Alaska "Art is the ability to convey your passions in your own language." Aaron Craver (Age 13) Eagle River, Alaska "Denali" acrylic (16" x 20"), 2005 Arizona "Art is animals in their natural habitat." Briana Ferrara (Age 12) Scottsdale, Arizona "Mallards at Home" watercolor, pencil, pastel (9" x 12"), 2005 Arkansas "Art is about showing others how we view ourselves." Loey Goad (Age 11) Newark, Arkansas "Loey" pastel (24" x 18"), 2005 California "Art is a reflection of my life." Rachael Wilson (Age 16) McKinleyville, California "Life" acrylic on canvas (30" x 18"), 2005 Colorado "Art is a colorful view of my life." Clinton Cortez (Age 12) Denver, Colorado "Me" pastel and marker (18" x 16"), 2005 Connecticut "Art is me. I express myself creatively by singing and dancing. I am unique." Laura McCaffery-Meyer (Age 17) East Hartford, Connecticut "Laura Doodles With Poodles" yarn, fabric, markers, and paint (12" x 18"), 2005 Delaware "Art is found in many forms. The items drawn represent me and my various artistic interests." Sarah McDowell (Age 18) Camden, Delaware "Me" color pencil, crayon, and marker (17" x 22"), 2005 District of Columbia "Art is making music with my paintbrush." Aya Kuzbari Washington, DC "Duet" acrylic on canvas (20" x 24"), 2005 Florida "Art is fun like dancing." Martina Gigante (Age 10) Miami, Florida "Martina The Dancer" oil pastel and watercolor (24" x 18"), 2005 Georgia "Art is a way to create feelings." Alex Fields (Age 17) Tybee Beach, Georgia "Joy" watercolor on paper (22" x 26"), 2004 Guam "Art is my way of sending a message to the whole world that they should stop cutting down the trees, and instead plant more trees to avoid tsunamis and floods." Ralph Eurich S. Patacsil (Age 9) Mangilau, Guam "Art Is..." oil pastel (12" x 18"), 2005 Hawaii "Art is a way to experiment. The project took a lot of time and I kept putting more and more of myself into it. It made me think about how important art is to me." April Alvarez (Age 18) Laie, Hawaii "Art is My Language" collage (20" x 20"), 2005 Idaho "Art is no laws, no limits and no boundaries to expressing my ideas." Brooklynn Hathaway (Age 11) Post Falls, Idaho "Dreaming in Art" color pencil (11" x 8"), 2005 Illinois "Art is finding beauty in all things. Leaves are not perfect but they are all beautiful." Margaux Moyer (Age 16) Rockford, Illinois "Art Is... Finding Beauty In All We See" mixed media (18" x 24"), 2005 Indiana "Art is learning from famous artists." Josh Ward (Age 20) Indianapolis, Indiana "Curtis Mayfield" clay (6" x 5" x 6"), 2005 Iowa "Art is a way to make me feel alive and allows me to leave my imprint on society. " Scott Skophammer (Age 13) Fort Dodge, Iowa "The Color of My Voice" mixed media (11" x 16"), 2005 Kansas "Art is a special kind of thing, when I make something pretty or something neat." Zack Oswald (Age 16) Yates Center, Kansas "I Know Ya 1" monoprint (18" x 15"), 2004 Kentucky "Art is color when you paint." Aislinn Lindsey (Age 12) Edgewood, Kentucky "Aislinn's Pretty Butterfly" tempera (18" x 24"), 2005 Louisiana Jordan's teacher wanted students to look for art and design in everyday objects. Jordan Snyder (Age 15) Houma, Louisiana "Tennis Shoe" color pencil (12" x 18"), 2004 Maine "Art is in everything we see and experience. Travis worked on a theme that he enjoys; his father is a volunteer fireman in town." Travis Larrabee (Age 10) Oxford, Maine "Untitled" crayon (15" x 20"), 2004 Maryland "Art is expressing a feeling and showing emotion." Kierra Morgan (Age 7) Annapolis, Maryland "Clown" tempera (28" x 22"), 2005 Massachusetts "Art is using different shapes and textures." Darota Wieczorek (Age 21 ) Worcester, Massachusetts "Picture/Music" mixed media (12" x 20"), 2005 Michigan "Art is what I like to do in my spare time. I love to paint pictures and take photographs with my digital camera." Patrick Green (Age 23) Mt. Morris, Michigan "A View of Higgins Lake on New Year's Eve Day 2004" digital color photography (8" x 10"), 2004 Minnesota "Art is what makes me unique." Krystyna Dennis (Age 14) Edina, Minnesota "A Kind, Nice, Loving, and Creative Girl" acrylic (11" x 8"), 2005 Mississippi "Art is a beautiful butterfly." Brandon Edwards (Age 10) Philadelphia, Mississippi "Mothra III" markers (18" x 12"), 2005 Missouri "Art is a way to depict how my interests, attention, and opinions change all the time due to Attention Deficit Disorder. This piece depicts the quick change from one idea to the next." Joseph Waner (Age 18) Columbia, Missouri "Robot Clergyman" computer generated (8.5" x 11"), 2005 Montana "Art is inspired by images that I have sketched and seeing Japanese graphic art, which is very colorful." Shandi Berry (Age 15) Bozeman, Montana "Reaching for the Universe" color pencil (25" x 19"), 2005 Nebraska "Art is my therapy." This piece was created while the young artist was a cancer/transplant patient at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Anonymous Omaha, Nebraska "Self-Portrait" oil on fabric (30" x 28"), 2004 Nevada "Art is learning new things. Amber does not like to touch things with texture. She did not touch the clay for two months. Amber traced her hand and made a 'moving hand' out of it." Amber Pappas (Age 16) Elko, Nevada "Amber's Hand" clay (6" x 4" x 1/4"), 2004 New Hampshire "Art is showing both the good and bad. One side of this mask is sweet and the other is tough, just like someone I know." Dylan Evans (Age 13) Jaffrey, New Hampshire "Two Face Expression" mixed media (8" x 5" x 4"), 2005 New Jersey "Art is something everyone can create to express themselves." Gabriella Gonzalez (Age 17) Howell, New Jersey "Untitled" acrylic (16" x 20"), 2005 New Mexico "Art is about capturing the moment." Ashley Dusseau (Age 16) Albuquerque, New Mexico "Wild Horse" black and white photograph (8" x 10"), 2005 New York "Art is the waterlilies of Claude Monet." Raymond Jones (Age 10) Queens, New York "Waterlilies" acrylic (10" x 16"), 2005 North Carolina "Art is a way for me to speak without words, reach out without arms, and be myself without being afraid. In my eyes, art is not only a method of self-expression but it is of historical significance. It shows me the rich diversity of the world and the many untold stories hidden behind various shades of hues, lines, shapes, and media." Kathy Vannachith (Age 17) Greensboro, North Carolina "Inner Me" watercolor, pastels, crayon (26" x 20"), 2005 North Dakota "Art is finding objects and making them into something new and beautiful." Sydney Schneider (Age 5) Bismarck, North Dakota "Fossil Tile" plaster (4" x 4" x 1"), 2005 Ohio "Art is a way to remember something beautiful." Jennifer Maeder (Age 19) Parma, Ohio "Beautiful Flowers" tissue paper, tempera, oil paint (28" x 22"), 2005 Oklahoma "Art is for all." Heather Newby and Alyssa Torres (Age 7) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma "Untitled" tempera (14" x 25"), 2005 Oregon "Art is a visionary picture in my brain. It expresses ideas. I use my imagination and draw whatever comes to mind." Hallee Martinez (Age 19) Ontario, Oregon "Self-Portrait" oil pastel (22" x 17"), 2005 Pakistan "Art is seeing the world from your own perspective." Mariam Khan (Age 14) Karachi, Pakistan "Third Eye Vision" oil on canvas (19" x 25"), 2005 Pennsylvania "Art is anything you want it to be. Humans are amazing and can do anything they set their mind to." Megan Kaulius (Age 14) McDonald, Pennsylvania "Art Is Anything You Want It To Be" paper pulp, plaster, paint, tissue paper, cardboard (11" x 16" x 6"), 2005 Rhode Island "Art is responding to nature through the influence of writing." Jarred Amat (Age 11) Warwick, Rhode Island "Snake" mixed media (24" x 18"), 2005 Saudi Arabia "Art is everything - all of the tools I use to create art." Mahar Shabana (Age 12) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia "Art is Everything" mixed media (13" x 18" x 18"), 2005 South Carolina "Art is an expression of the exploration of Self. Art is a form of communication between the Self and Society." Lee Pough (Age 17) Orangeburg, South Carolina "Self-Portrait" pencil on paper (24" x 20"), 2005 South Dakota "Art is hard, singular, inconsistent, chaos, ugly, relative, selfish, intense, insensitive, order, beautiful, medicine, random, life, torture, romantic, generous, death, dead, omnipotent, belligerent, forever, fast, zealous, contained, silent, cruel, light, tired, love, cold, delicious, dreary, fleeting, wrong, glamour, white, old, young, dirty, wonderful, angry, flammable, dark, soft, yearning, color, desperate, escape, this, hate, me, disenfranchised, soulful, satire, always, you, delirious, murder, independent, bad, cursed, language, black, advanced, entropy, hunger, ancient, sick, intelligent, worthy, raw, apathy, warm, clean, ridiculous, guilty, lethal, it, need, terrible, gray, sordid, drab, sustenance." Ashton Kulesa (Age 18) Aberdeen, South Dakota "I Haven't Even Started..." acrylic, watercolor, india ink (20" x 7"), 2004 Tennessee "Art is the expression of feelings, even when they become distorted." Kaitlin Flynn (Age 10) Castalian Springs, Tennessee "Distorted" acrylic and marker (16" x 12"), 2005 Texas "Art is inspired by life and is a way to release stress." Julio Serra (Age 14) Houston, Texas "Broken Picture" color pencil (19" x 15"), 2005 Utah "Art is influenced by piano lessons and dance." Sarah and Sam Weyrich (Age 6 and 4) Salt Lake City, Utah "Sir Cabot" acrylic and collage (24" x 24"), 2005 Vermont "Art is about using fun colors and my imagination." Kristen Frehse (Age 8) Eden, Vermont "Face in a Bottle" markers (14" x 11"), 2005 Virginia "Art is being able to express yourself without being wrong and having no help." Eric Kirby (Age 13) Check, Virginia "Art Making Art" polymer clay (6" x 3" x 4"), 2005 Washington "Art is learning alternative techniques and following complex steps to complete a portrait." Sarah Spunaugle (Age 16) Vaughn, Washington "Untitled" batik (35" x 22"), 2004 West Virgina "Art is learning from history." Pamela Sue Thompson (Age 15) Montrose, West Virginia "The Egyptian" color pencil (22" x 17"), 2005 Wisconsin "Art is a way to relax and express feelings." Grace Keegan (Age 10) Deforest, Wisconsin "How I See Art" paint, colored paper, copper foil (12" x 18"), 2005 Wyoming "Art is my favorite school activity." Connor Demorest (Age 6) Casper, Wyoming "Untitled" watercolor (9" x 12"), 2005 VSA arts Institute The VSA arts Institute is a four-day intensive professional development forum facilitated by top arts in education leaders and designed for educators, teaching artists, arts administrators, and education administrators. The goal of the VSA arts Institute is to enhance the ability of practitioners to integrate the arts in education to address the needs of people with disabilities. The VSA arts Institute offers hands-on, arts-infused learning experiences and provides opportunities for attendees to dialogue and to reflect upon their learning. As part of its unique learning environment, VSA arts designed a series of core sessions to be complemented and expounded upon in workshops, and finally, to be talked over and reflected upon in small, interactive study groups. The VSA arts Institute explores five key elements in arts, learning, and disabilities: inclusive practice and universal design for learning, developmentally appropriate practices, multiple intelligences and learning styles, links to academic standards, and ongoing assessment and evaluation. VSA arts Educational Programs VSA arts is designated by the United States Congress as the coordinating organization for arts programming for children and youth with disabilities. The educational programs of VSA arts use arts-based learning and teaching strategies designed to promote optimal learning experiences in a fully inclusive environment. VSA arts works to ensure that all students, including students with disabilities and special needs, receive equal and adequate opportunity for involvement and instruction in the arts as part of a basic education. The arts are a proven way to include children of all abilities in classroom activities and to promote academic success. Specifically, recent studies show that participation in the arts enhances critical thinking and problem solving skills. The arts also provide people with the means to improve communication and interpersonal skills, and participation in artistic endeavors promotes teamwork, mutual respect, and understanding. VSA arts and its affiliates are working at the national, local, and international levels to provide educators, parents, and professional artists with resources and tools they can use to support arts-based programming in their communities. Start With The Arts Start with the Arts(c) is an early childhood educational program (ages 3-7) which uses arts-based learning to support literacy and to facilitate full inclusion for pre-school age children with disabilities. Fifty-four lessons offer theme-based activities drawing from the visual arts, drama, dance and movement, music, and literature. Adaptations described for each lesson ensure that every child will participate fully regardless of his or her particular abilities or learning style. Start with the Arts(c) learning experiences bridge the child's school and home lives by emphasizing activities that the child can do with his or her family. The Start with the Arts(c) instructional materials have been translated into Spanish making them a highly effective tool for advancing arts-based, inclusive early childhood learning in diverse settings. Express Diversity! Express Diversity! provides elementary and secondary teachers and other interested organizations or service providers with a resource for teaching disability awareness through the arts. The resource guide is comprised of arts-based activities related to the following disability topics: ¥ Introduction to Disability ¥ People First ¥ Communities for Everyone ¥ Important Contributions ¥ Inventions for Independent Living These topics are organized into five modules that include lesson plans with extension activities, parent's pages, a glossary of relevant terms, and stories about people with disabilities. Teachers, students, and families are using this tool to conduct an exploration of disability while promoting inclusion, fostering communication skills, and enhancing personal growth. Multi-Arts Resource Guide The Multi Arts Resource Guide is the essential tool for special and general education teachers for bringing together students of diverse backgrounds by using the arts as a vehicle for learning and supporting basic curriculum. The lessons in the guide provide an avenue for building inclusive school environments for preschool through middle school and high school students with special needs. VSA arts conducts comprehensive training programs designed for teachers, trainers, and parents which fully explore the hands on visual and performing arts activities featured in the Guide. The Guide is designed to specifically meet education goals and objectives which include literacy and basic language development, self expression, self esteem, trust, mutual respect, appreciation, diversity, decision making, and inclusion. Artist-in-Residence Artist-in-Residence programs are the longest standing means by which the cultural community is linked to formal education. However, increasing educational accountability and performance demands are pushing the work of artists to the margins of education. To address these accountability needs, VSA arts is developing a model for training artists to effectively align their work with state and local educational goals and standards, and to improve inclusive teaching skills to engage students with disabilities and special needs. These programs also serve as effective means to engage the arts in lifelong learning. Through a variety of Artist-in-Residence programs, artists work in the context of community arts centers and health care centers to provide individuals with and without disabilities the opportunity to engage in arts activities that expose them to positive and creative outlets for self-expresion and communications with others. A Guide to Disability Awareness Following are two excerpts from Access and Opportunities: A Guide to Disability Awareness, a publication written and distributed by VSA arts in Washington, D.C. Affirmative Phrase Person with a disability Person who is blind; person with a visual impairment Person who is deaf; person with a hearing impairment Person with a mental illness Person with mental retardation Person who uses a wheelchair Person with a physical disability; person with a mobility impairment Negative Phrase The disabled; handicapped; crippled; suffers from a disability The blind The deaf; deaf and dumb; suffers a hearing loss Crazy; psycho; lunatic Retarded; mentally defective Confined or restricted to a wheelchair; wheelchair bound Cripple; lame; handicapped; deformed Speaking with Awareness "People-First" Language Language shapes the way those around us speak and act toward one another and conveys the respect we have for others. The use of appropriate language about people with disabilities can be an important tool in building a community that accepts all people. Appropriate language is both sensitive and accurate. VSA arts promotes the use of "people-first" language - language that puts the focus on the individual, rather than on a disability. People-first language helps us remember that people are unique individuals and that their abilities or disabilities are only part of who they are. Suggestions to Improve Access and Positive Interactions Avoid euphemisms such as "physically challenged," "differently abled," or "handi-capable." Many disability groups object to these phrases because they are considered condescending and reinforce the idea that disabilities cannot be spoken of in an upfront and direct manner. Do not sensationalize a disability by using terms such as "afflicted with," "suffers from," or "crippled with." These expressions are considered offensive and inaccurate to people with disabilities. When referring to people who use wheelchairs, avoid terms such as "wheelchair bound" or "confined to a wheelchair." Wheelchairs do not confine people with disabilities - they provide freedom of movement to assist them in traveling throughout the community. When writing or speaking about people with disabilities, emphasize abilities rather than limitations, focusing on a person's accomplishments, creative talents, or skills. This does not mean avoiding mention of a person's disability, but doing so in a respectful manner and only when relevant to the situation. Ten Commandments of Etiquette for Communicating with Persons with Disabilities I When talking with a person with a disability, speak directly to that person rather than through a companion or sign language interpreter. II When introduced to a person with a dis-ability, it is appropriate to offer to shake hands. People with limited hand use or who wear an artificial limb can usually shake hands. (Shaking hands with the left hand is an acceptable greeting.) III When meeting a person with a visual impairment, always identify yourself and others who may be with you. When con-versing in a group, remember to identify the person to whom you are speaking. IV If you offer assistance, wait until the offer is accepted. Then listen to or ask for instruc-tions. V Treat adults as adults. Address people who have disabilities by their first names only when extending the same familiarity to all others. (Never patronize people who use wheelchairs by patting them on the head or shoulder.) VI Leaning or hanging on a person's wheel-chair is similar to leaning or hanging on a person and is generally considered annoy-ing. The chair is part of the personal body space of the person who uses it. VII Listen attentively when you're talking with a person who has difficulty speaking. Be patient and wait for the person to finish, rather than correcting or speaking for the person. If necessary, ask short questions that require short answers, a nod, or a shake of the head. Never pretend to under-stand if you are having difficulty doing so. Instead, repeat what you have understood and allow the person to respond. The response will clue in and guide your under-standing. VIII When speaking with a person in a wheel-chair or a person who uses crutches, place yourself at eye level in front of the person to facilitate the conversation. IX To get the attention of a person who is hearing impaired, tap the person on the shoulder or wave your hand. Look directly at the person and speak clearly, slowly, and expressively to determine if the person can read your lips. Not all people with a hearing impairment can lip-read. For those that do not lip-read, be sensitive to their needs by placing yourself so that you face the light source and keep hands, cigarettes, and food away from your mouth while speak-ing. X Relax. Don't be embarrassed if you hap-pen to use accepted, common expres-sions such as "See you later." or "Did you hear about that?" that seem to relate to a person's disability. The material above is printed with permission from: The Office of Disability Employment Policy (formerly The President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities); Guidelines to Reporting and Writing About People with Disabilities, produced by the Media Project, Research and Training Center on Independent Living, 4089 Dole, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045; and Ten Commandments of Etiquette for Communicating with People with Disabilities, National Center for Access Unlimited, 155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 315, Chicago, IL 60606 VSA arts Board of Directors Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, Founder Michael Magee, M.D., Chair Soula Antoniou, President Charles C. Bergman The Pollock-Krasner Foundation Henry B. Betts, M.D. Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Margaret Bush Performing Artist Rick Dobbis Advocate Eugene Freedman ENESCO Worldwide Giftware Group Maha Al Juffali Ghandour Help Center, Saudi Arabia Ruth L. Greenstein Institute for Defense Analyses Celia Hughes Chair, Affiliate Advisory Council VSA arts of Texas Christine Nicolaides Kearns Shaw Pittman Stephen M. LaMastra Ritz Camera Center, Inc. Lucy Lehman Miscelanea Marlee Matlin Actor Charles J. O'Byrne, Esq. Attorney Charles A. Phillips Chairman, Emeritus Amy Seigenthaler Pierce The Rasky/Baerlein Group Peter J. Schlicksup PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Randy Souders Souders Fine Art, Inc. Deborah Stuart Advocate Laureen Summers American Association for the Advancement of Science Sue Ann Thompson Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation Former First Lady of Wisconsin Kathinka Tunney Advocate Robert Washington Advocate VSA arts Board of Advisors Munira Khalid Al-Mutawa Kuwait Society for the Handicapped Walter Anderson Parade Magazine John Brademas New York University Tom Brokaw NBC Nightly News Jose Barroso Chavez Mexican Red Cross Henk J. Hergarden VSA arts of Europe John Hockenberry NBC Dateline Jack Hofsiss Ironwing Productions, Inc. Joel Katz Greenberg Traurig John D. Kemp Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville PC Christopher G. Kennedy Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. Edward M. Kennedy, Jr. Advocate Earl T. Leonard The Coca-Cola Company William F. McSweeny Kennedy Center Trustee Rodrigo Carazo Odio Former President, Costa Rica Itzhak Perlman Artist Howie Seago Shared Reading Video Outreach Project Patricia A. Stern Advocate Hiro Yamagata Artist Fred Zollo Zollo Productions, Inc. Alternative formats of this publication are available upon requestAlternative formats of this publication are available upon request VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith. VSA arts is creating a society where people with disabilities can learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. Five million people participate in VSA arts programs every year through a network of affiliates nationwide and in 60 countries worldwide. VSA arts818 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 600Washington, D.C. 20006Tel 202.628.2800 ¥ TTY 202.737.0645 ¥ Fax 202.737.0725http://www.vsarts.org/ Guiding Principles:¥ Every young person with a disability deserves access to appropriate arts learning experiences.¥ All artists in schools and art educators should be appropriately prepared to include students with disabilities in their instruction.¥ All children, youth, and adults with disabilities should have complete access to community cultural facilities and activities.¥ All individuals with disabilities who aspire to careers in the arts should have the opportunity to develop appropriate skills.