"Transformation” Debuts at the Kennedy Center June 5

May 30, 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 30, 2006 – VSA arts announced 23 artists whose work has been selected for "Transformation," an international juried exhibition by artists with disabilities, which will debut at the Terrace Gallery of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on June 5. The exhibition will be open 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. daily through June 29.

"Transformation" invites visitors to reflect on the influence of change. The exhibition includes 75 works of art that illustrate personal experience with disability, learning, and self-discovery. Artists reflect on a pivotal moment or event in life that led them to a greater understanding of themselves in relation to their art. Featured work includes sculpture, installation, portraiture, and photography. The exhibition also features a large outdoor steel sculpture by renowned artist Mark di Suvero on the grounds of the Kennedy Center.

"This exhibition creates a bridge between the artists and viewers to explore life from the perspective of disability," said Soula Antoniou, president of VSA arts. "The artwork displayed represents the important contribution that artists with disabilities make to our culture and lives."

The exhibiting artists are:

Clovis Blackwell – Thousand Oaks, California
Gregory Burns – Singapore, Singapore
Candice Bustillos – Brooklyn, New York
Henry Coupe – Utica, New York
D. Cameron Cundiff – Cambridge, Massachusetts
Kelvin Adair Free – Winnipeg, Canada
Sabine Gruhn – London, United Kingdom
Gary Hickerson – Jersey City, New Jersey
Peter Hughes – Brisbane, Australia
Lihua Lei – Solon, Maine
Scott Ligon – Fredericksburg, Virginia
Eric McGehearty – Lewisville, Texas
Noelle Nevolo – Brighton, Massachusetts
Kathy Pieper – New York, New York
Marilena Pilla – Bonate Sopra, Italy
Vojko Rizvanovic – Salt Lake City, Utah
Diane Savino – Hatfield, Massachusetts
Gabrielle Kilian Sims – Ontario, Canada
Ken Smith – Riverside, Washington
Taga Tazezo – Tel Aviv, Israel
Kurt Weston – Huntington Beach, California
Jon Wos – Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Anthony J. Zaremba – Whiting, New Jersey

The distinguished jury panel included: Amy Horschak, educator in the Department of Education at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, curator for "Three Generations of Abstract Painting," at the Hunter College Art Gallery in New York, and co-curator of the 2006 Dakar Biennial in Dakar, Senegal; Stacey Schmidt, independent curator, most recently the associate curator of contemporary art at the Corcoran

Gallery of Art, coordinated major traveling exhibitions and composed "Hard Pressed: 600 Years of Prints and Process," and the independent exhibition "Roy Lichtenstein: Mirrors and Reflections"; Roman Terleckyj, vice president for artistic planning at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, oversees over 2,000 performances and exhibits each season, serves as a producer, artistic and stage director for popular entertainment and crossover artists; and Jeannine Chartier, executive director of VSA arts of Rhode Island and artist, visual works incorporates both digital technology and mixed media fabrication, referencing images of personal and political identity, serves as an advisory board member of Project New Directions at RISD and on Governor Almond’s Literacy in the Arts Task Force.

The jury reviewed over 300 submissions from artists with disabilities ages 22 and over.

Visit www.vsarts.org for more information on "Transformation."

VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where all 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.

Media Contact

Marcia Rhodes/VSA arts, (202) 628-2800, ext. 3883, marciar@vsarts.org