VSA arts Displays Connecticut Artists’ Work at 16th Annual Outsider Art Fair

January 22, 2008

WASHINGTON, January 22, 2008 - VSA arts announced today that the work of two of its artists -- Kerri Quirk of Willimantic, Conn., and Christopher Platt of Watertown, Conn. -- will be shown at Bodell/Fahey Gallery Booth # 23 at the 16th Annual Outsider Art Fair in the Puck Building in the SOHO section of downtown Manhattan from Jan. 25-27. Developed to showcase the abilities of artists without formal art training, the Outsider Art Fair has become an “Establishment” in the New York art scene, according to the New York Times.

Quirk and Platt are both members of VSA arts’ Artists Registry, which consists of more than 1,000 visual, performing, and literary artists with disabilities. The registry promotes members and connects artists to online visitors, including researchers, publishers, collectors, exhibitors, and arts administrators. The Bodell/Fahey Gallery in New York’s East Village has launched many emerging artists’ careers and works with underrepresented artists, including artists with disabilities.

“The Artists Registry is a valuable marketing tool that connects artists with disabilities with career opportunities,” said Soula Antoniou, president of VSA arts. “We’re very proud that Bodell/Fahey chose to display Kerri’s and Christopher’s work at their booth in the Outsider Art Fair. Kerri’s bright, patterned use of color and Christopher’s incredible use of detail will delight the public.”

Quirk works in the acrylic medium and explores her subjects with a bright palette and color shapes that become intricate and woven throughout the paintings. She has been a professional artist with her own studio since 1988. Her paintings have been exhibited at galleries and art exhibitions throughout Connecticut, as well as Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. Quirk, who has autism, is a member of the Northeast Connecticut Art Guild and displays her work in their shows.

Platt’s work focuses on peaceful New England scenes, reflecting his desire for tranquility and his love of New England's shoreline and farm life. His ink drawings are finely crafted with incredible detail. He often colors them with colored pencil. Platt, who has autism, says that his images are drawn from a combination of observation and imagination. He began sketching at the age of three.

The Puck Building is located at the corner of Lafayette and Houston streets in Manhattan.

To learn more about Kerri Quirk, please visit www.kerriquirk.com. For more about Christopher Platt, visit www.vsarts.org/prebuilt/artists/registry/artistdetail.cfm?ArtistID=3677896.

About VSA arts
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 55 countries around the world. VSA arts is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, please visit www.vsarts.org

Media Contact:

Stephanie Taylor/VSA arts
(202) 628-2800 ext. 3883
SKTaylor@vsarts.org