VSA arts Exhibit Highlights International Artists with Disabilities on View at CP Artspace May 5-June 20, 2003

April 16, 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C. - Washington D.C. VSA arts showcases 12 accomplished international artists with disabilities at the forefront of their disciplines. The preview, juried exhibit, scheduled for May 5-June 20 at CP Artspace at 1350 I Street, NW, Washington, D.C., is presented in advance of the 4th International VSA arts Festival coming to Washington in June 2004.

For exhibitor Mark Parsons of New York, his sculpture allows him to explore the crackling tension between the internal and the external. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999, his large, three-dimensional drawings exhibit the precarious stacking of forms, suggestive of both large-scale architecture and childrens building blocks. For him, physical objects created with well-directed intent might, when pondered, unlock ones mind&

Kong Ho, professor and muralist, derives much of his imagery from his Hong Kong heritage. By multi-layering symbols, he creates a dynamic surface that contrasts form, texture, and color. The resulting image gives a sense of tension and drama, integrating visual concepts of order and disorder. Kong Ho will also provide a lecture on June 4 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at CP Artspace.

The themes of Linda Carmella Sibios work originate from issues such as homelessness, mental illness, suicide, and mass murder. From the pain of schizophrenia to the madness of artI continue to make my work, says Sibio, a resident of California. Derived from the elements and effects of mental illness, her miniature symbols and figures resemble ancient hieroglyphs.

After a gunshot wound caused her paralysis, Marquetta Bell Johnson of Georgia immersed herself in textile work, creating hand-dyed fabrics that often infuse multiple layers of painted-on color. With needle and thread, she then fashions them into bold patterns and original designs. I would describe my work as the effort of a human trying to become more human by holding up the tie of kinship, says Johnson. Her textiles are found in the private collections of B.B. King, Maya Angelou, and the Coca-Cola Corporation.

The complete list of exhibitors includes: Dayanara Fuentes (Panama); Sergio Giraldo Giraldo (Columbia); Maria Jankovics (Canada); Jean-Michel Terencio-Arrouet (France); Yashpal Chandrakar (India), Kong Ho (Pennsylvania, U.S.), Marcee Blackerbee, (Utah, U.S.), Lanham Bundy, (Rhode Island, U.S.), Marquetta Bell Johnson, (Georgia, U.S.), dElaine Johnson, (Washington, U.S.), Mark Parsons, (New York, U.S.), and Linda Carmella Sibio, (California, U.S.)

The exhibit was juried by Massumeh Farhad, Curator of Islamic Art, Freer and Sackler Galleries of Art, Smithsonian Institution; Virginia Shore, Senior Curator of the Art in Embassies Program, Department of State; and David Adamson, Owner, Adamson Gallery. A free reception is scheduled for May 8 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. All are invited.

Contact:

VSA arts
202-628-2800
pr@vsarts.org

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