VSA arts and the Weekly Reader Release “A Portrait of an Artist-Scientist”

October 9, 2007

WASHINGTON, October 9, 2007 -VSA arts and Weekly Reader Custom Publishing partnered to provide a free, cross-disciplinary educational resource that shows how the seemingly different worlds of art and science intersect. “A Portrait of an Artist-Scientist” features Mark C. Parsons, a prominent artist who has multiple sclerosis, and explains how he incorporates his experiences with both disability and science into his works of art.

“More and more educators are trying to teach their students to make connections between different ideas across subjects,” said Soula Antoniou, president of VSA arts. “As teachers seek to cultivate creativity and invention, VSA arts is proud to partner with Weekly Reader Custom Publishing to provide this free resource to teachers.”

“Students will enter a rapidly shifting job market and must have the ability to adjust quickly to situations and think on their feet,” said Debra Hess, editorial director at Weekly Reader Custom Publishing. “Cross-disciplinary programs are an effective way to help students develop these skills, and we are pleased to partner with VSA arts to bring ‘A Portrait of an Artist-Scientist’ to the classroom.”

Intrigued with the form and function of both objects from nature and those made by man, Parsons studied biology, chemistry, and architecture. In his Foundations series, he altered the scale of medieval cathedral architectural drawings and compared them to enlarged images of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) nucleotides to reveal fascinating similarities. “A Portrait of an Artist-Scientist” explains both the science and art involved in Parson’s work, and provides suggestions for hands-on art projects for students to explore this relationship themselves.

According to a recent Weekly Reader INSIDERS’ survey, 85.3 percent of respondents ages 6-18 said either they enjoyed being creative or creating something unique. As cross-disciplinary education is on the rise, science came up first among the core subjects where art is likely to be used.

The kit, which includes student magazines, a teacher’s guide with art activities, and a vodcast, will be mailed to 11,000 teachers by the end of October. The materials are also available as a free download from www.vsarts.org. Teachers who submit photos of their students’ kit-based art projects are eligible to receive a classroom visit from Parsons. He will work with the students in the selected classroom to create pieces of their own art.

The program is designed for students in grades 6 through 10 and meets science, art, and thinking and reasoning standards as outlined by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.

About Weekly Reader Custom Publishing
Weekly Reader Custom Publishing is the recognized leader in developing unique educational programs sponsored by corporations, nonprofit associations and government agencies.

Weekly Reader Publishing Group, founded in 1902, is a leader in educational publishing. Weekly Reader® publishes 15 magazines and a variety of other supplemental products that reinforce curriculum, help teachers meet standards, and engage students. Every one of the magazines has won awards for excellence in educational journalism. Weekly Reader Publishing Group is part of the Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

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 more than 60 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