VSA arts Announces 2005 Call for Children's Art

December 6, 2004

Children in Grades K-12 Invited to "Discover What Art is…"

Washington, D.C. - VSA arts, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the participation of people with disabilities in the arts and society, today announced its 2005 Call for Children’s Art, inviting children of all abilities in grades K-12 to submit visual artwork. The Call for Art is distributed to 75,000 art teachers and special education teachers nationwide.

Entitled "Art is…," the Call for Art is designed to raise awareness of the importance of the arts and arts in education for students of all abilities. Children are invited to explore these questions as they create their artwork: What does art mean to you? Why is it important? Where can you find art and where does it come from? What is art all about?

"The arts stimulate the imagination, open the door to communication, foster respect for other’s feelings and perspectives, and promote lifelong learning," said Soula Antoniou, president of VSA arts. "The Call for Art encourages teachers to make the classroom more welcoming, challenging, and stimulating for students with disabilities."

According to Carolyn Lyons Horan, an arts teacher and arts education advocate, "The arts cross over all cultural barriers and stimulate children's natural curiosity in their world, which is necessary for continued elevated learning in all academic subjects. Art gives children an opportunity to express themselves in a creative way and provides an important outlet for communication. If a child is insecure about learning, the arts offer a way to process information and help the child be more interested in learning."

Designed as a poster for use in classrooms, the Call for Art provides students with multiple learning activities. Based on the work of famous artists -- Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig van Beethoven, Kenneth Goldsmith, Edgar Degas, and Jackson Pollock -- the activities include:

Discover the Art of Building - Find a unique home, school, or art center that is accessible for people of all abilities, or design a building that is accessible from your perspective;
Make Sound Visible - Listen to a favorite song. What could you paint or draw to convey the sounds to your friends;
Transform Words into Shapes -Try to use words themselves to shape a poem on paper. Consider using American Sign Language (ASL) as a visual element in your picture;
Draw a New Dance - Use the concepts of tense/relaxed, curved/straight, long/short, open/closed, and small/large. Make sketches of how you think your body looked when in these positions; and
Explore Alternative Techniques - Make a painting using nontraditional tools, such as sticks, stones, plastic, chopsticks, or carpet.

All entries should be submitted to a VSA arts affiliate on or before May 5, 2005. In May, two pieces of art from each state will be selected for possible participation in a national touring exhibit that will debut in Washington, D.C.

For information on the VSA arts affiliate that is administering the Call for Art in your state and to learn more about eligibility and application guidelines, visit www.vsarts.org.

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 visual and performing artists with disabilities; and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities. Currently, five million people participate in VSA arts programs each year through a network of affiliates nationwide and in more than 60 countries around the world.

VSA arts is the creator of Start with the Arts©, a comprehensive early childhood learning resource for classrooms that encourages the development of literacy and school readiness skills; Express Diversity! ©, a program of instructional materials for increasing disability awareness through the arts; and the VSA arts Institute, professional development training for teachers, teaching artists, and arts administrators offering arts based teaching strategies to include students with disabilities. To learn more about VSA arts, please visit www.vsarts.org

Media Contact

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

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