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VSA arts and CVS Caremark Display Children's Artwork at Union Station

Posted on: Thursday, 14 May 2009, 10:00 CDT

Eleven Participating Students Travel to Washington for Reception on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON, May 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- VSA arts and CVS Caremark All Kids Can will present the children's art exhibition "Celebrating Who I Am" at Union Station from June 1-21. The exhibition features one piece of art from each state plus the District of Columbia in response to a national call issued by VSA arts and CVS Caremark last fall. The call invited all children to create a piece of visual art inspired by their interests, talents, and dreams, and to post their work to an online gallery.

"Celebrating Who I Am" is a part of "All Kids Can... CREATE!" which offers diverse programs and opportunities for children with and without disabilities. The joint initiative from VSA arts and CVS Caremark encourages learning and community engagement through the arts. In addition to the call and resulting exhibition, teaching artists will work with students with disabilities in the classroom. CVS Caremark associates will also participate in volunteer activities in their communities.

"The call prompts children to use their imagination and to explore their individuality," said Soula Antoniou, president of VSA arts. "Through art, children are sharing their perspectives and learning about one another -- they are building inclusive classrooms and communities."

"Art gives children of all abilities a great opportunity for personal expression," said Eileen Howard Dunn, senior vice president, Corporate Communications and Community Relations for CVS Caremark. "The millions of commuters and tourists who will see this exhibition will have the opportunity to experience and appreciate some wonderful works of art from developing young artists."

Out of the 51 children whose artwork will be on display, 11 representative students were selected to travel to Washington, D.C., to be honored at a reception on Capitol Hill on June 10:

• Rody Davis, 15 (Hayden, Ala.), graphite on paper, "Brain Coral"
• Kevin Hosseini, 14 (Carpinteria, Calif.), oil on canvas, "Train"
• Rosie Dubnansky, 13 (Wethersfield, Conn.), color photograph, "Bright Hawaiian Flowers"
• Michael Webb, 8 (Covington, Ga.), tempera on paper, "Clown Heart"
• Geena Economos, 6 (Barrington, Ill.), mixed media, "Vase of Flowers"
• Kio Bennett, 7 (Silver Spring, Md.), mixed media, "Self Portrait"
• Andrew Rasmussen, 11 (Clio, Mich.), pastel on paper, "Andrew as Shaggy"
• Angel Hernandez, 8 (Reno, Nev.), marker and charcoal, "Reluctant Flower"
• Eric Guevarra, 15 (El Paso, Texas), torn paper collage, "Self Portrait"
• Katlyn Nash, 12 (King William, Va.), watercolor and crayon, "Crowded School"
• Fabien Siffrin, 11 (New Martinsville, W.Va.), paper mache and mixed media, "Fabien"

Union Station is located at 50 Massachusetts Ave, N.E. The exhibition is part of VSA arts' annual Start with the Arts Family Festival that will take place on June 5-6 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. For more information, please visit www.vsarts.org.

About VSA arts

VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded 35 years ago 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 54 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

About CVS Caremark All Kids Can

All Kids Can, a program of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and CVS Caremark, is a five-year, $25 million commitment to support children with disabilities. The goals of All Kids Can are to support children with disabilities by raising awareness in schools and in local communities about the importance of inclusion, creating greater opportunities for physical activity and play, and providing access to medical rehabilitation and related services. CVS Caremark and its more than 215,000 employees plan to help children with disabilities learn, play and succeed through partnerships with leading local and national nonprofit organizations such as VSA arts and many others across the country. For more information, visit http://www.cvsallkidscan.com.

SOURCE VSA arts

Source: PR Newswire

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