Expressive Art Celebration for People with Disabilities

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) continues to celebrate the abilities of people through Art Center by hosting a yearly exhibition entitled Creative Expressions .  Take a look at the different exhibitions. The art is amazing.  Creative Connections is another site worth visiting to take a look at the incredible art being crafted by people of all different types of abilities with a shared love and talent in the area of artistic expression.  EAbility has a number of resources listed for arts & disability.  Art Relief International  has some engaging projects which can give you some additional ideas on how to engage all with the arts. The creative arts provide a type of access to the world. Communication, expression, learning etc. are all a piece. In an era when we are continuously looking at ways of opening up the world, this is one avenue which has a long standing history or promise. The National Disability Arts Collection and Archive  provides both an historical and current perspective on the disability in arts movement.  The arts can be used as a source of expression for academic knowledge as well as reinforcing communication and social skills. Finding the balance in how we engage all students in learning and academics must include access to a diversified arts program. This will only enhance and reinforce all of the skills and concepts we hope to convey to our students in a highly competitive educational environment which does not always seek  to be as inclusive and as accessible to diverse thinkers and doers.