May 23, 2008
Bowling
Green, Ky. - The WKU Kentucky Library & Museum’s VSA arts program SIDE BY SIDE has received an Award for Outstanding Community Partner for its work with VSA arts of Kentucky.
“We have always recognized the VSA arts program as important to the community,” says Mike Binder, Dean of Libraries. “This award is national acknowledgment of the work and talent shared by the artists and staff involved.”
SIDE BY SIDE is a visual arts program for children with disabilities, providing mentoring collaboration with professional adult artists from the Bowling Green/Warren County community. Students with special needs attend weekly studio art classes in the Education Room of the Kentucky Building and are led by a VSA arts of Kentucky teaching artist. The students create a variety of artworks during that series of classes. At the end of the teaching session, each student artist is paired with a local artist in a one-on-one session where they create a collaborative work of art.
The program concludes each fall with a public exhibition, which the staff of the Kentucky Museum professionally hangs and curates. Included in the exhibit are individual student works, the collaborative pieces, and an art piece by each professional artist, all presented SIDE BY SIDE.
“In 2004, the Kentucky Library & Museum began a partnership with VSA arts to become the premiere site of the SIDE BY SIDE exhibits in Kentucky,” says Lynne Ferguson, Artist in Residence for WKU Libraries. “In doing so, the arts are used as a channel to enact a bridge-building alliance in our regional community. As we finish our incredible, successful fifth year, we reiterate our dedication for creating and supporting inclusive arts activities.”
Contact: Diana McQuady 270.745.6977/diana.mcquady@wku.edu
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