"Driven," an exhibition highlighting the works of emerging artists with disabilities, opens at the Smithsonian's S. Dillon Ripley Center Sept. 15. The exhibition is the sixth collaboration between VSA arts and Volkswagen of America Inc. It features the works of 15 finalists selected from 204 applicants ranging in age from 16 to 25. The exhibition closes Dec. 31.
This year's assignment challenged artists to illustrate the motivational force behind their personal vision—what moves them to create art. Grand prize awardee Jacolby Satterwhite, from Baltimore, won with his oil on canvas painting "Remission and Resilience." First awardee Laurel Ebenal, from Ellensburg, Wash., submitted her digital photograph "Faun" and second awardee E. Brooke Lanier, from Chicago, submitted the archival ink jet print on photo rag paper "Staring." The awardees of "Driven" will receive a total of $60,000 in awards.
Other artists featured in the exhibition include the following:
• Isaac Caruso (Phoenix)
• David Castro (Visalia, Calif.)
• Elayna Flodin (Beaverton, Ore.)
• Wes Holloway (Katy, Texas)
• Ryan McDonnell (Northampton, Mass.)
• Jessica Merrell (Albuquerque, N.M.)
• Anjali Poddar (Andover, Mass.)
• Patti Pogodzinski (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• Holly Schuh (Altura, Minn.)
• Merlin Strivelli (Asheville, N.C.)
• Hannah Zurko (Wooster, Ohio)
"This is the Smithsonian's fourth year working with VSA arts, and each year, I am impressed with the talent that comes to the fore as a result of VSA arts' call for entries for this annual contest," said Ellen Dorn, director of the International Gallery. "I hope that all the visitors who see the exhibit will go away with the knowledge that they have seen works from young artists who are truly ‘driven' to create works of art that reflect their lives."
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. It provides educators, parents and artists with the resources and 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 network of affiliates and in more than 60 countries around the world. VSA arts is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America Inc. is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich. Volkswagen believes that the "heartware" is equally as important as the "hardware." For people with disabilities, the automobile provides both freedom of mobility and self-expression. -- www.si.edu
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