Grove City College is proud to host the 29th annual Very Special Arts Exhibit through April 21 in the gallery of the Pew Fine Arts Center on campus. The exhibit, featuring the artwork of special needs children, is sponsored by the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV.
Gallery hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, beginning Monday, April 2. A reception for the student artists will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on April 8.
At the reception, students will have the opportunity to view their selected art in the exhibit and also to participate in arts and crafts and face painting. In addition, they will receive prizes and awards from the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation and the Thirty Three Foundation. Refreshments will be served.
“The exhibit is great way to celebrate the creativity and humanity of our community. The vision of these artists is clear and compelling and a testament to the power of the human spirit and a glory to the divine Creator,” Dr. Kimberly Miller, professor of Communication Studies and chair of the Department of Communication & Visual Arts, said. “The exhibit wouldn’t be possible without the work of Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV, with which the College has enjoyed a long community partnership, the sponsorship of the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation and the Thirty Three Foundation and, most critically, the hundreds of talented artists from our region’s schools.”
The exhibit has grown from 30 students in 1989 to over 1,000 students participating today. Very Special Arts showcases artwork from kindergarten through 12th grade students from 27 school districts in Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties.
Artwork includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, fiber art and ceramics. All artwork is juried and is included in one three categories – Juror’s Choice, Honorable Mention or Group Projects.
Very Special Arts is an international program founded in 1974 by Jean Kennedy Smith as an affiliate of the educational programs of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Washington, D.C. The program is designed to give special needs children and adults the opportunity to develop and showcase their creative abilities. Its success is based on the principle that the arts are a universal and essential language that challenges people to look beyond themselves and celebrate their diversity by building bridges across cultures and through generations.
The exhibit is sponsored by Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation and Thirty Three Foundation.