Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony For Art Exhibition By Children With Disabilities

WHO:Jennifer Veilleux, Director of Community Relations, CVS Caremark
Soula Antoniou, President, VSA arts
Representing Artists: Rody Davis, 15, Hayden, Ala.; Kevin Hosseini, 14,
Carpinteria, Calif.; Rosie Dubnansky, 13, Wethersfield, Conn.; Michael Webb,
8, Covington, Ga.; Geena Economos, 6, Barrington, Ill.; Kio Bennett, 7, Silver
Spring, Md.; Andrew Rasmussen, 11, Clio, Mich.; Angel Hernandez, 8, Reno,
Nev.; Eric Guevarra, 15, El Paso, Texas; Katlyn Nash, 12, King William, Va.;
Fabien Siffrin, 11, New Martinsville, W.Va.

WHEN: Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. EDT

WHERE: Union Station, West Hall
40 Massachusetts Ave, N.E.
Washington, D.C.

Eleven children from across the nation will join Soula Antoniou, president of
VSA arts, and Jennifer Veilleux, director of community relations for CVS
Caremark, for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the exhibition "Celebrating Who I
Am" at Union Station. Ranging from watercolor to paper mache to collage, the
exhibition includes artwork from one student from each state and the District
of Columbia submitted in response to a national call for art issued last fall
by VSA arts and CVS Caremark. The program aims to expand the role of the arts
in inclusive education and make arts education accessible to all children. By
offering the opportunity to create and use their imaginations, children have a
chance to express themselves, make connections with others, and increase their
awareness of possibilities.

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 7 million 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 about VSA arts, visit
www.vsarts.org.

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.

CONTACT:Rachel Olcheski, +1-202-628-2800 x. 3844, or Rachel Maleh,
+1-202-345-6936, both of VSA arts

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- June 10/

SOURCE VSA arts