2010 International VSA festival
The artwork of 11 year-old Sacramento VSA artist, Jose Rodriguez Rojas, from Woodbine Elementary School, was chosen (from a field of 5,000!) as one of 25 pieces displayed at the U. S. Department of Education. Alice was able to attend the reception honoring Jose and the other Arte Postale award winners. U. S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, and Kennedy Center President, Michael Kaiser, were both in attendance.
VSA arts of California’s award winner in the VSA/CVS All Kids Can Create! Program, Sebastian Martinez, had his artwork on display at both Union Station and the U. S. Capitol. Sebastian and Alice were able to show his artwork to Jennifer Veilleux, CEO of Community Development for National CVS, and to Jean Kennedy Smith, founder of VSA.
A reception was held on Capitol Hill honoring artists with disabilities and celebrating both the International VSA Festival and the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Los Angeles literary master, Riua Akinshegun, attended the reception along with Alice and Sebastian. Keynote speaker for the event was Nancy Pelosi. As California’s representatives, Alice, Sebastian, and Riua were able to meet the Speaker of the House and have photos taken with her.
