A Very Special Arts

2008 Information

Wednesday, April 23, 2008
West High School
Time: 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Art for the Heart

The 27th Annual “A Very Special Arts Festival” (AVSAF) is a celebration of the skills and abilities of exceptional children in all of the arts that brings together children of challenged circumstances to have a day of fun. Dogwood Arts Festival hosts this very special day of activities and art education in an integrated atmosphere – mainstreaming these children into a normal school day environment. Held at West High School, it is proven mutually beneficial in the past for both public school children and the exceptional children as a very heartwarming and rewarding experience. West High School students become engaged by serving as peer tutors while University of Tennessee students provide the children with hands-on art activities.

VSAF gives over 400 exceptional students in Knox County Schools the opportunity to

• make art
• act
• play an instrument
• sing & dance

VSAF encourages leaders to involve exceptional youth in a variety of creative arts. The major purpose of VSAF is to demonstrate the impact of the arts in development artistic responsiveness and increasing general learning achievement among exceptional students. Children will experience art through workshops, dancing, painting, singing karaoke and sharing their enthusiasm with others. Entertainment such as clowns, walk-about characters and face painting will be incorporated to maintain a lively festival atmosphere for this very special event.

VSA arts works with affiliated organizations nationwide and in over 60 countries worldwide. Within the United States, VSA arts programs are conducted by a network of VSA arts state organizations with their own 501-c-3 status or in collaboration with an affiliated organization. The Dogwood Arts Festival is pleased to be one of Tennessee’s affiliated organizations.

Click here to to see what is happening around the world with this wonderful program.

It is truly “A Very Special Arts Festival”.

A VERY SPECIAL THANKS to AKIMA Women’s Club of Knoxville, Kimberly Clark, West High School, University of Tennessee and Ruby Tuesday for your generous support of this event.