(Birmingham, Ala.) June 24, 2011 ― A kickoff luncheon for VSA Alabama’s 9th Annual ArtPartners Live Auction and Showcase was hosted by Event Chair Katherine Barr at Sirote and Permutt. The big event will be held on Sunday evening, August 21 at B&A warehouse. Patti Hendrix Lovoy, executive director of VSA Alabama, was on hand to share the history of the organization and its signature, year ’round ArtPartners mentoring program. The August 21 event showcases the collaborative work of the emerging artists of all ages and their creative mentors who are volunteer community artists.
VSA Alabama’s 2011 Community ArtPartner Awardee will be the late Deane Kenworthy Corliss, who served on the board for over seven years and was instrumental in the development and growth of the organization’s services. Ms. Corliss was a beloved board member, Partner at Bradley Arant Boult and Cummings and former Nursing Director for Public Health. As a result, her commitment to the mission of VSA Alabama, serving children and adults with disabilities and chronic illnesses through the arts, was truly from the heart.
In addition to Ms. Corliss, this year’s ArtPartners Honorary Chair is Devin Brower. Devin began the ArtPartners program in 2008 after suffering a brain hemorrhage caused by an Arterio Veinous Malformation (AVM) at the age of 15. AVM is a congenital condition involving 1% of the population. Throughout her recovery, Devin has enjoyed the benefits of partnering through the arts and has developed quite a talent for painting; particularly of animals.
Attending the kickoff meeting were Ms. Lovoy and Ms. Barr along with Board Members Bettina Boateng, Jennifer Lyles, David Corliss, Suzanne Respess and Wyona Hamby. Also in attendance were ArtPartners Committee Members Veronica Denson and Jennifer Ellison and Meagan Vucovich, Project Coordinator of VSA Alabama.
About VSA Alabama
VSA Alabama is a statewide, nonprofit organization dedicated to serving children and adults with disabilities and chronic illnesses through the arts. VSA Alabama is an affiliate of VSA, the international organization in arts and disability, serving millions of people every year through a network of nationwide affiliates and in over 50 countries worldwide. VSA was founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith as an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information on VSA Alabama or the 9th Annual ArtPartners Live Auction and Showcase please visit our website at www.vsaalabama.org or call 205.307.6300.
