VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 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 millions of people participate in VSA arts programs through a nationwide network of affiliates and in 55 countries around the world. VSA arts is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. To learn more about the international VSA arts, visit www.vsarts.org.

Art Access/VSA arts of Utah was chartered in 1984 by a small group of dedicated persons who saw the value of making the arts accessible to persons with disabilities. Over the years, Art Access has been housed in places such as the Executive Director’s home and donated space at Camp Kostopulos. In 1991, we found a permanent home in Artspace, an artist’s community in downtown Salt Lake City. One of our most successful programs was born that year – the Art Access Gallery, where the work of artists both with and without disabilities is shown. Over the past 22 years, Art Access has grown from a volunteer organization providing festivals to one with two full-time and one part-time staff. Our expansion now includes a plethora of artists, contracted service program coordinators, and a multitude of meaningful arts opportunities for those to whom the arts have traditionally been inaccessible. Art Access’ philosophy of inclusion ensures that individuals with disabilities and other disenfranchised peoples are treated fairly and with dignity.