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Celebrating Diversity Through the Arts
From the June 2004 Disabilities newsletter.  Ask Genny Zbach how she feels about having muscular dystrophy and you'll get a surprising answer. "I'm proud of it," she says with the kind of unrestrained optimism and enthusiasm that even a phone line can't dull. "Adversity is my friend."How can this be? It's easy—well, sort of easy—to understand. Zbach credits her disability with uncovering her gift and passion. Zbach, a long-time jewelry maker, says that muscular dystrophy and its effects on her mobility closed the door to what likely would have been a career in nursing but led Zbach to discover the beauty of glass. A glassblowing demonstration captivated the West Virginian about 10 years ago. After returning home, Zbach put herself to the test. Placing a pencil between her fingertips, Zbach began imitating the rolling motion that artisans use to make hand-blown glass. After twirling the pencil between her fingers for 20 minutes, Zbach recalls saying to herself, "I can do this! My disability doesn't mean I can't." Determined to take her craft to a new level, Zbach won a scholarship to the Corning Museum of Glass. There she learned how to make her own glass beads and jewels. "It profoundly changed my work," Zbach explains. The 2004 VSA International Arts Festival Beginning June 9, you can see Zbach's work and the work of more than a thousand artists with physical and intellectual disabilities at the 2004 VSA International Arts Festival in Washington, D.C. The four-day event will host painters, musicians, dancers, comedians, poets, and others from 64 countries. Among those performing will be Patrick Henry Hughes of Louisville, Kentucky. Hughes was born without eyes, and webbing in his arms and legs leaves him unable to walk. Fortunately, it doesn't stop him from singing and playing the piano. Hughes learned to play the piano before he could talk. Now, the teenager loves to perform. "I hope to inspire and touch as many lives as I can. In doing so, I hope to show all people how to see the abilities that we all have." The performer also admits to having an ulterior motive. "I'm a bit of a ham and enjoy the crowd's response." In addition to celebrating diversity and talent, the festival will also contain an educational element. Artist workshops will run all day at Union Station. Teachers, practitioners, and parents are encouraged to attend and expand their expertise. Prepare to Be Inspired Perhaps the only thing that might outshine the talent that Zbach and other VSA artists possess is the irrepressible spirit of many of the festival's participants. Zbach knows that her body will force her to stop blowing glass in the next few years. Still, she sees the positive. "Who knows? Maybe I'll paint. Yeah, I like that. I've always loved the idea of painting." Better yet, perhaps this spirit is best summed up in a pin Zbach created. Titled "I am not confined," the pin features a woman in a wheelchair, smiling with her hair blowing in the wind—happy and free of limitations. "I admit the pin is a character of myself, and hope it is also a character of others with disabilities." What impact do artists and the festival's coordinators hope the event will leave on visitors? Soula Antoniou, president of VSA Arts, speaks for most when she says, "I hope that they'll see people's abilities. I hope that their perceptions will change. I hope that they'll see the extraordinary talent." Artwork will not be sold at the event, but organizers promise not to leave visitors empty-handed. Commemorative posters, T-shirts, luggage tags, and other souvenirs will be sold at various locations. Are you still left wondering if this festival will be as spectacular as it's meant to be? Then take it from Zbach, "If it's anything like the last one, it's going to be a life-changing experience." The 2004 VSA Arts Festival Web Site |
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