Kansas Artist with a Disability Goes to Washington by Beverly Johnson Jason Voos, a Kansas artist with a disability, is headed for Washington – but it has nothing to do with politics. Accessible Arts was proud to sponsor Voos and his art for the VSA arts International Festival Competition. As a VSA arts Collaborator, Accessible Arts has an interest in ‘grown-up children.’ Additionally, one of our primary goals is to help children with disabilities develop their interests into life-long hobbies and, when possible, into a career. Voos and his mother Kathy, who live near Wichita, are going to Washington, D.C. June 9-13, 2004. Once there, they will join Accessible Arts Program Director Kit Bardwell and Executive Director Martin English in attending all the events associated with the VSA arts International Festival. Voos’ photographs will be on display for a month at Union Station in Washington D.C. His screenplay was also accepted into the Festival competition. Sixty-five nations will be represented and Voos is one of the few artists whose work was chosen in more than one category. The Anatomy of a Kansas Storm is a series of photos taken when wall-clouds, filled with tornadoes, moved over Voos’ house one evening. Just as he ran out of film, a nearby tree was struck by lightning. The force of the blow threw him up against the garage and broke all of his molars. Now that’s sacrificing for your art! Jason Voos—artist from Wichita, KS His screenplay Vern is a true retelling of Kathy’s father’s life on a farm in Waldo, Kansas, and how the character traits learned there got him through the war. Voos’ grandfather was the youngest of 22 children with five other brothers already in the military when an uncle signed to get him in the army. Vern is a fascinating screenplay that has already won an award at the Houston Film Festival. Accessible Arts would like to wish Jason Voos the best of luck!