LETTERS: ARTS FOR ALL DAY IS FOR EVERYONE

To the editor:

The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri formally invites the Southeast Missouri community to the Arts for All Day from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the St. Vincent's Seminary grounds. The Arts for All program provides differently abled individuals of all ages an opportunity to uncover their creativity. Instead of merely allowing the disabled to be in included in non-disabled activities, the program is designed specifically for individuals with disabilities and encourages non-disabled participants to join in. Through the use of wheelchair and walker attachments, the artists are able to create T-shirts, aprons and painted or chalked murals with minimal movement ability.

The Arts for All Day events are completely free and open to the public. Volunteers are encouraged to attend, with volunteer training to take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday.

The Arts Council also would like to thank the sponsors of the Arts for All Day: SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence, Target Stores Inc., St. Francis Medical Center, Southeast Missouri Hospital, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau County Area Medical Society Alliance, KBSI-TV and the Missouri Arts Council.

The essence of the program was best stated by the creator of Arts for All, Dwayne Szot: "Just as food and shelter are basic needs, so is human expression."

DANIEL NORTH, Executive Director

Arts Council of Southeast Missouri

Cape Girardeau