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Artsbridge holds 19th annual Very Spectacular Arts Festival

Photos by Michael Erb Hailey Gibbs, 9, a third-grader from Ravenswood Elementary School, shares a laugh with Jesse Husk, right, a volunteer and elementary education student at West Virginia University at Parkersburg, at a music station Tuesday during the Artsbridge Very Spectacular Arts Festival at WVU-P. (Photo by Michael Erb)

PARKERSBURG — Artsbridge held its 19th annual Very Spectacular Arts Festival for school children with disabilities on Tuesday at West Virginia University at Parkersburg and saw some of its highest event attendance in years.

Artsbridge Executive Director Jane Irvine said in years past the event often fell during school’s spring break, significantly lowering attendance. This year, with Easter coming later in the month, most school systems were still in session, and officials estimated more than 500 students attended.

“This is our largest attendance in the past five years,” she said.

This year’s theme was “Spring into the Arts!” The event featured activities such as karaoke, creative movement, newspaper hats, face painting, music activities and clay pots. New activities this year included kaleidoscopes and superhero shields.

“We’ve refined the activities to encourage full participation by everyone,” Irvine said.

Cam Ritchie, 12, a sixth-grader at Edison Middle School, crawls through an innertube at an activity station Tuesday during the Artsbridge Very Spectacular Arts Festival at West Virginia University at Parkersburg. (Photo by Michael Erb)

The event is made possible through the efforts of dozens of volunteers, including students from area public and private high schools and colleges.

“It’s really fun, and I was surprised at how big it is,” said Jesse Husk, 24, a volunteer and elementary education major at WVU-P. Husk said with her area of study the festival was particularly rewarding because “it gets you prepared to work with the kids. It is a really diverse group, moreso than you get to see in the classroom.”

Husk said she was also impressed by the outpouring of support she saw at the festival.

“The community goes all out for these kids, and the kids seem to be having so much fun,” she said.

The event also featured performance from the Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet, a concert from Elsa (Amanda Stevens) and dancing and drumming by the Kootaga Indian Dancers, as well as displays and activities by a variety of local artists and musicians.

Parkersburg High School student and volunteer Madi Gribble paints the face of Timmy Roberts, 12, a student from Edison Middle School, at an activity station Tuesday during the Artsbridge Very Spectacular Arts Festival at West Virginia University at Parkersburg. (Photo by Michael Erb)

Irvine said this year officials were particularly excited to invite back some former attendees who have used art to help guide and improve their lives.

Clark Queen, 30, a 2005 graduate of Parkersburg High School, attended several of the past art festivals as a student, but this year was able to show others his art.

Queen said his mother is an artist and was the inspiration for his love of art. Clark said he was excited to attend this year’s event as an artist.

“I’ve done clay sculpting, things with paint and brushes,” he said. Being an artist at the Arts Festival “is fun. I think it’s a lot of fun.”

Participating school districts Tuesday included Jackson County, Pleasants County, Ritchie County, Doddridge County, Wirt County and Wood County in West Virginia, along with Waterford Elementary, Warren Local Schools, Belpre Elementary and Marietta City schools in Washington County.

The event was coordinated by the VSA committee, which is co-chaired by Cynthia Alkire and Sue Ellen Johnson. The event receives financial support from the Spirit of Giving campaign, PM Company, the West Virginia Commission of the Arts, the Ohio Arts Council, The McDonough Foundation, the Fenton Foundation, and the many Artsbridge donors who support the mission of Artsbridge.

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