The Dedalus Foundation is pleased to partner with the John F. Kennedy Center to present the exhibition (Re)Invention at our Sunset Park location.

(Re)Invention is the 15th exhibition presented by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of the VSA Emerging Young Artists Program, a Jean Kennedy Smith Arts and Disability Program. The result of a longtime collaboration with Volkswagen Group of America, this national art competition and exhibition gives fifteen artists with disabilities, ages 16-25, the opportunity to display their work in venues across the nation where each artist’s individual talent, mode of expression, and view of the world is showcased and valued.

This year, the exhibition features artists whose work exemplifies themes of renewal and self-discovery—of reinvention. From the unexpected whimsy of an animation, to a bold series of self-portraits, this work engages, challenges, and delights us. Collectively, these works of art captivate us on many levels: we are asked to explore ideas of self, community, legacy, and collective memory. Across different media we see notions of an in-between state of being, where perspective is at once flattened and expanded. We also see work that questions stereotypes, and that invites us draw meaning from visual equations of shape and color.

With this traveling exhibition the Kennedy Center aims to give visibility to the work of artists with disabilities throughout the United States, positioning them to broaden the understanding of disability and the arts and to create new contexts. These fifteen artists give examples of how art can be used to rewrite a personal narrative. They are present in their community and in the world, and are motivated to use their creativity to send a strong message of inclusion and unity in the arts.