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DisArt Festival, a 15-day event to broaden an understanding of disability through the arts art, as well as to develop an appreciation for work by artists with disabilities, begins Friday in downtown Grand Rapids.
Art exhibitions, independent films, fashion and performance art are part of the city-wide festival continuing through April 25 with a goal of championing creativity, conquering prejudice and strengthening the wider community.
Smaller disabilities events, including "Bodies of Work" in Chicago, have been held before, but nothing quite like the inaugural DisArt Festival, said Chris Smit, director ofDisArt Festival and an associate professor of media studies at Calvin College.
"This is the largest Disability Arts Festival ever to be programmed in the United States - maybe even in the world, although there are a couple in the United Kingdom that come close," Smit said.