Art Show Benefitting The Arc of Northern Virginia Deemed a Success

On March 3^rd, artist Leah Zhang created an exhibit called “AI and US” at The Reston Art Gallery benefitting The Arc of Northern Virginia. We received more than $3,000 from art sales and donations at this show sharing the anxieties and inspiration that come with this exciting-and often unnerving innovation in our lives.

When asking Zhang how she came up with this exhibit, she responded, “I came up with the theme after the rise of AI art. As a student in a STEM-focused school and an artist, I felt conflicted feelings about the rise of generative AI. On one hand, I knew about its benefits and inner workings, but I could also see the distraught AI art brought. Thus, I wanted to create an exhibition focused on “us” artist’s feelings on AI.”

Leah Zhang, a Junior at Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, VA and Co-President of their Assistive Technology Club, reached out to The Arc of Northern Virginia to present an idea on a fundraiser. Leah is no stranger to be of service to people with disabilities. During her Assistive Technology Club meetings, she and other members help students with disabilities gain proficiency in using their tablets to speak with an assistive technology tool called nuVoice.

“When I came up with the art show, I realized it gave me a platform to help make a change. The Arc of Northern Virginia is an amazing organization that positively influences many lives, so I wanted to use this opportunity to help them continue making change,” said Zhang.