What's New

Seven Minnesota artists have been awarded grants of $1,500 each by VSA Minnesota. The 16th annual competitive grant, funded by the Jerome Foundation, recognizes excellence by emerging Minnesota artists with disabilities and encourages them to complete new work. Selected from 55 applicants, the grantees are:

Steven Accola, Minneapolis, Visual Art – acrylic painting and pen & ink drawings

Brian Thomas Carroll, Minneapolis, Multi-media – sculptural designs, map, mobile

Tracy Gulliver, Chisago City, Writing – non-fiction stories

Ethan Heidlebaugh, Minneapolis, Visual Art – painting and murals

Lane McKiernan, Minneapolis, Writing – long-form performance poetry

Nancy Miller, Eveleth, Visual Art – mosaics

James Van Amber, Mankato, Writing - fiction

The grants were awarded following a jurying process conducted by individuals with extensive backgrounds in the written, visual and performing arts. They looked at samples of the artists’ work, proposed projects, resumes and artist statements. Members of the panels included:

Sandy Beach, Minneapolis, poet, Coordinator for Endowed Chairs, University of St Thomas

Joseph Gerald Brown, St. Paul, sculptor and painter; Raymond Avenue Gallery owner

Roy Close, Minneapolis, playwright, staff at Artspace, former critic

Steve Danko, Bloomington, Jean Stephen Gallery owner, past VSA Minnesota board

Mary Moore Easter, St. Paul, retired dance and performing arts professor at Carleton College; author

Sara Hanson, Minneapolis, sculptor, Interact visual art mentor, VSA Minnesota teaching artist

Jason Hoffman, Faribault, board president, Paradise Center for the Arts

Colette Illarde, Minneapolis, Interact instructor, flamenco artist

Diane Mullin, Minneapolis, Weisman Art Museum curator

Kate St. Vincent Vogl, Plymouth, writer, teacher at the Loft.

A short bio about each artist will be available shortly.

VSA Minnesota is a nonprofit organization working to make the arts accessible to people with all types of disabilities. For more information, call 612-332-3888 or 800-801-3883, Voice/TTY; e-mail info@vsamn.org; or go to its website: www.vsamn.org.

Deadline Open until filled.

Click on links below to download job descriptions.

Montevideo: Theater Teaching Artist (link to Theater Teaching Artist Needed Montevideo)

March – April

Ely: Theater Teaching Artist (link to Theater Teaching Artist Needed Ely)

Ely: Theater Teaching Artist Assistant (link to Theater Teaching Artist Assistant Needed Ely)

March – April

POSITION FILLED Dundas: Music Practitioner (adults) (link to Music Practitioner Needed Dundas)

March – April

Little Canada: Movement & Music Teaching Artist (link to Music & Movement Artist Needed Little Canada)

Little Canada: Movement & Music Teaching Artist Assistant (link to Music & Movement Artist Assistant Needed Little Canada)

April – May

For information about Teaching Artist job opportunities, please contact Jenea Rewertz-Targui, 612-332-3888 or jenea@vsamn.org.

ADA Access Improvement Grants are available to arts organizations in the Twin Cities seven-county area to help make arts programming, activities and facilities more accessible to people with disabilities.

Grants of up to $15,000 each are made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, which voters approved in 2008. VSA Minnesota administers the grant program for the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC). Over the past two years $440,785 was awarded to 36 Twin Cities organizations. In 2012 approximately $180,000 is available to be awarded. The first application deadline was February 17; the next is May 11, 2012. A number of information meetings will be held in March.

The grants are intended for projects with potential for significant or long-term impact in involving more people with disabilities as participants or patrons in arts programs. They are not intended for one-time activities such as a sign language interpreter or a Braille program for one play.

Minnesota nonprofit arts organizations in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties are eligible if their annual budget is under $4,460,000.

Download grant guidelines and application at http://www.vsamn.org/forms.html#adagrant. Or contact VSA Minnesota at 612-332-3888 voice/tty or access@vsamn.org.

The arts in Minnesota are more accessible to people with disabilities today – thanks in part to three individuals and one organization who value the arts.

The 14th annual Arts Access Awards are nominated by the public and presented by VSA Minnesota, to recognize outstanding accomplishments by artists, arts organizations, advocates and educators that help create a community where people with disabilities can learn through, participate in and access the arts.
The 2011 awards were presented on Monday, September 26 at the new Cowles Center for Dance & the Performing Arts, 516 Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. Attendees also participated in a tour of the new facility.

This year’s award, created by Brian Jon Foster of Minneapolis, is called the “Jaehny” in honor of Jaehn Clare, a co-founder of VSA Minnesota.

For more information, call 612-332-3888 or 800-801-3883, voice/tty.

This year’s award-winners are:

Artwork by Mazin Hasabelarsoul from Humboldt Senior High School in Saint Paul was selected to represent Minnesota in the 2011 All Kids can CREATE national touring exhibition. Featuring artwork by students age 5-15 from each state, the exhibit is sponsored by CVS Caremark All Kids Can and VSA, the international organization on arts and disability.

Mazin was one of 10 artists honored at this year’s congressional reception, when his artwork, titled “A Moon in the Darkness of Night,” debuted in Washington, D.C. on June 13. He was accompanied by his father AlaaEldin and Jenea Rewertz-Targui, VSA Minnesota Arts in Education Coordinator.
He created the artwork during a VSA Minnesota residency with teaching artist Donna Bruni Cox. This program aims to enhance creative expression and personal development through arts experiences for Minnesota students with disabilities and their peers.

The theme of the 2011 All Kids Can CREATE program is “Imagination Across America.”  More than 4,700 entries from young artists living with and without disabilities from across the country were submitted. An expert panel of judges, including artists and art educators, selected 102 student artists to be featured in the exhibition.  All of the artwork, from paintings to sculptures to photographs, are included in an online gallery at Artsonia, All Kids Can CREATE.

“We’re so impressed with the passion and creativity represented in Mazin’s artwork, and it truly captures the spirit of the All Kids Can CREATE program,” said Eileen Howard Boone, senior vice president of corporate communications and community relations for CVS Caremark. “Through this program we have helped children of all abilities to use art as a way to express themselves and create positive change in their lives.”

“With our partner CVS Caremark, VSA is showcasing the creative talents of students of all abilities,” commented Jennifer Wexler, VSA director of visual arts. “We’re excited to share these wonderful works of art with audiences around the country and encourage people of all ages and abilities to tap into their own imaginations.”

VSA and CVS Caremark’s yearlong partnership also includes support of state VSA affiliates like VSA Minnesota who encourage learning and community engagement through artistic expression.  Grants support artist-in-residence programs in schools that expand access and document learning through the arts for students with disabilities.  CVS Caremark employees also volunteer in activities in their communities and/or schools to help build inclusive environments.

CVS Caremark All Kids Can

All Kids Can, a program of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and CVS Caremark, is a five-year, $25 million commitment to support children with disabilities. The goals of All Kids Can are to support children with disabilities by raising awareness in schools and in local communities about the importance of inclusion, creating greater opportunities for physical activity and play, and providing access to medical rehabilitation and related services. CVS Caremark and its more than 211,000 employees help children with disabilities learn, play and succeed through partnerships with leading local and national nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit CVS Caremark All Kids Can.

VSA

VSA, the international organization on arts and disability, was founded more than 35 years ago by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to provide arts and education opportunities for people with disabilities and increase access to the arts for all. With 52 international affiliates and a network of nationwide affiliates, VSA is changing perceptions about people with disabilities around the world. Each year, 7 million people of all ages and abilities participate in VSA programs, which cover all artistic genres. VSA is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, visit VSA, the international organization on arts and disability.

Amber Hougo, 19, of St. Paul, represented Minnesota in the 2011 Young Soloist Competition, sponsored by VSA: The International Organization on Arts and Disability. Amber’s entry, which was selected as Minnesota’s senior division and overall winner, features her as both vocalist and guitarist performing three original compositions. Rachel Hastings, 18, of Plymouth was chosen as Minnesota’s junior division Young Soloist winner. Rachel submitted three pieces on piano, including Debussy’s Claire de Lune and Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata.

Both young women were surprised and excited when they learned they had been chosen as division winners. Each will receive a $100 gift card from Schmitt Music. Amber is now being adjudicated nationally along with applicants from all of the states and U.S. territories. She hopes to be one of four applicants (two national and two international) to be chosen to receive cash prizes and to perform this summer at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in our nation’s capital.

The VSA International Young Soloists Award annually recognizes outstanding young musicians with disabilities. The Award supports and encourages them in their pursuit of a career.  Minnesota has been the home of two national winners: Aria Stiles this past year and Stephanie Dawn Stomberg in 1995.  Ms. Stiles, currently a junior at Eastview High School in Apple Valley, performed on violin at the Kennedy Center this past June as part of the VSA International Festival.  Ms. Dawn still performs as a vocalist and currently resides in Texas with her family.

The 2011 International Young Soloists are: Mandy Harvey, a 23-year-old jazz vocalist from Colorado; James Schlender, a 17-year-old jazz violinist/fiddler from Montana; and Ráchel Skleničková, an 18-year-old pianist from the Czech Republic. They performed at the Kennedy Center’s Family Theater on May 5, 2011.

VSA Minnesota, the State Organization on Arts and Disability, would like to thank Doug Schmitt and Schmitt Music in Brooklyn Park for sponsoring the state’s Young Soloist Competition for the past three years.  We would also like to thank this year’s judges for the state competition: Dr. Michael Silverman and Todd Schwartzberg of the Music Therapy Department staff at the University of Minnesota’s School of Music.

Thirteen arts organizations in the Twin Cities have been awarded a total of $147,854 for projects to make the arts more accessible to people with disabilities. Funding for these ADA Access Improvement Grants for Metro Arts Organizations is from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.

The purpose of this grant is to enable nonprofit arts organizations in the seven-county Twin Cities area to make improvements to their programs, projects, equipment, or facilities that will enhance access to the arts for people with disabilities. Such activities must advance the mission of the arts group, have the potential for significant or long-term impact in involving more people with disabilities as participants or patrons in arts programs, and report measurable outcomes.

GRANT RECIPIENTS include:
Art Speaks (RISE), Spring Lake Park, $9,330
Caponi Art Park, Eagan, $8,500
Chameleon Theatre Circle, Inc., Burnsville, $9,329
Eagan Art House / Parks & Rec, Eagan, $20,000
Mentoring Peace Through Art, Hopkins, $13,195
Mixed Blood Theatre Co., Minneapolis, $10,000
Mixed Precipitation, Minneapolis, $11,225
The O'Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University, St. Paul, $10,000
Park Square Theatre, St. Paul, $10,000
Patrick's Cabaret, Minneapolis, $20,000
Pillsbury House Theatre, Minneapolis, $15,800
SteppingStone Theatre for Youth Development, St. Paul, $3,075
Ten Thousand Things Theater, Minneapolis, $7,400

GRANT REVIEW PANELISTS

The grants were reviewed by a panel of persons active in the metro arts and disability communities. They read, discussed and ranked the applications, and their recommendations were approved by the VSA Minnesota board of directors. Panelists (and their counties of residence) included:
Jennifer Arave, Hennepin, conceptual performing artist; ArtShare co-founder
Gail Burke, Washington, Tubman human resources director; VSA board; past State Arts Board ADA & human resources coordinator
Annis Clark, Washington, consultant, past Interact board
Stephanie Cunningham, Hennepin, accessibility consultant; past VSA board member
Michael Foster, Hennepin, writer, vocalist; Mpls Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities; Courage Center Business Advisory Committee
Erin McLennon, Ramsey, McNally-Smith College of Music, recent State Arts Board ADA coordinator & program staff
Carisa Rasmussen, Dakota, Accessible Homes chief manager
Lia Rivamonte, Ramsey/Anoka, Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts executive director
Stacy Shamblott, Hennepin, Vision Loss Resources social coordinator

PREVIOUS GRANT RECIPIENTS

In the first three rounds of this new grant in 2010, a total of $292,931 was awarded to 23 organizations:
Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, $20,000
Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center, Minneapolis, $15,000
Circus Juventas, St. Paul, $15,000
DanceWorks Repertory Ensemble, Lakeville, $4,937
History Theatre, St. Paul, $15,000
Illusion Theater & School, Minneapolis, $15,000
Interact Center for Visual & Performing Arts, Minneapolis, $13,875
Juxtaposition Arts, Minneapolis, $20,000
Minneapolis Musical Theatre, Minneapolis, $5,000
Minnesota Chorale, Minneapolis, $10,000
Mixed Blood Theatre Co., Minneapolis, $11,718
Nimbus Theatre, Minneapolis, $17,700
Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, $4,544
The O'Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University, St. Paul, $15,000
Park Square Theatre, St. Paul, $15,000
Rosetown Playhouse, Roseville, $1,161
Sample Night Live!, St. Paul, $15,000
The Soap Factory, Minneapolis, $15,000
Textile Center of Minnesota, Minneapolis, $4,500
TU Dance, St. Paul, $20,000
Upstream Arts, Inc., Minneapolis, $15,000
Young Dance, Minneapolis, $9,496
Zenon Dance Co. & School, Inc., Minneapolis, $15,000

The grant program is administered by VSA Minnesota for the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC). For news about future grants, contact VSA Minnesota, phone: 612-332-3888 voice/tty, email: access@vsamn.org

As the saying goes here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, "It could be worse."

We at VSA Minnesota, like many of our nonprofit colleague organizations, are facing some major challenges in terms of threatened reductions to state and federal funding sources this spring. 

Close to home, the Minnesota state legislature is considering large cuts to both the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Regional Arts Council system, both long-time financial partners of our organization.  Likewise, budget talks currently taking place in our nation's capitol are calling for the elimination of funding for Arts in Education, the line item in the Department of Education's budget that funds VSA organizations throughout the country.

The bad thing is that these threats are out there and more possible than ever before. The good thing is that there is still time to make your concerns heard and to stop or reduce the severity of these proposed cuts to arts funding that benefit VSA Minnesota programming.

The easiest way to let your voice be heard is via a couple of handy web links here. To contact your U.S. Representative and Senators Franken and Klobuchar in support of funding for VSA via the Arts in Education line item, click here: Americans for the Arts, Action Alert. To contact your state representative and state senator in support of funding for the Minnesota State Arts Board and the regional arts council system click here: Minnesota Citizens for the Arts and then hit the "Act Now!" button.

The arts programming that VSA Minnesota provides to children, youth and adults with disabilities throughout the state cannot occur without public support – both state and federal; there are not sufficient corporate, foundation or individual donations to keep this programming available and viable.  If you feel that this public financial support should continue, please take a few minutes today to contact your state and federal representatives using the links above.

Thank you! - Craig Dunn, Executive Director, VSA Minnesota.

Artwork by Mazin Hasabelarsoul from Humboldt Senior High School in Saint Paul has been selected to represent Minnesota in the 2011 All Kids Can CREATE national touring exhibition. Featuring artwork by students age 5-15 from each state, the exhibit is sponsored by CVS Caremark All Kids Can and VSA, the international organization on arts and disability.

Mazin will be one of 10 artists to be honored at this year’s congressional reception, when his artwork, titled “A Moon in the Darkness of Night,” will debut in Washington, D.C. on June 13. He created the artwork during a VSA Minnesota residency with teaching artist Donna Bruni Cox. This program aims to enhance creative expression and personal development through arts experiences for Minnesota students with disabilities and their peers.

The theme of the 2011 All Kids Can CREATE program is “Imagination Across America.”  More than 4,700 entries from young artists living with and without disabilities from across the country were submitted. An expert panel of judges, including artists and art educators, selected 102 student artists to be featured in the exhibition.  All of the artwork, from paintings to sculptures to photographs, will be included in an online gallery at Artsonia, All Kids Can CREATE.

“We’re so impressed with the passion and creativity represented in Mazin’s artwork, and it truly captures the spirit of the All Kids Can CREATE program,” said Eileen Howard Boone, senior vice president of corporate communications and community relations for CVS Caremark. “Through this program we have helped children of all abilities to use art as a way to express themselves and create positive change in their lives.”

“With our partner CVS Caremark, VSA is showcasing the creative talents of students of all abilities,” commented Jennifer Wexler, VSA director of visual arts. “We’re excited to share these wonderful works of art with audiences around the country and encourage people of all ages and abilities to tap into their own imaginations.”

VSA and CVS Caremark’s yearlong partnership also includes support of state VSA affiliates like VSA Minnesota who encourage learning and community engagement through artistic expression.  Grants support artist-in-residence programs in schools that expand access and document learning through the arts for students with disabilities.  CVS Caremark employees also volunteer in activities in their communities and/or schools to help build inclusive environments.

CVS Caremark All Kids Can

All Kids Can, a program of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and CVS Caremark, is a five-year, $25 million commitment to support children with disabilities. The goals of All Kids Can are to support children with disabilities by raising awareness in schools and in local communities about the importance of inclusion, creating greater opportunities for physical activity and play, and providing access to medical rehabilitation and related services. CVS Caremark and its more than 211,000 employees help children with disabilities learn, play and succeed through partnerships with leading local and national nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit CVS Caremark All Kids Can.

VSA

VSA, the international organization on arts and disability, was founded more than 35 years ago by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to provide arts and education opportunities for people with disabilities and increase access to the arts for all. With 52 international affiliates and a network of nationwide affiliates, VSA is changing perceptions about people with disabilities around the world. Each year, 7 million people of all ages and abilities participate in VSA programs, which cover all artistic genres. VSA is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, visit VSA, the international organization on arts and disability.

Six arts organizations in the Twin Cities have been awarded a total of $102,700 for projects to make the arts more accessible to people with disabilities. Funding for these ADA Access Improvement Grants for Metro Arts Organizations is from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota o November 4, 2008.

This is the second year of ADA Access Improvement Grants for Metro Arts Organizations, made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, which voters approved in 2008 and which directs a substantial portion toward arts access and arts education. VSA Minnesota administers the program for the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC). In the first three grant rounds, $292,931 has been awarded to 23 Twin Cities organizations. About $147,000 is available to be awarded to organizations applying by the deadline April 29, 2011. The maximum grant award is $20,000. Grant Recipients include:

Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, $20,000

The Cedar will partner with Courage Center to engage persons with disabilities and their families with a program of dynamic music and dance performances featuring artists from all over the world, educational programs that include artist demonstrations, and public concert events.

Juxtaposition Arts, Minneapolis, $20,000

Juxtaposition Arts, a youth-focused arts organization operating in north Minneapolis, will use grant funds to improve access for people with mobility and vision disabilities in its newly purchased painting studio; work includes correcting a steep slope and widening the front doorway to allow wheelchair entry, widening all interior doorways and retrofitting the restrooms for ADA compliance as well as installing Braille signage at exterior doors and restrooms.

Minnesota Chorale, Minneapolis, $10,000

“Join the Dance!” mobilizes & celebrates the artistry of people with physical disabilities, providing opportunities for them to function as distinctive creators. Built around a residency by dancers from Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, the program pairs dancers recruited from Courage Center with MN Chorale singers to develop works that widen the performers’ horizons & call attention to their needs.

Nimbus Theatre, Minneapolis, $17,700

Nimbus Theatre respectfully requests funds to install accessible lobby bathrooms in our new, 75-seat performance space in NE Minneapolis (a space that will also serve other arts activities). We chose the space greatly because of its accessibility, but want to do all we can to increase and enhance accessible use.

TU Dance, St. Paul, $20,000

Support is requested to build an exterior access ramp for the new TU Dance Center, located at 2121 University Avenue West in Saint Paul, slated to open in summer 2011. The Center will be a hub for local dance classes, workshops and rehearsals that is open to the public.

Zenon Dance Co. & School, Inc., Minneapolis, $15,000

Zenon seeks to create and implement an audience development plan targeting the Twin Cities’ deaf/hard of hearing community, a group that traditionally lacks access to dance as an art form.

Grant Review Panelists

The grants were reviewed by a panel of persons active in the metro arts and disability communities. They read, discussed and ranked the applications, and their recommendations were approved by the VSA Minnesota board of directors. Panelists (and their counties of residence) included:
Christy Dickinson, Dakota, Arts Midwest accessibility coordinator
Jeanette Frederickson, Ramsey, attorney, PACER board, parent of young adult who is deaf
Adrienne Mason, Ramsey, disability advocate/speaker, Goodwill/Easter Seals board, past Metro Center for Independent Living (MCIL) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) committees
Julee Quarve-Peterson, Hennepin, accessibility consultant
Scotty Reynolds, Hennepin, director, performer & producer with Interact Center, Mixed Precipitation
Stacy Shamblott, Hennepin, Vision Loss Resources social coordinator.

Previous Grant Recipients

In the first two rounds of this new grant in 2010, a total of $190,231 was awarded to 17 organizations:
Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center, Minneapolis, $15,000
Circus Juventas, St. Paul, $15,000
DanceWorks Repertory Ensemble, Lakeville, $4,937
History Theatre, St. Paul, $15,000
Illusion Theater & School, Minneapolis, $15,000
Interact Center for Visual & Performing Arts, Minneapolis, $13,875
Minneapolis Musical Theatre, Minneapolis, $5,000
Mixed Blood Theatre Co., Minneapolis, $11,718
Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, $4,544
The O’Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University, St. Paul, $15,000
Park Square Theatre, St. Paul, $15,000
Rosetown Playhouse, Roseville, $1,161
Sample Night Live!, St. Paul, $15,000
The Soap Factory, Minneapolis, $15,000
Textile Center of Minnesota, Minneapolis, $4,500
Upstream Arts, Inc., Minneapolis, $15,000
Young Dance, Minneapolis, $9,496.

Seven Minnesota artists have been awarded grants of $1,500 each through the VSA Minnesota Project Grants for Emerging Artists with Disabilities Program. The 15th annual competitive grant, funded by the Jerome Foundation, recognizes excellence by Minnesota artists with disabilities. Selected from 40 applicants, the grantees are:

Anne Krocak, Prior Lake, Multi-Media – sculptural wall hangings/installation
Anne Sawyer-Aitch, Minneapolis, Multi-media – performance
Adrean Clark, Maplewood, Multi-media – comics/sequential art
John Lee Clark, Maplewood, Writing – poetry
Lisa Dietz, Golden Valley, Visual Art – fiber art
Barbara Harman , Minneapolis, Visual Art – sculpture, painting
Pamela Kirton, Burnsville, Visual Art – mixed media images

A short bio about each artist is available below.

The grants were awarded following a jury process conducted by individuals with extensive backgrounds in the written, visual and performing arts. They looked at samples of the artists’ work, proposed projects, resumes and artist statements. Panelists who met Dec. 14 or 17, 2010, included:

Welles Emerson, Minneapolis, Visual Artist
Janet Groenert, St. Paul, Visual Artist
Mary Roettger, St Paul, Studio Artist and Ceramics Professor, Anoka/Ramsey Community College, Coon Rapids
Elliott Lynch, Minneapolis, Performance Artist, Theatre Technician, Bryant Lake Bowl
Mark Davison , Minneapolis, Ceramic Artist,  two-time VSA emerging grant winner
Rachel Flentje, Bloomington, Exhibition Director, Bloomington Theatre & Art Center
Beth Wright, Minneapolis, Book Editor and Designer
Randall Davidson, Minneapolis, Composer
Loretta Bebeau, Minneapolis, Visual Artist, 3-D mediums
Marion Gomez, Minneapolis, Community Organizer, Poet
Kate Shuknecht, St. Paul, Poet, Book Artist, Local Grocer

VSA Minnesota and the grant recipients would like to thank the Jerome Foundation for their continued support in making this grant possible. VSA Minnesota is a nonprofit organization working to make the arts accessible to people with all types of disabilities. For more information about its grants, services and activities for individuals or arts organizations, call 612-332-3888 or 800-801-3883, Voice/TTY; e-mail info@vsamn.org.

Bios of Recipients of 2010 VSA Minnesota Project Grant for Emerging Artists with Disabilities $1,500 Grants

Anne Krocak

 “I do not remember a time when my life didn’t flow around art…. Art is an expression of our deepest emotions and expresses our feelings to others. As an artist with a disability, I want to communicate my feelings with people, including others like me, with disabilities.”-- Anne Krocak

As a public artist, Anne works with communities to create large, interactive, abstract, yet functional concrete sculptures, such as benches or wall hangings. Mosaic designs made of glass and commercial and handmade ceramic tiles are then attached to the surface of the sculptures. Working with individual groups from a community allows Anne and the group to become catalysts for change. Anne starts with the collaborative process. Through research and development, they create a design process and final work of art that unites the group and opens a dialogue between the ideas of the individual contributors and the community at large.

Anne has exhibited at Changing Landscapes - An Art Exhibit, U of M, Minneapolis; Vision Loss Resources Group Show, Minneapolis; Sister Kenny International Art Show, Minneapolis; Art Fete, Burnsville Mall; Student Cultural Center, Coffman Union, U of M, Minneapolis; Rochester Art Center Gallery Art Show; Sold on Art-II – Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis; 2002 Wonder Woman Tackle Art!, Distilo Gallery, Minneapolis; Exemplars of Excellence, Jean Stephen Galleries, Minneapolis; Waterfall Gallery – Hennepin County Government Center, Minneapolis; and Anodyne, Solo Show, Minneapolis.

Anne Sawyer-Aitch

 “I like to think that my shows help send adults and children back into the world before television when the people might sit and watch the shadow puppeteer to learn about their history, their religion, their culture. A contemporary shadow puppet audience will share that experience in common with the armies of Genghis Khan and street urchins of Dickens’ London; with emperors and peasants, Europeans, Africans, and Asians. There is a magic to the form that has captivated me since I first saw it.” – Anne Sawyer-Aitch

It is no accident that Anne Sawyer-Aitch became a puppeteer. She has always been fascinated by shadow, light and color. Likewise, she is very fond of storytelling, whether it takes the form of a puppet show, a play, or a short story. Anne loves to create elaborate and intricate designs reminiscent of batik or papel picado (Mexican tissue paper cuts). 

Anne is also a fan of children’s books. She grew up reading the D’Aulaire’s Greek and Norse Mythologies, the books of local author Wanda Gag, and mountains of illustrated collections of fairy tales. The picture books gave her a life-long love of reading and art that she is eager to share with future generations of children. She believes now more than ever we need to inspire kids to read, to imagine, to think outside the box of multiple choice tests. Anne has expanded upon her puppeteer and storyteller skills by illustrating a children’s book and is looking forward to developing that book into a one-woman show.

Anne has received an Arts Activity Grant from the Metro Regional Arts Council (MRAC) to re-stage the play “Children & Other Optical Illusions” at Open Eye Figure Theatre; three MRAC Community Arts Grants; the Minnesota State Arts Board Artists Initiative Grant; a Puppeteers of America Endowment Grant; a Jerome Foundation Travel Grant to perform at the National Puppetry Festival; and a Center for Arts Criticism Grant to study Latino Theater.

John Lee Clark

 “Ever since I began reading Braille full-time five years ago, my poetry has undergone a dramatic change. Part of the change is due to my continued maturing as a writer, but there are some fundamental reasons why my poems no longer have stanzas and tend to be short. Reading Braille, I am aware of only the line I am reading at that moment.” – John Lee Clark

John finds that traveling – leaving his abode, his daily routine, and the same old tasks – stirs up his imagination, inspiring him to write on a wider array of subjects. He has long wanted to go on a trip, not for sightseeing, but for “touchfeeling.” He is especially interested in encounters with nature and natural wonders.

John has edited a book of poetry titled Deaf American Poetry: an Anthology (Gallaudet University Press) and published a chapbook titled Suddenly Slow: Poems (Handtype Press). His poetry has also been published in these anthologies: She Asks for Slippers While Pointing at the Salt (Michael Northen, ed.; Inglis House Poetry); 2010 Saint Paul Almanac (Kimberly Nightingale, ed., Arcata Press); Reading Lips and Other Ways of Overcoming a Disability (Diane Scharper, ed., Apprentice House); and Deaf Identity and Internal Revolution (Gallaudet University Press).

John received The Best of the Net Nomination for his poem, “The Only Way Signing Can Kill Us”; a Pushcart Prize Nomination for “The Case for Writing about Disability”; and a Pushcart Prize Nomination for “The Morning Walker.” He was a finalist for the Helen Keller Foundation International Memoir Competition for “Lagging Behind My Father”; a Runner-Up for nibble First Annual Contest for “No Thank You, Walt Whitman”; Third Place winner of the Inglis House Poetry Contest for “Deaf-blind: Three Squared Cinquains”; and winner of the Listening Eye Best Sports Poem for “Winter Baseball.” In 2010 he received a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant. He won a VSA Artist Recognition Grant in 2003.

Adrean Clark

 “As a deaf comic artist, my goal is to open windows into a culture otherwise inaccessible to the hearing mainstream…. the power of visuals…is what I harness with my comics. Humor is also an equalizer, and one of the tools I use to help hearing people connect with deaf people.” – Adrean Clark

In writing comics, Adrean does not believe in hitting the reader over the head with moral points. She believes in showing situations and circumstances that allow the reader to figure things out without insulting their intelligence. In her work 8 Ways to Be Deaf, she introduces the concepts behind Deaf culture through a hearing man who naturally educates himself as he tries to win a deaf woman’s affections. Fleet.com reviewed 8 Ways to Be Deaf and said it was “how you teach somebody about your culture, cause, or goal—organically, with a bit of humor and remembering that people are people.”

Adrean hopes that her comics are an enjoyable read and help promote a positive view of disabled people. She also hopes that by pulling the curtain back on the Deaf experience, using the powerful combination of visuals and text that comics offer, it will make a difference.

Adrean is a cartoonist at Adreanaline.com and she has published a book, The Census Taker and Other Deaf Humor; a comic book, 8 Ways to be Deaf; and a web comic, Adreanaline.

Pamela Kirton

 “When you see my birds at first or from a slight distance, they appear natural. On closer inspection you will see just how extraordinary they are. The more I drew different birds, the more birds I have become compelled to draw.

Being trapped in a wheelchair for so long led me to see my birds as a metaphor in life. As a disabled artist my body may be clumsy on land, but in my mind I fly in creative skies.” – Pamela Kirton

For Pamela, a humble observation has led to a very successful artistic venture. The birds that cluster daily at her feeder in front of her kitchen window have become friends.  She recognizes the faithful attendees and welcomes newcomers. In all the Minnesota seasons, they come and feed and play. She is amazed by their energy and good nature. While they are humble and even drab in color, birds became more and more precious to Pamela. Soon they became beautiful, she says, like they had been hatched from Faberge eggs. It became Pamela’s mission to honor birds by showing them through that vision.

Pamela has exhibited with Paperworks Exhibition, Midwestern Gallery, Minot, ND; The Art of Romance, Red Wing Gallery, Red Wing, MN; Women’s International Show, Midwestern Gallery, Minot, ND; Falconer’s Wine Label Show, Red Wing Gallery; The Art House at Jones Center, Austin, TX; 2nd Annual Juried Show, Atwood Gallery, St. Cloud; Spyhouse Coffee Shop, solo show, Minneapolis; “Illustration Rodeo,” Minneapolis College of Art and Design; Junior Merits Exhibition, Minneapolis College of Art and Design; and Croydon College of Art, Croydon, Surrey, England. Pamela was also InDigest Online Magazine’s Featured Artist.

Lisa Dietz

 “I am a disabled artist and my art rose from my disability…. I would like to use my artistic abilities to reflect my enthusiasm for helping people with BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) using DBT (Dialectic Behavior Therapy).” – Lisa Dietz

Lisa’s artwork is primarily created from recycled materials. Initially this was a simple financial decision: purchasing supplies from garage sales and thrift stores. Over time, she began to receive donations of interesting fibers and “bits.” This recycled, re-purposed usage has become an integral part of her passion. At times, found objects seem to “speak to her” in that they seem to have an innate artistic purpose, waiting to be shaped. In the beginning her work was directed by a burning desire to try out different techniques with fibers. After seeing a PBS program about Mark Rothko, she gained a sense of purpose about her work. She read extensively about the Expressionists and Abstract Expressionist movements in the 1950’s and 60’s. What she internalized from this reading was the desire to elicit an emotional response from viewers. Now she intentionally distorts the realistic aspects of her work because she doesn’t want viewers to get caught up in what a particular image “looks like.” She seeks rather to represent aspects of nature, society and humanness with symbolic images and shapes that have been manipulated in a way to create an emotional response.

Lisa’s art work has received first place honors at the Minnesota State Fair for the past four years, placing third and fourth in 2006. Her exhibitions are Art-Ability, Minnesota State Arts Board: Art of Recovery exhibition; International Cultural Institute show at the University of Minnesota; Minnesota Office of Justice Traveling Show, University of MN, Duluth; San Francisco International Quilting Fair, part of representing “Quilting Arts Magazine” Go Green Competition; Inside Out Gallery, (con)Text Exhibition; Inside Out Gallery, Holiday Art Show; and VSA Minnesota-sponsored Solo Exhibition at Vision Loss Resources.

Barbara Harman

 “My life has often traveled on a current of loss in which only the passing landscape offers permanence and serenity. My artwork forges a relationship between that empirical landscape and my emotional landscape. In the search for ways to express their connection, I have developed a symbolic language of objects – trees, houses, birds, water, leaves – that repeat, overlap, and relate.” – Barbara Harman

Twenty years ago Barbara Harman and her sister revisited their childhood memories. Barbara was astonished by how seldom they recalled the same events or, even when they did, how difficult it was to agree on most, if not all, of the details. Barbara concluded, “Our individual viewpoints meant neither had experienced what the other had experienced, despite growing up in the same family.”  Since then, viewpoint has emerged as an underlying theme in Barbara’s artwork. Text and imagery work together closely in the development of Barbara’s art work. Journaling, poetry, site notes from the environments she visits, and readings support and illuminate her thinking and discovery. She continues to use a multi-layered approach in creating her artwork. Work in a series can include paintings, prints, artist books, printed and stitched fabric, and poetry or other original writing.

Barbara has been exhibiting since the early nineties. Her latest exhibits include Warm Currents, Women’s Art Registry of MN, Northrop King Gallery, Minneapolis; Project Art for Nature, Hudson Hospital, Hudson, WI; Project Art for Nature: Limitless Horizons, Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts, Fridley; Project Art for Nature, River Falls Public Library, River Falls, WI; WARM Mentor and Protégée Exhibition, Bloomington Art Center; WARM 26th Annual All-Member Juried Show, Northrup King Gallery, Minneapolis; WARM Chronicles: A Journey Through Visual Landscapes, Minneapolis Foundation; International Show for Artists with Disabilities, Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis; WARM Women Make History, Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis; Project Art for Nature, Winona State University, Winona; Art of the Word, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minneapolis;  and WARM 25th Annual All-Member Juried Show, Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts, Fridley.

The arts in Minnesota are more accessible to people with disabilities today – thanks in part to two individuals and two organizations who value the arts.

The 13th annual Arts Access Awards are nominated by the public and presented by VSA Minnesota, to recognize outstanding accomplishments by artists, arts organizations, advocates and educators that help create a community where people with disabilities can learn through, participate in and access the arts.

This year’s awards were presented Monday, September 13, 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Park Square Theatre, 408 Saint Peter Street (20 W. 7th Place), Saint Paul.

Recipients are:

Most Active and Visible Minnesota Artist with Disabilities:
Sharon Pfau – Saint Cloud artist active with We-R-Artists, which enables area artists with disabilities to share and sell art.

Outstanding Artist Educator of Students with Disabilities:
Perrin Boyd – Northfield artist/clown who has worked with VSA Minnesota on a number of projects for students with disabilities.

Outstanding Organization Alerting People with Disabilities to the Arts:
Access Press – Saint Paul news media providing monthly coverage of accessible arts performances and artists with disabilities.

Outstanding Producing/Performing Group Involving People with Disabilities:
BOLD-choice Theatre Company – part of Choice Unlimited in Duluth, the theatre, directed by Annie Roseen, has created and toured shows by people with and without disabilities.

Additional information about each Jaehny recipient will be available at the Awards ceremony. Refreshments will be provided, and attendees can take a brief tour of the newly renovated theatre. This year’s award, created by Mark Davison of Minneapolis, is called the “Jaehny” in honor of Jaehn Clare, a co-founder of VSA Minnesota. An ASL interpreter and audio describer will be available.

2012 Artists With Disabilities Alliance (AWDA)

PLEASE NOTE: There will NOT be an AWDA meeting at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design in February or March. If you wish to help attract more participants to AWDA’s 2012 meetings (typically held the third Wednesday at MCAD), please contact Tara Innmon, facilitator, tarainnmon@visi.com or 612-376-7779.

When: We are taking a break during the cold months; the next meeting has NOT been scheduled.
Where: Minneapolis College of Art & Design, 2501 Stevens Ave. S. The main MCAD building is next to the Mpls Institute of Arts & the Children's Theatre. There is a free parking ramp off 3rd Ave. S., and accessible parking off Stevens & 25th.
Agenda: We are looking for ideas (and venues) that will generate more interest and attendance in 2012!
Description:

• Who we are: Artists with disabilities are invited to these informal networking meetings. Writers, visual artists, performers and other artists are welcome to share your interests and talents, support one another's work, and advocate for increased opportunities for all.
• AWDA Mission: A diverse community dedicated to the support, mentorship and promotion of artists with disabilities. Creating a presence through artistic expression.
• Introductions: Meetings typically start by having each participant share briefly what is going well in your art life, what is difficult, and what support you would like from the group.
• Art-Sharing Time: bring a sample of your art – visual art, writing, music, etc.!
• Fragrance-Free: Please do not wear fragrances, so all can participate.

For more information: If you have suggestions, contact Tara Innmon, facilitator, 612-376-7779 or tarainnmon@visi.com, or VSA Minnesota: jon@vsamn.org or 612-332-3888, voice/tty.

2012 Open Flow Forum

Visual Artists, Performers, Musicians and Poets

When: Thursday, March 1, 2012, 7:00-9:00 PM.

(Introductions at 7:00, Art-sharing begins at 7:15).

Description: Open Flow Forum is a monthly “First Thursdays” opportunity for artists with and without disabilities to bring samples of their visual art, poetry, music, memoir, photography or other art form to share and discuss in an informal, supportive, fragrance-free setting. Participants are invited to bring refreshments to share or to contribute a small donation to cover treats. Open Flow is an outgrowth of the Artists With Disabilities Alliance (AWDA).

Special Note: Samples of visual art submitted by 2011 Emerging Artist Grant applicants will be shown (and possibly performance samples, depending on how many artists share art this evening).

Where: Carleton Artist Lofts Community Room, 2285 University Avenue West. St. Paul. Park on Charles Street, one block north of University (NOT in the parking lot or you may be towed). The main entry is on the north side of the building; the Community Room is straight through the entryway. If no one is around, dial 110.

April 5 Forum: We will welcome Twin Cities author Marya Hornbacher, who has written two memoirs: Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia, and Madness: A Bipolar Life; a novel: The Center of Winter; and two non-fiction books: Sane: Mental Illness, Addiction and the Twelve Steps; and Waiting: A Nonbeliever’s Higher Power. www.maryahornbacher.com. She will read from one or more of her works and then discuss an arts-related topic with participants.

Future Forums: First Thursdays in 2012, 7:00-9:00 PM (unless noted): May 3, June 7, July 5, August 1 (WED.), Sept. 6, Oct. 4, Nov. 1, Dec. 6.

For more information: Contact Dan Reiva (dprw@yahoo.com), Mike Price (serpentine3243@yahoo.com), Pamela Veeder (prveeder@yahoo.com), or VSA Minnesota: jon@vsamn.org or 612-332-3888, voice/tty.

Past Open Flow Forums:

October 4, 2011

Tara Innmon, along with Terry Day and other artists, opened The Art Shoppe on Oct. 1 at Midtown Global Market, 920 E. Lake St., Minneapolis. A loan from a micro-financing project, funded by A Minnesota Without Poverty, Mount Olive Lutheran Church and the Jewish Community Relations Council, was used for part of the start-up funds. Read more in an interview with Tara and Terry in the Southwest Journal, here.
Tony Wentersdorf shared a section of the memoirs he has begun writing. He has only recently found his writer’s voice. He often finds that the academic and literary voice creeps in and flattens his work.
Brian Jon Foster shared a slide show of his work with in-lay tile, linoleum and composition materials. Brian designed and built the 2011 Annual Arts Access Awards (a.k.a. Jaehny Award) for VSA Minnesota. To see more of his work, check out the floors at Intermedia Arts, or go to www.brianjonfoster.com.
Pamela Bottoms shared the gift of an origami cube that transforms into a rose. The demonstration of the cube/rose and discussion of origami and paper folding led to a trip down memory lane with the making of fortune telling/May basket pieces.
Ivey Award winning performance company Off-Leash Area has recently toured its hit A Gift for Planet BX63 to area garages, including those of Tara Innmon and Jon Skaalen.
Dan Reiva appeared in an October production of Trojan Women with Green T Productions at The Old Arizona.
Pamela Veeder shared a charcoal sketch she did after surviving a ruptured appendix. This piece, along with her photography and theatre work, is a part of her goal “to create on a regular basis.” Beginning Nov. 1, she will have photos exhibited at Park State Bank, 430 First Ave. N., Suite 104 in downtown Minneapolis.

September 1, 2011

Lindagail shared a copy of the first draft of her memoir manuscript, Momma. She hopes the work will help to educate and heal others as the writing of it has helped her to find her voice and speak out against the physical abuse of children. Hoping to have a publisher by January, she has entrusted the first draft with a select few to offer feedback. Lindagail’s long-term goals are to become a speaker in the field of child physical abuse and develop a database of psychologists who provide help to abuse survivors on either a pro-bono or sliding fee scale.

Mike Price shared an early draft of A Fistful of Fringe. The short story is about his experience of performing his play No Change of Address in the 2011 Minnesota Fringe Festival.

August 2, 2011

Brian Jon Foster shared his design for this year’s Jaehny Award – VSA’s annual Arts Access Award. His creations, of vinyl composition tile and wood, will be personalized for each recipient.

Simon Carvalho has photographs on exhibit at Vision Loss Resource Center (at the corner of Lyndale and Franklin), Minneapolis, through September.

Mike Price read his short story entitled Our Father. It was also published in the 2010 Artability writers’ book. He also reminded everyone that his play, No Change of Address, premieres at the 2011 Minnesota Fringe Festival August 4-14.

Dan Reiva read a new poem, Expired. It falls in the genre of “existential syllogism.”

July 5, 2011

Dan Reiva read a poem-in-progress. Mike Price and Pamela Veeder provided an update on their Fringe Festival one-act play, “No Change of Address,” which Mike wrote about a psych ward experience. The group shared ideas of how to promote the show.

March 3, 2011

Peggy Halverson presented a slide show and talk about Falls 4 All, an organization planning to build an accessible playground designed for use by children with and without disabilities in Minnehaha Park. Other presenters included Jason Ross, who read two new poems; Tara Innmon, who showed samples of her past paintings and writings, one of which inspired the other; and Mike Price, who read a portion of his novel-in-progress, Serpentine.

February 1, 2011

Presenters included Jason Ross, who read a new poem; Pamela Veeder, who showed samples of her color photography; and Mike Price, who read a portion of his novel-in-progress, Serpentine.

January 4, 2011

Presenters included Jason Ross, who read a new poem; Donna Savage, who showed samples of her black & white photography; and Mike Price, who had the group read a portion of his novel-in-progress, Serpentine. Individuals were also invited to attend a January 6th Theatre in the Round preview of "Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean." Jane Strauss, whose automobile photographs grace TRP’s gallery for the run of this show, had free tickets to share.

December 2, 2010

Presenters included Jane Strauss, who showed photography related to inclusion of people with disabilities in the Jewish community. Her exhibit opens January 13 at the Sabes Jewish Community Center Gallery in St. Louis Park; Alex Kaminsky, who shared artwork of close friends with whom he’d shared discussions of art, writing and disability issues; Daniel Reiva, who read some of his new “fan fiction” related to The X Files, which "flew out of him… in mid-flit."

November 4, 2010

Presenters included Jason Ross, who read three new poems; Alex Kaminsky, who created with the group a new improvised poem and discussed his approach to writing, performing and approaching disability; Pamela Bottoms, who showed and described samples of her artistic light switches made out of polymer clay; Jane Strauss, who showed recent photography; and Mike Price, who shared a portion of a new novel he’s working on, Serpentine.

October 7, 2010:

Tara Innmon read from her memoir. Sam Jasmine and Jon Skaalen performed a short play, “Tea Party,” about a fictional appearance on “Oprah” by Rep. Michele Bachmann. Mike Price  read the Reader’s Digest condensed version of his one-act play, “No Change of Address.”

September 2, 2010:

Featured Artist Dan Reiva introduced the two-person cast of "Mornin" Son O'Mine," a one-act play about mental illness and suicide which they previewed for the group and gained feedback prior to opening Sept. 23 with the Eden Prairie Players. Other artists sharing work were James Mitchell, who read a poem and a short story, and Barbara Saunders and Jane Strauss, who showed recent photography

August 3, 2010:

Featured Artist Brian Shaughnessy talked about his life as a performer, including serious bumps along the road, leading to publishing a book and then creating a show, "The Squeaky Wheel Squeaks," which he is performing at Fringe Festivals in Minnesota and several other states.

July 1, 2010:

VSA Minnesota 'Writing Mental Illness' class read writings of their new work.

April 7, 2010:

Alison Bergblom Johnson performed her writing related to the subject of mental illness and art.

March 3, 2010:

Pamela Veeder showed samples of her textile art. Joe Rheault talked about his cartooning art and showed samples from past and upcoming books. Link to his work at: dirtyinks on deviantART, Dirty Inks: Gnarly Imagery Since 2004, or Dirty Inks Blog.

February 3, 2010:

Michael Price read from his recent fiction and talked about his creative process.

December 2, 2009:

Brian Jon Foster presented examples of his "art on the floor" (vinyl tile) artwork and talked about his artistic process.

November 4, 2009:

Alison Bergblom Johnson performed her writing and talked about her artistic process.

When: We R Artists meets every fourth Wednesday  unless it’s a holiday from, 5:00 PM-7:00 PM

Description: We Are Artists  is a group that meets to share networking opportunities and provide support to  artists with disabilities or people who know an artist with a disability.  All are encouraged to attend. If you are interested in meeting other artists or people of similar interests and abilities, this may be an opportunity for you.

Where: Paramount Visual Arts Center (downstairs of the Paramount Theatre, 913 W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN 56301. Enter Paramount’s back door (near Taco John’s). Paramount parking ramp and street parking are FREE after 6 PM.

For more information: Stacey O’Connell, 320-420-8124, stacey12oconnell@gmail.com or Sharon Pfau, 320-230-9412, polarts56@hotmail.com

Program Purpose

The Arts Ambassador Program is designed to bring professional artists with disabilities into classrooms to engage people of all ages and abilities in a presentation that discusses the Ambassador’s art form, disability and work as a professional artist.

Through this program, students and staff are able to gain experience, knowledge and understanding about:

• various art forms including visual arts, music, theater and dance/movement
• the disability culture
• the importance of and need for inclusion of people with disabilities in the arts
• the similarities that connect the human spirit of us all

Program Description

Arts Ambassadors presentations will offer new options to students who have had limited exposure to particular art forms.  Participants will be reminded of the capabilities of people with disabilities.

Each presentation will include the Artist Ambassador speaking about or demonstrating their particular art form with time allowed for student questions. A representative from VSA Minnesota will share information about artists with disabilities and will draw on materials available through organizational resources. The length of each presentation will be generally between 45-60 minutes. VSA Minnesota’s arts in education coordinator will work with a designated teacher/administrator to determine what (if any) presentation accommodations will need to be made based on age, disability and/or classroom setting.

Each student attending the presentation will complete a brief post-survey to assess their awareness of disability in general, of the activity of people with disabilities in the arts and of their feelings about people with disabilities. In addition to the student surveys, teachers will be asked to complete a questionnaire following the presentation.  Some of the questions will be similar to those asked of the students but others will address issues of curricular relevance, age and ability appropriateness and suggestions for improvements.

Eligibility

Any interested party in Minnesota is eligible to request a visit from an Arts Ambassador of their choice.

Costs

Schools will be charged a fee to offset a portion of the project expenses, $125.00 for metro area schools, $150.00 for greater Minnesota.

What to Submit

Arts Ambassador Request (Portable Document Format - PDF).
Arts Ambassador Request (Microsoft Word Format).
Arts Ambassador Request (Rich Text Format - RTF).

Teachers/school administrators can make arrangements for school visits by completing the Arts Ambassador Request (see above) and sending it to:
Jenea Rewertz-Targui, Arts in Education Coordinator.
VSA Minnesota.
528 Hennepin Avenue, Suite 305.
Minneapolis, MN 55403.
E-mail:  jenea@vsamn.org.

The Ambassadors

For information or questions regarding this program, please contact Jenea Rewertz-Targui, Arts in Education Coordinator, phone: 612-332-3888 or email: jenea@vsamn.org.

Description

This roster is an approved listing of Minnesota artists (from all artistic disciplines) who have completed a thorough application, review, and interview with VSA Minnesota.

• The primary purpose of this roster is to identify and promote high quality professional artists with disabilities. The roster is intended as a resource for schools/educational settings as well as any community groups seeking artists to present to people of all ages and abilities.
• The roster has a secondary purpose to increase participants’ awareness of the importance of and need for inclusion of people with disabilities in the arts.

For information about rostered ambassadors, please contact Jenea Rewertz-Targui, 612-332-3888 or jenea@vsamn.org.

Arts Ambassador Roster Application

Eligibility:

Arts Ambassador Roster applicants must be:

• 18 years of age or older;
• a resident of Minnesota with a disability;
• a professional artist with expertise in one or more arts disciplines;
• have skills in working with children/ youth/teachers in educational settings.

What to Submit:

Applications are accepted on an on-going basis in the disciplines of Dance, Literary Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts. Artists may apply in more than one discipline. Please review the Arts Ambassador Roster Guidelines before beginning an application.

Program Purpose: To enhance creative expression and personal development through arts experiences for students with disabilities and their peers.

Program Description: VSA Minnesota’s Artists-in-Residence Grant Program provides administrative and funding support to schools and educational settings throughout the state of Minnesota who are interested in having a teaching artist work with students and staff. Residency programs are designed by coordinating teachers and teaching artists with support from VSA Minnesota’s Arts in Education Coordinator. These programs vary in length and time, dependent upon the needs of the school.

Teaching artists who work with VSA Minnesota are professional artists with expertise in one or more arts disciplines and have skills in working with children, youth, and teachers in school settings. In addition, these artists are familiar with various disabilities and effective methods for adapting techniques and differentiating instruction to reach all learners.

Read more about the VSA Minnesota Teaching Artist Roster…

Eligibility: Any public or private school in Minnesota with students with an IEP or 504 plan can submit an Artists-in-Residence Request Form. The request may be initiated by a teacher or administrator. This person serves as the primary contact for VSA Minnesota and the identified teaching artist. A minimum of 15 students with disabilities are required to participate per residency program and receive a minimum of 5 direct contact hours with the teaching artist.

Deadline: Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. As a statewide organization, we work to distribute residencies throughout the state.

Residency Costs: Schools developing an Artists-in-Residence program can request funding from VSA Minnesota in the range of $500-$1250. Schools are asked to provide support funds of $250 to help support their residency.

What to Submit: Please review the Artists-in-Residence Request Guidelines before beginning an application.

Past Awarded Sites: VSA Minnesota's 2006-2009 Artists-in-Residence List.

Are you an artist, a teacher, or administrator in the state of Minnesota who is interested in supporting and developing integrated arts programming for students of all abilities? Please send us suggestions about other workshop topics you would like VSA Minnesota to develop training on to: jenea@vsamn.org.

Description

This roster is an approved listing of Minnesota artists (from all artistic disciplines) who have completed a thorough application, review, and interview with VSA Minnesota.

• The primary purpose is to identify and promote high quality teaching artists who have particular expertise working with students with disabilities. The roster is intended as a resource for recipients of Artists-in-Residence Grants, as well as any community groups seeking teaching artists to work with their special needs population. 
• The roster has a secondary purpose of promoting and supporting professional development for teaching artists. Teaching in and through the arts is a complex profession and a growing field – and more support and training is needed.   With this roster, VSA Minnesota hopes to play a role in advancing the field of teaching artists, with the ultimate goal of supporting, strengthening, and expanding arts education for all Minnesota students.

For information about rostered teaching artists, please contact Jenea Rewertz-Targui, 612-332-3888 or jenea@vsamn.org.

Teaching Artist Roster Application

VSA Minnesota is implementing a new application procedure for the Teaching Artist Roster. It is our intention that it will grow and evolve over time to better serve students with disabilities and their peers within our state, as well as the Teaching Artists themselves. This roster will be more efficient, accurate, and address the needs of schools, educational settings and communities utilizing teaching artists in their programming.

Eligibility:

Teaching Artist Roster applicants must be:

• 18 years of age or older;
• a resident of Minnesota;
• professional artists with expertise in one or more arts disciplines;
• have skills in working with children/ youth/teachers in educational settings; and
• have a commitment to become familiar with various disabilities and effective methods for adapting techniques and differentiating instruction to reach all learners.

What to Submit:

Applications are accepted on an on-going basis in the disciplines of Dance, Literary Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts. Artists may apply in more than one discipline. Please review the Teaching Artist Roster Guidelines before beginning an application.

VSA Minnesota displays artwork by Minnesota artists with disabilities in various community locations on-going. Some exhibits feature one artist, while other exhibits include the work of many artists. In some instances, their disability directly influences their art. In other cases, their disability has little or no effect on their work. In all cases, the artists are chosen because of the excellence of their work and their continuing dedication to their craft.

Our goal is to encourage these artists by giving them a place to exhibit and sell their artwork while increasing awareness within the general population about the creativity and talent of people with disabilities. Artworks displayed are for sale and all profits go to the working artist.

Currently on View

TRUCOLOR Exhibition

January 4 - April 30, 2012.
Trusight, Inc.
9805 45th Ave. N. Plymouth, MN.
See also: TRUCOLOR - Juried Group Exhibition at Trusight, Inc.

Lydia Alsdurf

January 4 - April 30, 2012.
Vision Loss Resources,
1936 Lyndale Avenue S. (at Franklin Avenue), Minneapolis.
See also: Vision Loss Resources Art Exhibit.

Pamela Veeder

Showing through February 28, 2012.
Park State Bank,
430 First Avenue N., Suite 104, Minneapolis, MN.
See also: New Prints on Display at Park State Bank.

VSA Minnesota seeks artwork that is of high artistic quality, demonstrating originality, imagination, skillful use of materials, and quality of craft.  Interested artists are invited to submit an application to be considered for exhibit opportunities. Please download and submit the On-going Exhibition Application Form:

On-going Exhibition Application:

On-going Exhibition Guidelines (PDF document).
On-going Exhibition Guidelines (Word document).
On-going Exhibition Guidelines (RTF document).

On-going Exhibition Application Form (PDF document).
On-going Exhibition Application Form (Word document).
On-going Exhibition Application Form (RTF document).

Organizations or businesses interested in displaying an exhibition of artwork by artists with disabilities can contact VSA Minnesota: exhibitions@vsamn.org, 612-332-3888 or 1-800-801-3883 (both Voice or TTY).

VSA Minnesota exhibits work by Lydia Alsdurf at Vision Loss Resources until April 30.

Vision Loss Resources is located at 1936 Lyndale Avenue South and is open Monday-Thursday 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Lydia Alsdurf explores the interaction of the body and mind while experiencing a persistent illness through her artwork. “I use abstraction to tap into the psychological dynamics associated with the body, specifically a body affected by epilepsy. Because someone with a life-long illness must constantly face the unknown, abstraction offers an effective means of conveying the mystery and power of the unknown.”

Space plays an important role in Alsdurf’s work as she incorporate drips, solid blocks of flat color, and splatters in an attempt “to investigate the spaces in the body that are invaded on many different levels.” She feels the work featured in the exhibit “conveys a realm of possibilities through the incorporation of extremes just as epilepsy does for those who live with it.”

Vision Loss Resources, Inc. has a mission to assist people who are blind or visually impaired in achieving their full potential and to enrich the lives of all persons affected by blindness or vision loss. Web site: Vision Loss Resources (www.visionlossresources.org).

For information about purchasing these pieces, please contact Jenea Rewertz-Targui, 612-332-3888 or exhibitions@vsamn.org.

To see more of her work, visit: www.lydiaalsdurf.com

Part 3: http://youtu.be/Ix8MRmg35rU

Park State Bank is located at Warehouse District, 430 1st Ave. No., Suite 104, Minneapolis and is open Monday-Friday 7:30 am – 4:30 pm.

Artwork by St. Paul Artist Pamela Veeder is now on view until February 28, 2012.

“Macular degeneration offers many challenges that have opened my eyes to new ways of creating. Art and the creative process allow me to actively explore and meet those challenges.” – Pamela Veeder, artist statement.

Among the exhibitions that have included Veeder’s photography are: The International Art Show for Artist with Disabilities (Sister Kenny Institute); A Foot in the Door (Minneapolis Institute of Art); A Public Hanging (AZ Gallery, St. Paul); and the Phipps Center for the Arts (Hudson, WI); The Life in Minnesota Calendar, co-sponsored by Camp Courage and ProEx and a video Montage developed by S. Milton Evanson for the American Association of Community Theatres.

Park State Bank is a full service financial institution that treats all customers and their assets with respect; is committed to the financial well-being of our customer; and provides quality personal service with affordable products. Web site: Park State Bank (www.parkstatebank.com).

For information about purchasing these pieces, please contact Jenea Rewertz-Targui, 612-332-3888 or jenea@vsamn.org.

For additional information please contact the artist, Pamela Veeder by email: prveeder@yahoo.com.

Description

TRUCOLOR is a juried exhibition that celebrates shades of inclusion. Artists with disabilities who use color in bold and/or subtle ways were invited to submit their work. Trusight is a company that offers membership, consulting and training on a wide range of Human Resources and management issues. As part of their ongoing goal to educate and raise awareness about key employment issues like employing persons with disabilities, they partnered with VSA Minnesota to coordinate this exhibition. Works by artists from around the state are on display January 4 – April 30, 2012 at Trusight’s headquarters in Plymouth, Minnesota, along the main hallways leading their training rooms. The exhibition is free and can be viewed during normal business hours. For more information about Trusight, visit: www.trusightinc.com.

Artists include: Minneapolis: Lydia Alsdurf, Gail Harbeck, Barbara Harman, Shelley Jutila, Samuel Lynn, Amy Monthei, Mari Newman, Jane Strauss, Pwajdeur Swanstrom; St. Paul: Kim Berry, Simon Carvalho, Maryellen Murphy, Donna Savage, Pamela Veeder; Allan Benson, Lisa Dietz, Golden Valley; Cecile Bellamy, Minnetonka; Sharon Pfau, St. Cloud; Kate Wolfe-Jenson, Woodbury.

Reception

A reception for the selected artists will be held on Monday, January 9 at 11:00 a.m. at the Trusight office, 9805 45th Ave. N., Plymouth, just off Highway 169 near County Road 9. 

Special thanks to Scottie Hall, VSA Minnesota’s Exhibit Intern, for her valuable assistance during the installation, take-down and maintenance of this exhibition. This opportunity was made available in part by VSA Minnesota and Trusight, whose mission is to help members understand how HR can play a strategic role and contribute directly to growth and the bottom line, to provide HR and management with tools and support to make that ROI contribution, and to help HR professionals communicate these important messages to the executive suite (www.trusightinc.com).

For information about purchasing these pieces, please contact Jenea Rewertz-Targui, 612-332-3888 or exhibitions@vsamn.org.