Arts Access Newsletter September 2003

The largest gathering of artists with disabilities yet this millennium will take place next summer in Washington, D.C., and a good number of Minnesota people will be in attendance. Odyssey - Dare to Imagine, the 2004 International VSA arts Festival, will celebrate the abilities and accomplishments of artists of all ages, disabilities and artforms from 35 countries and each of the United States. Participants were selected from over 700 applications by groups and individuals around the world.

Minnesota has the third largest delegation of any state or country - behind California and New York:

• Joseph Baird, Burnsville Guitarist/Vocalist;
• Kathryn Bakke, Richfield Pianist;
• Deb Costandine, St. Paul Mixed Media Visual Artist;
• Deb Helmke-Wodtke, New Hope Visual Artist;
• Mari Newman, Minneapolis Visual Artist;
• Gayle Nord Harrison, Minneapolis Visual Artist;
• Danny Perunovich, Hibbing Visual Artist;
• Joe Pendergast, Saint Paul Sculptor;
• Interact Theatre Group, Minneapolis Performance Company.

This will be the fourth festival held by VSA arts. Our nation's capital hosted the first festival in 1989, Brussels, Belgium in 1994, and Los Angeles in 1999. Minnesota sent 16, 8 and 12 people respectively to each of these events. With Interact's large group, our delegation next year could top 30! These people will need financial help to attend the International Festival. Please use the donation form below and indicate if you would like your contribution to be used for this purpose. Thank you! To learn more about the festival events, exhibits, performances and artists, go to the VSA arts website: 2004 International VSA arts Festival (www.vsartsfestival.org). To learn more about Minnesota artists, go to the VSA arts of Minnesota website in early 2004.

A play by Allyson Hogan, 16, of Worthington, MN, has been recognized as one of three winners of the 2003 Playwright Discovery Award presented by VSA arts. Open to students writing about disability-related issues, the competition will result in a performance of Allyson's play, Diamond in the Rough, on Sept. 29 at the Kennedy Center's Theater Lab in Washington, D.C. Allyson will also receive a $1,000 scholarship and a mentoring luncheon with the Artists Selection Committee. Set in a high school, Diamond in the Rough tells the story of Jeremy Black, a teenager with albinism. Teased by his peers who have nicknamed him "Diamond," he gains acceptance when they realize he is musically talented.

A student at Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster High School in Round Lake, Allyson has been writing since she was 8. She loves to act and has performed in three musicals at her school. She was completing a research paper on albinism when she saw the Playwright Discovery Award poster at her school. In her research she found Hollywood's general portrayal of people with albinism quite unfair and wondered why there were no stories kind to people with albinism. When she heard about the VSA arts contest, she realized she had found the perfect venue.

"I've always loved reading, movies, and going to the theatre. I think it's so refreshing and enlightening to look at the world (or sometimes another world!) through another person's point of view. "I was at camp when my mom called to tell me that I won, and I just couldn't believe it! As soon as we were done talking, I ran to find all of my friends. I was just so excited! In the past, I've had success publishing two poems and a short story in youth compilations, but I'd never received anything like this opportunity!

"My mother has just been so supportive of me. She'll be accompanying me to Washington, D.C. I think some of my close friends are almost more excited than I am! And my speech coach, the teacher who told me about the contest, couldn't be more thrilled for me. Everyone's so happy!"

The VSA arts Playwright Discovery Award program challenges middle and high school students of all abilities to take a closer look at the world around them, examine how disability affects their lives and the lives of others, and express their views through the art of playwriting. The winning scripts are selected by a distinguished panel of theater artists. Two other winning plays are Get Ready to Walk and Roll! by Bethany Andrews and Amanda Harper of Arizona who will receive $500 scholarships and a Staged Reading at the Kennedy Center; and Quota by Hannah Sternberg, 15, from Rutland, Vermont, who received an Honorable Mention and a $250 scholarship for her futuristic verse play about individuals with disabilities who are ostracized and forced to wear masks.

For more information and/or copies of the plays, contact Amy Swan, performing arts coordinator, at amys@vsarts.org or go to VSA arts, Washington D.C. (www.vsarts.org).

Minnesota schools that wish to bring in outside artists to work with students in special education may apply to VSA arts of Minnesota for help in funding these residencies. The intent is to allow students with disabilities to experience the arts.

Requests for proposals can seek $500 to $1000 to help host artists (visual arts, music, theatre, dance, writing) in classrooms. Partnering schools or organizations must have funds to supplement project costs, and a majority of students participating in the funded project must be on IEP or 504 plans.

Funding for this program is made available by a generous grant from the Minnesota Department of Education. For an application or more information, contact Kristi Gaudette, education coordinator at VSA arts of Minnesota.

Five young people with disabilities participated this summer in ArtsWork, a youth employment program in the arts presented by COMPAS. About 60 youths from Ramsey County gained job skills such as team work, conflict resolution, goal setting, resume writing and interviewing techniques while working with professional artists. The Arts-Work mentoring and training experience prepared them for work anywhere in the community. VSA arts of Minnesota lent its expertise to the project by attending to accommodation needs of the students with disabilities. Special needs coordinator Michelle Turner assisted students and instructors daily in a variety of capacities.

VSA arts affiliates from around the country and the world met in the Twin Cities in June at their Annual Meeting and Leadership Institute. Seminars at the Earle Brown Center in Brooklyn Center were followed by meetings and more seminars at the Radisson Riverfront in Saint Paul. VSA arts of Minnesota hosted the gathering with coordination expertise from Mary Nehring of MAP for Nonprofits.

Bonnie Kaplan (see picture) of VSA arts of Massachusetts presented a workshop on outreach to members of the Deaf and hard of hearing communities.

Audio Describer Mari Griffin (see picture) described the visual elements of the annual banquet for guest performer Stephanie Dawn and other blind attendees.

The annual event was an opportunity for VSA arts Board member Deb Stuart and President Soula Antoniou (see picture) to network with staff and board members from VSA arts offices in nearly every state.

AMLI visitors from many miles away included Kenzo Jo from VSA arts Japan, David Webster of VSA arts Maine, Veda Herman, VSA arts CFO and Ginny Miller of VSA arts Kentucky (see picture).

Kevin Kling (see picture), Minneapolis playwright, actor and storyteller, brought tears of laughter to the audience with his tales of growing up and of recovering from a motorcycle accident.

Next year's AMLI will be part of the International VSA arts Festival in Washington, D.C.

Leslye Orr, a Minneapolis performer, playwright and teacher, has written and illustrated her first book. The People on the Corner is a story about five neighborhood friends who bring cookies to the new family in town, the Longs, and discover they are one big blended family with a 3-legged cat named Trike, different ways of serving tea and playing baseball, and an amazing dream-come-true fort. The five friends learn about abilities within disabilities, and how good neighbors can include everyone. She and her husband Zaraawar Mistry run the Center for Independent Artists. Orr is legally blind and grew up in a family of eight children, three of whom had Cystic Fibrosis.

The book is available at the Walker Art Center gift shop, Vineland Place, Minneapolis, or from Cyclops Press, 3553 45th Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN 55406. Copies are $15 (tax included, plus shipping: Parcel Post $3; 2-5 books $5; First Class: $4; 2-5 books $8). Contact Orr at 612-721-0148, fax 612-724-8421 or email: l.orr@c4ia.org. For more info, go to her website page at MN Artists (www.mnartists.org).

Interact Center for Visual & Performing Arts will send 24 actors with disabilities, staff and a video team to the Above and Beyond Festival in Cheltenham, England on September 19-21. Artistic Director Jeannie Calvit says this opportunity "will give us an international presence." Company members have performed previously in Scandinavia, British Columbia and several major events in the United States. In England, Interact will be the only theater company whose performers have a full range of disabilities. It will perform original material from its theme-based cabaret shows, as well as "Cloud Cuckooland," an adaptation of Aristophanes' "The Birds" that features Greek choruses, Hephaestos (the only Greek god with a disability, played by Kevin Kling) and a political character named Shrub who wore fancy red cowboy boots. The shows' use of humor, music and irony reveal how their participants' abilities and stories transcend their disabilities. The company will also visit London and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. They have been invited to the 2004 VSA arts International Festival. For more information, call 612-339-5145 or go to Interact Center for Visual & Performing Arts (www.interactcenter.com).

Art by five visual artists with disabilities is on display through Dec. 31, 2003, at the Vision Loss Resources Lobby Gallery in Minneapolis. The artists are:

• Kathy Christopher, Edina, oils;
• Laura Dingels, South Minneapolis, watercolors;
• Kathie Foslien, Bayport, watercolor / pen & ink;
• Rene Joseph, Northeast Minneapolis, acrylic on plastic board;
• Rena Vettleson, Minneapolis, charcoal pencil.

Vision Loss Resources is located at 1936 Lyndale Avenue S. (at Franklin). Most of the original artworks, as well as prints or cards, are available for sale. An audiotape recording will be available to describe the paintings for persons who are blind or with low vision. For more information, contact VSA arts of Minnesota, Phone: 612-332-3888 voice/tty, jon@vsaartsmn.org. For directions, call Vision Loss Resources, Phone: 612-871-2222.

VSA arts of Minnesota will also coordinate exhibits by artists with disabilities at Carleton College, Northfield, in October and November, and at the Owatonna Arts Center in February. Organizations, businesses or individuals are encouraged to sponsor exhibits of artwork by children or adults with disabilities. VSA arts of Minnesota generally charges a fee for each exhibit in order to pay artists modest stipends for the use of their work, as well as costs of signage, publicity, insurance, etc. All sales go to the artists.

Families of children with disabilities will be able to take a pottery class together this fall at the new Bloomington Art Center. The family fun nights will allow parents and children age 5 or older to learn techniques and skills of handbuild-ing, sculpture, finishing touches and glazes while having time to develop their own creative ideas. (Wheelwork will be taught at the discretion of the instructor.) No previous clay experience necessary.

Co-sponsored by Bloomington Art Center, Bloomington Adaptive Recreation and VSA arts of Minnesota, the classes will be offered in two six-week sessions:

#2608A - Sunday, September 21-October 26;
#2608B - Sunday, November 2-December 14.

Classes will be offered from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Room A1400 of the new Bloomington Art Center, 1800 W Old Shakopee Rd. Fee is $104 ($95 BAC members) for one adult and one child; $71 ($65 members) for each additional child. For more information call: 952-563-4777, e-mail info@bloomingtonartcenter.com or go to their website: Bloomington Art Center (www.bloomingtonartcenter.com).

A number of artists with disabilities have been meeting on a monthly basis to explore and expand some of the ideas generated at two 2002 forums on careers in the arts for people with disabilities. Tentatively dubbed the Artists With Disabilities Alliance, the group is discussing a mission and vision as well as just getting together to learn about each other's art.

Hosts have included the Outsiders & Others Gallery and Center for Independent Artists in Minneapolis). This fall they are looking at how to establish SUPPORT through support groups, critiques, resource sharing and trading skills; establish MENTOR-SHIP through workshops & other means; and establish PROMOTION by publicity of arts events.

For information about future meetings, go to Artists with Disabilities Alliance (www.Angelfire.com/mn3/awda) or call Barbara Saunders at 952-920-2090 or VSA arts of Minnesota: 612-332-3888 voice/tty or jon@vsaartsmn.org.

Each meeting includes time for announcements by participants. All meetings are fragrance-free and in accessible meeting areas.

Senior citizens who are living or participating in therapy at the Minnesota Veterans Home have continued enjoying occasional art classes through a collaboration between the Veterans Administration and VSA arts. In August, Ted Maltese of Minneapolis demonstrated watercolor painting and Alice Giannobile of Minnetonka showed participants how to use different methods of creating colorful block prints from designs she had made or from their own carvings. Howard Carson started the initial training in classes several years ago at both the Veterans Home and the VA Medical Center.

Many Arts Access readers and VSA arts of Minnesota supporters have asked for new ways of financially supporting the organization. This fall, as your place of employment launches its annual giving campaign, please consider designating all or a portion of your pledged donation to VSA arts of Minnesota. You can make that designation on your pledge form either anonymously or you can indicate that your name be passed on to our organization. Either way, you can know that your workplace donation will go towards making the arts accessible to Minnesota children and adults with disabilities.

As with any donation made through a federated fund, some of the donation will remain with the fund to cover some of their administrative costs. (United Way's costs this year were just under 10%.) Even with those costs, VSA arts of Minnesota received just under $2,000 from people like you through the United Way and United Arts designated funds. So, if your workplace encourages you to participate in an annual campaign and you would like to steer your donation to programs making the arts accessible to people with disabilities, please consider this donation option during the coming months.

People Incorporated's Artability 2003 will feature art by artists with mental illness October 2-4 at Apollo Resource Center's new location, Redeemers Arms, 313 N. Dale Street in Saint Paul. For more information call: 651-227-6321, web site: People Incorporated (www.peopleincorporated.org).

VSA arts of Minnesota is happy to announce that, even with the current problems in the state economy and investment markets, the organization has been awarded a number of grants this summer from public and private sources.

The McKnight Foundation, our largest and longest continuing funder in the state, awarded the organization $35,000 over the next two years. Although this reflects a reduction of 30% from our previous award, it was fully in line with cuts endured by other McKnight recipients and was caused by the negative effects of the stock market on the foundation's investments.

United Arts awarded VSA arts of Minnesota and our Access to Theatre program a one-year grant of $15,000. The highest amount available through their General Fund program, this reflects a slight increase from last year's grant.

The Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation presented a first-time grant to VSA arts of Minnesota of $10,000 to develop and present Careers in the Arts workshops around the state. This initiative began in March 2002 at the Art of Employment Forum.

Finally, despite the major financial difficulties at the state level, this year's grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB) actually reflects a significant increase over our state funding for the previous two years. VSA arts of Minnesota will receive $17,600 in operating support from the MSAB through funds provided by the Minnesota legislature.

VSA arts of Minnesota is making the arts accessible to state residents with disabilities through its programs and services. This fact is validated by the recognition that has been provided by the funders noted above, by our individual donors and by the people we serve. The staff and board wish to heartily thank all of these supporters and to express our gratitude for the resources placed in our hands so that we can implement our mission.

VSA arts of Minnesota will award six $1,000 grants to Minnesota artists with disabilities through its Artist Recognition Grant Program, funded by the Jerome Foundation. The program's goals are to:

• recognize excellence in arts produced by persons with disabilities;
• provide financial awards and tangible encouragement to artists with disabilities so their work in the arts might continue;
• identify Minnesota artists with disabilities who are dedicated to making arts production and/or presentation a central part of their lives.

The program is open to individuals in all art disciplines -visual, performing, written, media, etc. (including grant recipients from 1996-2000). Grant recipients from 2001-02 and students are not eligible. Applications must be postmarked by Friday, November 14, 2003.

Awards will be determined by a panel of artists and administrators from a variety of arts disciplines, and awarded in December.

For an application, call 612-332-3888 or 1-800-801-3883 (in Greater Minnesota) or email jon@vsaartsmn.org. If you need a format other than standard print, specify e-mail, PC diskette, audio tape, Braille or large print.

VSA arts of Minnesota seeks an individual for a one-year, contracted position to plan and conduct workshops aimed at assisting people with disabilities seeking to make pursuits in the arts more financially rewarding. The chosen applicant will have excellent planning & verbal skills, a strong sense of the many facets of disability, a good understanding of state and federal benefits for people with disabilities and a broad knowledge of the arts as a whole. Workshops will be presented in Metro & Greater Minnesota locations, so personal transportation required. The position is 20 hours per week but this is flexible. Individuals with disabilities strongly encouraged to apply. Send cover letter and résumé to VSA arts of Minnesota by October 24, 2003.

Ben Cameron, executive director of Theatre Communications Group (see picture) challenged VSA arts conferees like Bebe Bernstein of New York and Jim Modrick, VSA arts VP of Affiliate and Education Services, to think outside of the box in meeting challenges facing arts organizations. For more of his thoughts, go to Theatre Communications Group (www.tcg.org).

VSA arts of Minnesota's first fund-raising event in 15 years has been postponed from September to early 2004. Board members, all of whom work at other jobs, want to be sure volunteers are in place so that all elements are successful. Volunteers and Donors Wanted! Volunteer to chair a committee for the silent auction, reception, performances, art show, access and other logistics. Highlight your business, art, service, products, organization or company by donating to the Silent Auction, scrumptious hors d'oeuvres or beverages, or gift certificates. Call 612-332-3888, e-mail craig@vsaartsmn.org or find more details in our winter edition of Arts Access.

Who deserves an award for Accessibility to the Arts?

Who has worked hard and successfully to make their arts programs and facilities more accessible to people with disabilities? Each year VSA arts of Minnesota recognizes artists, educators and arts organizations in Minnesota who have made exemplary achievements in enabling people with disabilities to participate in the arts. We publicize these achievements to encourage others to create greater access in their spheres of influence. Nominate an Arts Access Award recipient by November 14, 2003 in these (or other) categories:

• Outstanding Arts Educator Working with Students with Disabilities;
• Most Active & Visible Minnesota Artist with a Disability (includes all performance, visual arts & writing);
• Most Active Producing/Performing Group Involving People with Disabilities;
• Most User-Friendly Performance or Exhibiting Space for People with Disabilities.

Awards will be presented in early 2004. To be considered, submit nominations to VSA arts of Minnesota by mail, fax or e-mail (up to 2 pages) or on audio tape (up to 5 minutes). Include contact information about nominee and nominator (name, address, phone, etc.); relationship (if any) of the nominee to the writer; and reasons why the nominee deserves to be recognized. News clippings, photos or website info may be attached.

For more information, contact the VSA arts of Minnesota office. Last year's awards created by Deb Costandine of Saint Paul went to Morgan Grayce Willow, a Minneapolis writer, teacher and interpreter; Lisa Goodman, Minneapolis City Councilwoman; Yuri Arajs, a Minneapolis artist and gallery owner; Dennis Lamberson, a Central Lakes College theatre director in Brainerd; Eric Peterson, a director, actor and disability rights advocate in Minneapolis; and Apollo Resource Center for its Artability at Apollo program in Saint Paul. This year's original artwork will be created by Saint Paul artist Joseph Pendergast.