Arts Access Newsletter September 2008

Reserve Sunday afternoon, September 21 to support this year’s main fund-raising event for artists with disabilities served by VSA arts of Minnesota.

The 2008 Autumn Auction & Cabaret will be staged from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Solera Restaurant, an event center at 900 Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. It will feature Solera’s mouth-watering menu of hors d’oeuvres and desserts, an impressive silent auction, a performance by vocalist Paul Mabon, and presentation of the 2008 Arts Access Awards.
Paul Mabon, a St. Paul singer with a huge voice, wonderful musicality and low vision, has performed a repertoire of Paul Robeson traditional folk songs, spirituals and stories in the Twin Cities, Milwaukee and elsewhere. He will be accompanied by pianist Jon Pemberton.

The 11th annual Arts Access Awards recognize individuals and organizations whose advocacy has led the way in making the arts accessible to children and adults with disabilities. Each will receive an original work of art created by St. Paul artist Maya Rose. (Nominations can be submitted through September 5. See below.)
As always, the Silent Auction will feature an intriguing array of original art, dinners, entertainment tickets, classes, personal services, gift baskets and more. The higher the bids, the more money will go into this year’s VSA arts programs in Minnesota schools and communities.

To purchase Benefit tickets, $45, call VSA arts of Minnesota at 612-332-3888, e-mail info@vsaartsmn.org, or order online at Tickets & Donations.

Sponsors of this year’s Autumn Auction & Cabaret are Jean Stephen Galleries, Mackall Crounse & Moore, Park State Bank, and Courage Center.
VSA arts of Minnesota requests that attendees refrain from wearing fragrances or other scented products to this event. Personal care attendants are admitted at no cost.

Download a Silent Auction Donation Form (Word document).

The nomination deadline for the 11th annual Arts Access Awards has been extended to Sept. 5. The awards recognize outstanding accomplishments that make the arts more accessible to people with disabilities. Categories include Most Active and Visible Minnesota Artist with a Disability, Outstanding Arts Educators of Students and Adults with Disabilities, Outstanding Individuals Actively Promoting Access to the Arts for People with Disabilities. For a nomination form, call our office or go to the website.

VSA arts of Minnesota is pleased to announce that its granting program to artists, funded by the Jerome Foundation in St. Paul for the past 12 years, has been expanded and changed for 2008. 

Grants will be increased in two ways – 7 grants (6 previously) will be awarded of $1,250 each ($1,000 previously). Second, and perhaps more importantly, rather than recognizing and selecting artists for their recent work, the new Career Advancement Grants for Artists with Disabilities will select artists on the basis of the quality of their proposals to undertake new work.

VSA arts of Minnesota designed the original Artist Recognition Grants to serve as a point of entry for Minnesota artists with disabilities into the competitive world of grant-seeking. During its first 12 years, 60 artists were selected for this award, with 11 of these individuals being chosen twice. “It is our intent that this reformulated granting program will not only assist more Minnesota artists with disabilities but will serve as an even more effective steppingstone as they wend their way along a career path,” stated Executive Director Craig Dunn. “We feel that this modified program will better prepare them for any subsequent grant or fellowship programs they might pursue.”
Grant applications will be automatically mailed to previous Artist Recognition Grant entrants and will be available at Forms & Guidelines by September 15. All previous Artist Recognition Grant recipients will be eligible for this modified program. VSA arts of Minnesota will conduct at least four informational meetings around the state to explain the new program, application process and review criteria. The application materials will include the times and locations of these meetings.

VSA arts of Minnesota thanks the Jerome Foundation for its continued support of emerging and growing artists with disabilities in the state, and we look forward to the new work that will result from this expanded grant program.

The Artists With Disabilities Alliance (AWDA) in the Twin Cities is hoping to receive a Metro Regional Arts Council grant to convene a retreat to facilitate networking and to spur creation of art through several workshops. If the grant is funded, artists will receive more information in late fall. Other funds from the National Arts and Disability Center and the Social Security Administration have enabled both individual and group projects by artists in Fergus Falls, Mankato, Mora/Hinckley, St. Cloud, Bemidji, Duluth and the Twin Cities.

To learn more about the retreat or other opportunities with these groups of artists with disabilities, contact VSA arts of Minnesota.

VSA arts of Minnesota works with Park State Bank and Vision Loss Resources in Minneapolis to exhibit artwork created by artists with disabilities. Exhibits change every four months and are open to two-dimensional art forms. Artists may receive a stipend for use of their work, and 100% of any sales made go to the artists.

Park State Bank (430 First Ave. N., # 104) is exhibiting work by Janice Essick, Mathew Zimdars and Mike Shanley (all artists at Interact Center) through October 31. 
Wallace White, Minneapolis, will exhibit in the Vision Loss Resources lobby gallery (1936 Lyndale Avenue S.) from September through December, 2008.

Are you a visual artist with a disability interested in exhibiting your work in a professional atmosphere?  If so, let us know by completing an exhibition form on our website under Forms & Guidelines.

Dozens of artists exhibited work at the 45th International Art Show by Artists with Disabilities sponsored by Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute.

The Best of Show Award went to Gary Clements for mixed media work.

Among the many other award winners were: Sally Jarnot, Barbara Harman, Eric Sherarts, June Orr and Mari Newman.

For information about next year’s show, call 612-863-4463, e-mail sisterkenny@allina.com, or go to Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute - Art Show.

Hee Ah Lee, known as “The Four-Fingered Pianist,” will perform at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center on Sunday, October 19 at 3:00 p.m.

Ms. Lee was born in Seoul, Korea in 1985 with only two fingers on each hand and no legs under her kneecaps. When she first began to play piano at age 7, she didn’t dream to become a pianist; her only hope was to strengthen her hands so that she could hold a pencil.

As time went by, however, piano became her inspiration and gave her the opportunity to be a musical ambassador -- playing and sharing her experiences for people in Korea and beyond -- including China, Japan, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and America.
During the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games she was a torch-carrier in Korea, where she lives with her mother, attends Korea’s National College of Rehabilitation, performs and records.

Thanks to donations by individuals and organizations, she is in Minnesota October 13-20, and will perform from a classical repertoire including Beethoven, Chopin, Pachelbel, Liszt and other composers. Hopkins High School is located at 2400 Lindbergh Dr, Minnetonka.

For tickets ($15, $10 for students K-12), contact TicketWorks at 651-209-6689 or Website: TicketWorks (www.ticketworks.com).

Individuals can support their favorite nonprofit organizations financially by writing a check to the organization or by giving through payroll deduction to a federated fund such as United Way or United Arts. 

If your employer offers one of these annual giving campaigns, you can pledge all or a portion of your donation to, for instance, VSA arts of Minnesota. You can make that designation anonymously or indicate that your name be passed on to our organization.  Either way, your workplace donation will go toward making the arts accessible to Minnesota children and adults with disabilities.

This year, after deduction of modest administrative fees by the respective fund, VSA arts of Minnesota has received just over $3,400.  Please consider this workplace option during the coming months.

OTHER WAYS to give are to volunteer (many opportunities), to provide services or items on our Wish List, to donate for General Programs or to enable artists on low incomes to attend events.

THANK YOU for your support!

The new school year will begin with a new Arts in Education Coordinator at VSA arts of Minnesota. We have been very fortunate to have Amie Pence as our chief contact with educators, students and artists-in-residence for the past 2 1/2 years. We are interviewing now for a new coordinator. Here is a message from Amie:

It is with great with sadness, excitement and gratitude that I announce my leave from VSA arts of Minnesota.  This September I will be joining the team of educators at Maple Grove Junior High to work as a visual arts teacher along with pursuing a Masters in Art Education through the University of Minnesota. 

While I sit here today, I am filled with fond memories of my past few years as the Arts in Education Coordinator.  I feel very blessed to have worked with such a wonderful organization and extremely honored to have had the opportunity to collaborate with so many extraordinary individuals through this position.

I have learned a great deal working for VSA arts of Minnesota and can only hope that my new position will give me such rewarding experiences and supportive friends.  It is my intent to continue to support the mission of VSA of Minnesota as I travel down this new path in education.

Thank you for making my time at VSA arts of Minnesota a truly enjoyable one.

Sincerely,
Amie Pence

VSA arts of Minnesota Arts Ambassadors had a busy year with presentations in schools throughout the Twin Cities. This summer, our partnership with the Minnesota Children’s Museum resulted in "Music on the Rooftop" -- giving museum visitors an opportunity to make art while enjoying performances by professional musicians such as Joseph Baird, Kathryn Bakke, Michael Deutsch, Rebecca Kragnes and Tony Wentersdorf! 

The Arts Ambassador program is designed to bring professional artists with disabilities into classrooms to engage students of all ages and abilities in learning about an artist’s art form, disability and work. To learn more about having an Ambassador present or perform, contact our office or view our Arts Ambassador brochure on our website under Forms & Guidelines.

Generosity has been strong this spring from schools supporting the mission of VSA arts of Minnesota. 

Buffalo High School’s annual silent auction, highlighting work by ceramic artists in their visual arts program, raised funds through sales to support VSA arts of Minnesota’s Arts in Education programs. Similarly, Rosemount High School’s dance program generously donated $1000 in ticket sales at their spring performance to support creation of accessible arts experiences for students with disabilities. 

Many thanks to the Buffalo High School students and instructor Jon Holtz and to the Rosemount High School Modern Dance Company and Artistic Director Christina Morris for their creative support!

The 16th annual Artist in Education Conference has taken on a new look this year!

On Friday, September 19, this annual conference for teaching artists will be held at the Bloomington Center for the Arts.

Not only will the conference be in a new place, but many sessions on integrating technology will be presented.

A new face-lift for the AIE conference for the 21st century!

See What's New, Artist in Education Conference.

For the past three decades VSA arts has searched the country for Young Soloists with disabilities. Outstanding vocalists and instrumentalists age 25 or younger apply from around the U.S. and the world to get a major boost in their pursuit of a music career. This coming year, for instance, the top award is $5,000 and the opportunity to perform in a concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Minnesota has had one national Young Soloists winner -- singer Stephanie Dawn in 1995.

To encourage more young musicians to enter, VSA arts of Minnesota invites you to perform a “test run” at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. This will take place on Saturday, October 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Music Building on the West Bank of the U of M. Prospective Young Soloists will be invited to perform (or provide a recording of) up to 10 minutes of vocal or instrumental work. All types of music are accepted – country, classical, jazz, rap, rock, bluegrass, world, etc.

A review panel of faculty and students from the University’s music performance and music therapy departments will provide feedback about the performances, identifying strengths as well as areas of possible improvement. The intent is to assist applicants in refining their performances and eventual recordings. In addition, VSA arts of Minnesota staff will answer questions about the overall application process and will provide assistance in completing the applications and finding local resources for creating well-recorded music samples.
Musicians can submit application materials by early November in two categories: Secondary Division (high school and special education extended) and Post-Secondary (college and post-college, 25 and under). Selection decisions will be based on recorded samples (tape, CD, DVD or videotape). VSA arts of Minnesota will select the top two individuals from our state and forward their applications onto Washington D.C. for the national adjudication in December.
More information will be on the web (www.vsaartsmn.org) by Sept. 15, or contact the VSA arts office at 612-332-3888 or craig@vsaartsmn.org.

For information about the International Young Soloists Competition and to hear performances by past Young Soloists, go to About the VSA arts International Young Soloists Award (www.vsarts.org/x1865.xml).

Many thanks to the creative students and staff at Augsburg Music Therapy Department for the wonderful festival this year!

Engaging sessions including Rocker Apparel 101, Intro to the Beats and Don’t Forget the Lyrics - which enabled students to become a rock star and share the rock star life with local musicians The Abdomen.

With five metro area schools in attendance on April 18 at Augsburg College, a total of 156 students and staff were able to let the rocker in them shine!

Thank you all for your hard work and dedication!

Britta Beeck, webmaster for VSA arts of Minnesota for the past six years, has received a STAR Award for Excellence in Assistive Technology. The award was presented April 15 at the State Capitol Rotunda by the STAR Program (A System of Technology to Achieve Results).

Britta was the first University of Minnesota student to receive a B.A. degree specifically on accessible web design. She had also been commended in a national survey of arts organization websites conducted by Knowbility.

Congratulations, Britta!

VSA arts of Minnesota would like to thank all the cooperating educational sites, staff and teaching artists who partnered with us during the 2007-08 school year.  Through your support, 19 schools in Minnesota were able to increase access to the arts for approximately 786 students primarily with disabilities through our Artist in Residence Grant program!

Collaborating sites included:

• Brimhall Elementary School
• Carver Scott Educational Co-op
• Cityview Perf. Arts Magnet School
• Early Childhood District 622
• Folwell Middle School
• Lakeview School
• Le Center Schools
• Marion W. Savage
• MN State Academy for the Blind
• NE Metro South Campus
• North Intermediate School
• Phase North Program
• Roosevelt High School
• St. Peter Alternative Learning Ctr.
• Transition Plus Hopkins
• Transition to Independence
• Vector North Program
• Waconia High School

Are you a special education teacher looking to increase experiences in the arts for your students?  Maybe you’re an art specialist who would like to have an Artist-in-Residence, but not sure if your school has the funds? 

VSA arts of Minnesota is looking for partnering schools to develop programs through our Artist-in-Residence Grant program in the 2008-09 school year.  Information can be found on our website under What’s New.  If interested, complete an Artist-in-Residence Request Form and send it to the Arts in Education Coordinator.  We will then contact you with possible teaching artists to fit your needs!

Sidiki Conde and Balla Kouyate returned to Minnesota in April for two weeks of school presentations and residency work in preparation for a May 3 performance at Hopkins High School.

Students from Marion W. Savage, Eden Prairie; Transition Plus, Hopkins; and Folwell Middle School, Minneapolis, performed for friends, family and peers, accompanied by Sidiki and five members of the ensemble Tokounou. 

This November, as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of our state, Minnesotans will have an historic opportunity to vote on a constitutional amendment that, if passed, would have a significant and lasting benefit by dedicating funds for clean water, natural areas, and cultural resources.

The largest portion of the money to be raised (80%) would go to protect our state’s drinking water and provide funding to clean up our rivers, lakes and streams.  Forty percent of tested waters in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” are polluted.  Funding for water, parks, and wildlife habitat remains near historic lows, and we are losing access for swimming, fishing, and wildlife watching.  For our own health, and for that of our habitat and wildlife, acting now to pass this amendment would protect our state’s many water sources before they are lost forever.

Just under a fifth of the total would go to arts and culture. Of particular importance to VSA arts of Minnesota and our constituencies: about $55 million would be raised yearly for arts and arts education in every Minnesota county. The Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Councils, a significant source of our organization’s regular funding, would see allocations nearly triple in the first year to about $30 million annually (or, for us, from just over $17,000 to over $50,000 annually!). This would certainly be good news for VSA arts of Minnesota, as every dollar we raise goes towards serving our mission.  As a result, the VSA arts of Minnesota Board of Directors and its staff have endorsed the campaign and the passage of the amendment.

By increasing our investment in the future of Minnesota, we will benefit from a civic-minded population and a strong arts community. Minnesotans understand that core values are well worth protecting in our Constitution, especially when future generations rely on our actions today.  Acting now to ensure that we properly protect our water, parks, wildlife, and arts and cultural resources for our children and grandchildren is an investment well worth making.

For more information about this constitutional amendment, go to Vote YES Minnesota to Protect the Places You Love (www.YesForMN.org).
Voters will be asked the following question on the ballot:
"Clean Water, Wildlife, Cultural Heritage and Natural Areas”
“Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to dedicate funding to protect our drinking water sources; to protect, enhance, and restore our wetlands, prairies, forests, and fish, game, and wildlife habitat; to preserve our arts and cultural heritage; to support our parks and trails; and to protect, enhance, and restore our lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater by increasing the sales and use tax rate beginning July 1, 2009, by three-eighths of one percent on taxable sales until the year 2034? Yes ....... No .......".

Twin Cities disability advocates gathered July 25 at the Minnesota Department of Health to observe the 18th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Updates on several bills that would update the ADA were provided by Peter Berg, Project Coordinator of Technical Assistance & Employer Outreach, DBTAC Great Lakes ADA Center, Chicago, Illinois. Entertainment was provided by (L-R) Jim Hanson, harmonica, and Kip Shane, guitar. For a 2008 ADA Anniversary Packet that captures our collective achievements and highlights useful ADA information, contact the DBTAC Great Lakes ADA Center, (800) 949-4232 (V/TTY) or Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center, Great Lakes ADA Center (www.adagreatlakes.org).