Artists' Pipeline #32 - December 27, 2001

Six Minnesota artists have been awarded $1,000 grants through the VSA arts of Minnesota Artist Recognition Program. The sixth annual competitive grant, funded by the Jerome Foundation of St. Paul, recognizes excellence by Minnesota artists with disabilities. Selected from 44 applicants, the grantees are:

• Robert K. Anderson Minneapolis writer of creative nonfiction
• Ruth Waukazo Nay-tah-waush visual artist, including beadwork, costumes
• Theresa Wanta St. Paul visual artist, including oil still life works
• Kathryn Bakke Richfield pianist with a new CD of Gershwin works
• Serik Kulmeshkenov Rochester visual artist, including drawings & cartoons
• Gary Smolik Eagan writer of essays

The Recognition Grants were awarded following a jurying process conducted by seven individuals with extensive backgrounds in the written, visual and performing arts:

• Jack Becker FORECAST Public Artworks, Saint Paul
• Stephen Danko, Jean Stephen Gallery, Minneapolis
• Karen Helland, Northfield Arts Guild
• Bonnie Lauber-Westover Artist, instructor, Brooklyn Park
• Nicole Roberts, writer, Minneapolis
• Rosy Simas dancer/choreographer, Saint Paul
• John Townsend writer/performer/director, Minneapolis

A nonprofit organization working to make the arts accessible to people with all types of disabilities, VSA arts of Minnesota also offers grants for emerging artists and mounts occasional exhibits of work by artists with disabilities. For more information about its services and activities for individuals or arts organizations, call 612-332-3888 (metro) or 1-800-801-3883 (Greater Minnesota), both Voice/TTY; e-mail jon@vsaartsmn.org.

Art by eight visual artists with disabilities is on display through February at the Vision Loss Resources Lobby Gallery in Minneapolis. Coordinated by VSA arts of Minnesota, the exhibit includes works by Mary Degen, Mari Newman, Eric Sherarts, John Boler, Minneapolis; Julie Kidder Klindworth, Dana Dijon Simpson, George Wolf, St. Paul; Kay Cooley, Burnsville.
Vision Loss Resources is located at 1936 Lyndale Ave. S. (at Franklin). Most of the artworks are available for sale. A new exhibit featuring other artists with disabilities will begin March 1. For more information, contact VSA arts of Minnesota, 612-332-3888 voice/tty, jon@vsaartsmn.org; http://mn.vsarts.org; for directions call Vision Loss Resources, Phone: 612-871-2222.

Kevin Kling is continuing to recover from his motorcycle accident during the Minnesota Fringe Festival. The playwright/actor did a storytelling session at the Weisman Museum Saturday, Nov. 17, as part of the opening celebration for the "New Visions of the American Heartland" exhibition. He performed Monday, Dec. 17, at a benefit at the Guthrie Theater with a variety of Twin Cities performers. And he is performing with Michael Sommers' Open Eye Figure Theatre, playing Mary's husband Joseph in "The Holiday Pageant." Puppets, objects, human actors and live music conspire to amuse in this holiday show for all ages, playing through Dec. 30 at the Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave. in Minneapolis; 612-340-1725 or The Southern Theater (www.southerntheater.org).
For more info on Kevin go to his website, Kevin Kling Home Page (www.kevinkling.com).

VSA arts featured four artists on this year's holiday cards. Minneapolis resident Tara Arlene Innmon, a painter/sculptor/writer, had one of her works featured. Congratulations, Tara!
The 2002 VSA arts calendar features work by 13 artists on the theme, "Reflections on Arts and Education." To see the calendar on the web, visit: 2002 VSA arts calendar (http://www.vsarts.org/gallery/calendars/calendar0102/index.html).

The National Arts Program® was established in 1985 by the National Arts Program Foundation, Inc. to inspire, acknowledge, and reward creative accomplishment throughout the nation. It sponsors exhibitions where artists of all ages, backgrounds and levels of talent display their work in public. All works submitted in accordance with the program's carefully structured Rules of Exhibit are shown and then judged by a panel of prominent artists, educators and cultural leaders. Cash prizes and continuing education scholarships are awarded by classification (youth, amateur, intermediate, or professional). Most important, participants gain a sense of accomplishment, building their confidence to cultivate their creative abilities.

When a city is selected to join the National Arts Program®, the program is tailored to meet each city's particular interests or goals. While the initial invitation is often extended to municipal employees and their families, some cities open the event to a broader audience, such as county employees, the public school system or the general public. The exhibit and awards ceremony are the centerpieces of a larger, ongoing city-wide celebration of National Arts Program Week or Month. A VIP pre-event reception, exhibit tours, and free classes and lectures are just a few examples of other events that add to the experience.
For more information, contact the National Arts Program Foundation, Inc., 699 Sugartown Road, Malvern, PA 19355; 610/408-9600; fax 610/408-9674; Dianne Goddard, Program Director; dgoddard@ntlartsprog.org; National Arts Program Foundation (http://www.ntlartsprog.org).

The Professional Enrichment Program (P.E.P.), a unique coalition of community partners viewed as a national model for the alliance of theatre artists with and without disabilities, recently launched its own theatre company, Alchemy Works. Its first collaboration titled "me/you/us/them," a collection of one-acts, was presented November 8-10, in Berkeley, CA.
P.E.P. was formed to increase the participation and professional development of performance artists and theater workers from under-represented groups, especially those with disabilities. Initiated by Pamela Walker and her agency, Talent Bridge, P.E.P.'s other coalition members include the Coalition for Inclusive Performing Arts, Corporation on Disabilities and Telecommunication, Intersection for the Arts, Isis Arts Collective, Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, National Arts and Disability Center at UCLA, Theatre Bay Area and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
The three one-act plays look at interpersonal, as well as societal relationships from a distinct perspective. In "Parting Shots," by Cheryl Marie Wade, considered to be the poet laureate of the disability arts movement, a couple sorts out their music and relationship in the midst of a break-up. "Parade" by Susan Nussbaum takes a futuristic look at the medical industrial complex and euthanasia set against a "liberation" parade. Pamela Walker's "The Rise and Fall of the US/them Empire - An Epic Vaudeville in One Act" takes a vaudevillian-nouveau pastiche approach to comment on societal standards of image, beauty and the place each of us holds as an "Us" or a "them."
For more information, call the Corporation on Disabilities and Telecommunication at 510-845-5576.

The Society for Disability Studies (SDS) has issued a Call for Papers to be presented at its 2002 annual meeting. SDS is an international nonprofit organization that promotes the exploration of disability through research, artistic production, and teaching. Looking at the theme of "Disability, Difference, and Tolerance Crossing Boundaries and Taking Risks," the conference will seek to examine emerging international issues in disability studies in today's political, economic and cultural context. The conference will place special emphasis on identifying and crossing oppressive physical, political, ideological, communication and attitudinal boundaries. They want specifically to sponsor cross-disability, cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural discussion that promotes peace and tolerance.
The Conference is June 5-9 at the Oakland Marriott City Centre, 1001 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607. It will be organized to encourage dialogue among academic disability studies, activists, policy makers, practitioners, and the disability community as they try to situate disability studies in today's global crisis of shifting boundaries.
Deadline for submissions is January 1, 2002. Contact: Carol Gill (e-mail: cg16@uic.edu) at:
SDS, c/o Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago (M/C 626), 1640 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL 60608-6904; Voice/TTY: 312-996-4664, Fax: 312-996-7743, Society for Disability Studies (http://www.uic.edu/orgs/sds).

Through funds provided by the McKnight Foundation, the Paramount Arts District in St. Cloud, in conjunction with the Central Minnesota Arts Board, will soon have equipment for area artists to photograph their two and three dimensional artwork in slide, print or digital formats. The photos may be used in web site design, portfolio development or to apply for grants or scholarships. The service is free except for film processing and artists providing their own labor. The Paramount staff will provide equipment, space and limited instruction. In addition, the McKnight Foundation will offer free web sites to artists on its new web hosting service, Minnesota Artists Online (www.mnartists.org). This will replace the CMAB Artists Directory. To participate or for more information, call Melissa Gohman at the Paramount, 320-240-0836.

The Blacklock Nature Sanctuary will offer four artist residency programs at its Moose Lake site in 2002: The Emerging Artists and the Arts Administrator Fellowships funded by the Jerome Foundation; the East Central Arts Council Fellowships for artists living in Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine and Mille Lacs Counties funded by the East Central Regional Development Commission and the East Central Arts Council, with funds provided by the Minnesota State Legislature; and the Nadine Blacklock Nature Photography Fellowship for Women, made possible by Blacklock Nature Photography. Applications must be received by January 25, 2002. The material is on the website: Blacklock Nature Sanctuary (http://www.blacklock.org).
A selection panel of professional artists will base their decisions on the quality of past artistic or administrative work, merit of residency proposal and the match with the Sanctuary's physical resources. Proposals that do not meet basic fellowship criteria or guideline requirements will not be reviewed. Applicants will be notified by mail in March 2002. The 2002 Fellowships must be scheduled and taken between April 2002 and March 2003. Request materials from, and send application to: Artist Fellowship Programs, Blacklock Nature Sanctuary, 3853 County Line Road, PO Box 426, Moose Lake, MN 55767-0426.

VSA arts invites artists with physical disabilities to submit slides or transparencies of original work for reproduction on cards and calendars produced for the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. Images should be traditional or realistic in nature, including landscapes, florals, Americana scenes, and still-lifes, and will be selected based on suitability for use in printed materials. If selected, image(s) will be printed on cards that will be mailed to over 1 million households throughout the U.S. as a fundraising tool to solicit donations for the foundation. In addition to national exposure, artists receive tag line & bio credit, 100 copies of the card, and $150 for the use of each image. Submission deadline is ongoing. Send up to 20 slides, a resume and biography to: Chris Reeve Image Search, VSA arts/ Artist Services, 1300 Connecticut Ave. NW, # 700 Washington, DC 20036. FMI: contact 800-933-8721 or gallery@vsarts.org.

The Art of Triumph is a juried art show whose purpose is to organize, award and promote artists with disabilities. Organized by ARTability, Phoenix Museum of History, Art Detour and First Fridays, it is seeking two-dimensional or three-dimensional artwork (i.e., paintings, drawings, sculpture, etc.). Entries are due January 30, 2002, and the show will run March 1-3 at the Phoenix Museum of History, with an awards ceremony March 1st. To enter, submit slides or photographs of your work (up to 10 entries per person, do not submit original art) with your name, phone number and address to: Art of Triumph, 4340 E. Indian School Suite 21-149, Phoenix, AZ 85018. Entry materials will not be returned. If you have any questions, call John Burton at 602-738-5340.

Superfest XXII, International Media Festival on Disabilities, seeks entries of works about disability or by mediamakers with a disability. Works made since 12/1/97 are eligible. A half-inch VHS-NTSC preview format is required, along with a completed and signed entry and release form. Entry fees range from $20 to $90. Winners will be screened in the San Francisco Bay area. To request entry forms, leave a voicemail message at the Corporation on Disabilities and Telecommunications: 510-845-5576; e-mail Superfest@aol.com; or download an entry form at Superfest XXII, International Media Festival on Disabilities (http://www.madknight.com/cdt/superfest/index.htm). Postmark entry deadline is January 31, 2002. Early bird discount if mailed by Jan. 15, 2002.

The Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) seeks entries for its 23rd Annual Juried Exhibition for Women Artists: WOMEN IMAGING PEACE AND FREEDOM. Hosted by the College of Visual Arts Gallery in Saint Paul from March 19 through April 20, the exhibition is sponsored by the Minnesota chapter of Women's Caucus for Art and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Arts Committee. Entries will be judged by New Mexico painter Jaune Quick-To-See Smith.
ELIGIBILITY: Open to all women artists residing in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and western Ontario. A $15 entry fee -- US dollars -- is required. Each artist may submit up to three slides. All two and three visual arts media, performance and video are accepted. Entries must include a WARM entry form or facsimile and must be received by January 11, 2002. To request an entry form, call WARM at 651-292-1188 or email warm@rconnect.com. Include your address. The form will be mailed to you. Upon request, a PDF file of the form may be emailed to you. If requesting an entry form after January 4, you must provide a fax number.
The Women's Art Registry of Minnesota is a 26-year-old regional non-profit visual arts organization that empowers women, strengthens communities and influences the development of the arts and culture in society.

The MCAD Gallery at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design, 2501 Stevens Avenue S., presents exhibitions Monday-Friday, 9:00-8:00, Sat. 9:00-5:00, Sunday, noon-5:00. Phone: 612-874-3700.

Classes this winter at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design include: Can I Paint Like That?, Bronze Casting, Comic Book Storytelling, Digital Coloring for Comic Books, Political Cartooning, Developing an Online Identity, Digital Lettering for Comic Books, Color Marketing and Forecasting, Block Printing from Digital Sources, Geometry as Symbol and Structure, Specific Fictions: Reading Ray Bradbury, Building the Visual Journal. More details and tuition are available at Minneapolis College of Art & Design (www.mcad.edu), Phone: 612-874-3765 or by e-mail at continuing_studies@mcad.edu.

The Cultural Access Consortium (CAC) and the Bay State Council of the Blind (BSCB) of Watertown, Massachusetts, have published Making Theatre Accessible: A Guide to Audio Description in the Performing Arts. It is targeted toward performing arts organizations and is an advocacy tool for access coordinators, education and outreach personnel and advocates in the blindness community. It includes specific New England resources but will be useful to others looking to establish or enhance audio description programs. Contents include: What Is Audio Description; Why Audio-Describe Theatre from the perspective of a member of the blindness community, an audio describer, a theatre producer, and a regional theatre education and outreach director; A Brief History of Audio Description; outreach initiatives for Audio Description Education; A Step-by-Step Program Plan which includes a chronological and categorical listing of process steps, fundraising, marketing, box office, and production elements; Appendices including information resources, examples of program book inserts, signage, sample describer's contract; and a Glossary of Terms. To order, send $6 per copy (postage/handling are included; specify format: print, Braille, large print or computer diskette) to Bay State Council of the Blind, Attn. Kim Charlson, 57 Grandview Ave., Watertown, MA 02472-1634. FMI: Call 617-926-9198 voice or e-mail kimcharlson@earthlink.net.

Anodyne Artist Company is a visual and performing arts company for artists with and without disability labels who invite all to share in a creative atmosphere. Anodyne is led by artists with a wide span of gifts and cultural roots committed to inspire all through a high level of teaching, mentoring and artistic expression. Anodyne is looking for a talented, energetic and creative Performing arts Coordinator with a B.A. in theatre and/or 5-10 years' experience in theatre arts; strong instructing, supervisory and communication skills, desire and flexibility to adapt to diverse individuals.
Contact or send resume by Jan. 31 to: Anodyne Artist Company, Mary Brown-Pendergast, Co-Executive/Artistic Director, 825 Carleton St., St. Paul, MN 55114; E-mail: anodyneart@aol.com; 651-642-1684.

The American Composers Forum is seeking a part-time Assistant for the Innova Recordings CD label (www.innova.mu). The ideal candidate will have a background in new music, experience with the recording industry, and interest in marketing and promotions. Send resume and cover letter with phone numbers of three references to: Philip Blackburn, American Composers Forum, 332 Minnesota St., E-145, St. Paul, MN 55101; 651-251-2823; Fax 651-291-7978; pblackburn@composersforum.org. Postmark (or e-mail) deadline is January 15, 2002.