What's New

The next Artists with Disabilities Alliance Meetings

Wednesday, July 15, 2009, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM.

Location:

Minneapolis College of Art & Design (MCAD), 2501 Stevens Avenue S. The main MCAD building is next to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) & the Children's Theatre. There is a free parking ramp off 3rd Avenue S., and accessible parking off Stevens & 25th. Come early and view art exhibits at MIA or MCAD! Usually we meet in the second floor Conference Room or in Room 410, so look for signs.

Description:

• 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.
• We 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.
• Retreat – We will evaluate our June 12-14 Retreat at Macalester College in Saint Paul, and its Open Mike, cabaret, workshops, networking, meals, overnight accommodations, Sunday morning “creative closure” and more! What does AWDA want to do with the left-over treats, art supplies, etc. Who wants to help write the final reports for the grants from the Metro Regional Arts Council and the National Arts & Disability Center? Thank you letters are also in order. The future? …
• Open Flow – Do we have a volunteer or volunteers willing to organize this activity? This has been a monthly Sunday afternoon opportunity to share art, creativity and thoughts and to hear occasional presentations. If it is to continue, someone needs to plan room reservations and coordinate refreshments, publicity, etc.
• TOP & Other Discount Programs – We also have an opportunity to offer cheap tickets to the Guthrie and other theatres – IF someone coordinates.
• Other Business: Possible presentation by Artability at Apollo.
• Art-Sharing Time: bring a sample of your art – visual art, writing, music, etc.!
• AWDA info: 612-332-3888, email: jon@vsaartsmn.org; or Artists with Disabilities Alliance (AWDA) (www.Angelfire.com/mn3/awda).
• Please do not wear fragrances, so all can participate.

VSA arts of Minnesota presents art by various Minnesota artists with disabilities at the Institute on Community Integration with a reception July 22.

Come celebrate and hear from the artists on held Wednesday, July 22 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Craig Dunn of VSA arts of MN and several artists will discuss their work at 3pm in room 325, Education Sciences Building, 56 East River Road, Minneapolis.. Tours of artwork in Pattee Hall to follow (beginning approximately 4:30 PM in the front lobby).

VSA arts of Minnesota has partnered with the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) to display artwork by Minnesota artists with disabilities in Pattee Hall, the main office building of ICI located at 150 Pillsbury Drive SE on the University of Minnesota East Bank Campus.  Thirty-six works of art are on display now through September 30 during normal hours at ICI, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday. The exhibit, reception and tour are free and open to the public.

"Changing Landscapes: An Ongoing Exhibit of Artists with Disabilities," a project of ICI, is a revolving display of artwork created by artists with disabilities from the Twin Cities area. New installments of art are displayed approximately every four months, and are accompanied by a celebration and tour. Artwork displayed is for sale; all profits go to the working artist. Other partners exhibiting artwork in 2008-2009 include Interact Center for Visual and Performing Arts (http://interactcenter.com) and Partnership Resources Inc. (http://partnershipresources.org).

Institute on Community Integration has a mission is to improve the quality and community orientation of services and supports available to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Website: Institute on Community Integration (http://ici.umn.edu/default.html). For more information about the project visit: Changing Landscapes: An Ongoing Exhibit of Artists with Disabilities at ICI (http://ici.umn.edu/news/art/default.html).

For information about purchasing these pieces or other artwork by these featured Minnesota artists, please contact Jenea Rewertz-Targui, 612-332-3888 or jenea@vsaartsmn.org.

If you need accommodation (ASL interpreting or audio description), please make arrangements in advance with VSA arts of Minnesota, 612-332-3888 or 800-801-3883 (voice /TTY) or email info@vsaartsmn.org.

VSA arts of Minnesota is pleased to announce that Roland Kosbab, a 12-year-old from Saint Cloud, has created a piece of art that has been selected for a national exhibit that will be on display at Union Station in Washington, D.C. Roland’s artwork was selected from 18 Minnesota students with disabilities in K-12 programs who responded to the VSA arts call-for-art earlier this year.

"The title of my artwork is Underground," said Kosbab. "I am showing worms underground with a sunny sky overhead."

He is a member of We-R-Artists, a network for artists with disabilities in Saint Cloud.  His grandmother Sharon Pfau, the coordinator of the group, suggested he enter the contest. Kosbab added that his acrylic painting celebrates who he is because "I am an artist and like art everywhere."

VSA arts of Minnesota's runner-up is Brynnah Dorko, a third grader from Fridley, for her submission of Girl on Swing.

"Swinging is one of my favorite things to do. In the summer I spend as much time as I can swinging in my backyard.” Proud of her accomplishment, Dorko says, “I am an artist, a chef, a big sister, and a cool girl."

More than 4,500 students entered the All Kids Can…CREATE! exhibition, and 51 artists were selected as representatives of their states. This year children were encouraged to create artwork based on the theme, Celebrating Who I Am, displaying their interests, talents, and dreams. The exhibition will debut at Washington, D.C.’s Union Station from June 1-21 in conjunction with the Start with the Arts Family Festival on June 5-6, and will then commence a two-year tour to children’s museums across the country. An online version of the exhibition can be found at Celebrating Who I Am (www.vsarts.org/PreBuilt/showcase/gallery/exhibits/CelebratingWhoIam).

For the second year, CVS Caremark All Kids Can joined VSA arts in the effort to expand inclusive arts education programs toward improving the lives and learning of young people with disabilities across the United States.  Every work of art submitted in the annual call-for-art has been included in an Online Gallery at Artsonia - Call for Artwork (www.artsonia.com/museum/collections/detail.asp?coll=1).  Stay tuned for details on next year's All Kids Can…CREATE! call-for-art this Fall.

VSA arts of Minnesota presents Andrew Braunberger’s artwork at Vision Loss Resources.

Stop in to observe colorful drawings and paintings by Minneapolis artist, Andrew Braunberger, at Vision Loss Resources 1936 Lyndale Avenue S., Minneapolis.  Braunberger’s artwork is on display through August 31 during normal hours at Vision Loss, 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM Monday through Thursday. The exhibit, sponsored by VSA arts of Minnesota, is free.

"Andrew Braunberger has found his primary medium, soft pastels, to be a "wellspring of possibility for discovery" as he experiments in high contrast, multi-layered works.  He enjoys the starkness of the fields of color and balancing them in dynamic compositions.  The natural tendency for the colors to recede and pop based upon their value and temperature makes the process feel like sculpture to him.  The themes in his work are often abstract, however he chooses to draw on ancient mythology (and a few myths of his own) in his more representational work.  Having lived with a bipolar disorder for many years, Andrew feels that the act of making any kind of physical gesture toward our difficult inner spaces keeps them from becoming stagnant. Creative expression heals." – Andrew Braunberger, Artist Statement.

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 or other artwork by Andrew Braunberger, please contact Jenea Rewertz-Targui, 612-332-3888 or jenea@vsaartsmn.org.
To view more of Andrew Braunberger’s work, please visit the artist’s website: Andrew Braunberger Artworks LLC (http://lotusion.com).

VSA arts of Minnesota exhibits oil paintings by Kathryn Stemwedel at Park State Bank.

Recent work by Saint Paul artist Kathryn Stemwedel is now on view through October 31 at Park State Bank, Warehouse District, 430 1st Avenue No., Suite 104, Minneapolis. The exhibit, sponsored by VSA arts of Minnesota, is free and on view during normal hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Kathryn creates artwork that dances between reality and fiction; incorporating classical, surrealist and post-modern methods. Her art portrays the topography of psychological landscapes.

“My subjects are drawn largely from personal experiences, past and present. Every artist who I have admired has influenced me as a painter. I learned by copying the masters and watching more accomplished painters. As I credit these influential forbearers, I believe that each time we create it is fresh and original. I have too many influences to catalog, but the painters I have watched obsessively include Correggio, Balthus, Moreau, the symbolists, Corot, Gauguin and Bonnard. I have also been significantly influenced by mythology, sacred painting and eastern decorative arts.

Making art is as breathing in that it keeps me living. It is the way that I negotiate the demands of heartbreak and faith. It is the expression of my happiness, hope and wisdom. It is the arena where wars are waged and moral questions are posed. The emotional landscapes that I navigate in my paintings are, in truth, very private and perhaps inexplicable at times, but I hope within them I have successfully portrayed something universal as it is my belief that art's most important purpose is to make us see each other.” – Kathryn Stemwedel, Artist Statement.

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. Park State Bank (www.parkstatebank.com).

For information about purchasing these pieces or other paintings by Kathryn Stemwedel, please contact Jenea Rewertz-Targui, 612-332-3888 or jenea@vsaartsmn.org

For additional information please contact the artist, Kathryn Stemwedel by email art@kathrynstemwedel.com or visit the artist’s website: Kathryn Stemwedel (www.kathrynstemwedel.com).

VSA arts of Minnesota exhibits work from artists with disabilities around the metro area! Artworks displayed are for sale. All profits go to the working artist.

Andrew Braunberger

Showing May through August 2009.
Vision Loss Resources,
1936 Lyndale Avenue S. (at Franklin Avenue), Minneapolis.
See also: Art Exhibit at Vision Loss Resources.

Kathryn Stemwedel

Showing July 1 – October 31, 2009.
Park State Bank,
430 First Avenue N., Suite 104, Minneapolis, MN.
See also: Paintings on Display at Park State Bank.

Exhibition Opportunities Info & Registration

Exhibition Opportunities Info & Registration (PDF document)
Exhibition Opportunities Info & Registration (Word document)
Exhibition Opportunities Info & Registration (RTF document)

Accelerate: A national juried exhibition for emerging visual artists with disabilities

Deadline: Friday, June 19, 2009

VSA arts is seeking emerging visual artists ages 16–25 living in the United States who have a physical, cognitive, mental, or sensory disability. Selected work will debut at the S. Dillon Ripley Center for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.  The exhibition will tour throughout the United States for two years. Grand prize will be awarded: $20,000; first award $10,000; second award $6,000; and twelve awards of excellence $2,000.

Please visit: Accelerate (www.vsarts.org/PreBuilt/showcase/gallery/exhibits/vw/current/index.html) for more information, including eligibility, entry instructions and a link to the online application.

Please contact Arts in Education Coordinator, Jenea Rewertz-Targui, 612-332-3888 or jenea@vsaartsmn.org with any questions regarding these calls for entries.

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 arts of 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 arts of 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 arts of Minnesota.
528 Hennepin Avenue, Suite 305.
Minneapolis, MN 55403.
E-mail:  jenea@vsaartsmn.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@vsaartsmn.org.

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

Program Description: VSA arts of 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 arts of 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 arts of 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.

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 arts of 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 arts of Minnesota in the range of $500-$1250. Schools are asked to provide support funds of $250 to help support their residency.

What to Submit: Interested parties are asked to complete the Artists-in-Residence Request Form under Forms/Guidelines and send this completed form to VSA arts of Minnesota.

Past Awarded Sites: VSA arts of Minnesota's 2006-2009 Artist-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 arts of Minnesota to develop training on to: info@vsaartsmn.org.

Click on the MCA Web Sticker to let your state or federal government representatives know that the arts need funding support. VSA arts of Minnesota receives state funding via the Minnesota State Arts Board Operational Support program and federal funding through VSA arts in Washington, D.C. via a grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Arts in Education line item.

Sample letter to share information about VSA arts of Minnesota with Federal legislators (Word document)
Sample letter to share information about VSA arts of Minnesota with Federal legislators (Rich Text Format - RTF)