VSA arts of Delaware
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Delaware State University Arts Center |
Jennifer L. Gunther |
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Tel.: (302) 857-6699 |
Website: |
Organizational Profile:
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Full-time Staff: 2 (plus 2 in-kind positions) |
The mission of VSA arts of Delaware is to enhance capabilities, confidence, and quality of life for children and adults with disabilities by providing learning opportunities in dance, theater, creative writing, music, and visual arts.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
Delaware Division of the Arts; Brandywiner’s; Delaware State University; AstraZeneca; State of Delaware; DFRC, Inc.; United Way; Delaware Federation of Women’s Clubs; Verizon Foundation; Verizon Wireless Hopeline, Target Foundation; Wilmington Flower Market
Educational Programs and Artist Residencies
Artist-in-Residency (AIR) Program
This program will provide artist residencies to many sites serving individuals with disabilities throughout the state. This is VSA arts of Delaware’s largest program in which the organization will provide appropriate coordination, administration, supervision, and evaluation at each specific residency site. Projects will promote specific art education opportunities in music, visual arts, and theater for children and adults with disabilities. Proposed sites are in schools and the community. One particular community residency is with domestic violence shelters throughout the state providing arts opportunities for residents and, as with all AIR projects, providing art instruction that otherwise would not be available.
Performing Arts Group
This program will provide opportunities for teens and young adults with developmental disabilities to experience theater and dance instruction as well as performance opportunities. The performing arts group will showcase its skills at an annual performance.
Start with the Arts
VSA arts of Delaware will work with preschools statewide to promote the Start with the Arts™ educational resource to educators and home care providers. This program will support the integration of the Start with the Arts program by providing training workshops, literature, and art resources.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
Art Training Awards
This program provides scholarship, art education funding, and technical assistance of up to $500 to young artists with disabilities interested in seeking additional training or experience in their chosen disciplines. Art award winners are selected through a nomination and evaluation process conducted by VSA arts of Delaware.
AIR Artist Training Workshop
The primary goal of this program is to provide training opportunities for any VSA arts of Delaware residency teaching artist or arts educator who facilitates or is involved with a VSA arts of Delaware program. Trainings will focus on accessibility, art education, special populations, and VSA arts of Delaware processes.
Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services
Cultural Access Program
This is a multifaceted program designed to spark new involvement in the state of Delaware’s cultural access initiative. VSA arts of Delaware will work with the Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA), which will serve as a resource for cultural access. VSA arts of Delaware will act as a point of contact for other organizations who wish to develop a greater understanding of DDOA’s proposed cultural access initiative and will expand online resources to provide greater information on cultural access and other related topics.
Public Awareness and Outreach
Gratia Artis: VSADE Newsletter
VSA arts of Delaware publishes a program-based newsletter twice a year. Gratia Artis is sent to a statewide database of individuals interested in VSA arts of Delaware programs, special events, disability advocacy, community arts opportunities, cultural access, and volunteer opportunities.
www.VSADelaware.org
The VSA arts of Delaware Web site is an online resource for its programs and access information. The Web site is periodically updated and revised to reflect new program information and provide online access to VSA arts of Delaware program applications. The resource section of the site provides information on disability awareness and advocacy, as well as cultural access information.
Celebration of Creativity: Annual Art Exhibition
VSA arts of Delaware annually designs, develops, and coordinates a visual arts exhibition at a community arts center. The Celebration of Creativity art exhibition showcases the works of visual art produced by various artist-in-residence project participants and art award winners and provides an opportunity for the work of program participants to be recognized and professionally displayed. This exhibition is open to the community and includes a performance component during the opening reception.
(F) 202-429-0868