VSA Maine
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11 Pleasant St |
Kippy Rudy Website: |
Organizational Profile:
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Full-time Staff: 2 |
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VSA Maine is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing arts, education, and cultural opportunities for children and adults with disabilities. VSA Maine’s mission is to ensure that every person with a disability or who is at risk, has the opportunity to use the arts to rise to his or her fullest potential, to explore the world, and to become an active participant in it. Programs include artist residencies in schools, teacher training workshops, apprenticeships for adult artists with disabilities, exhibitions, and working with cultural venues throughout the state to improve accessibility. VSA Maine is currently in the process of merging with ArtVan, a mobile art therapy program which visits public housing developments, day care and Head Start centers, schools and group homes in Bath, Brunswick, Biddeford and Lewiston/Auburn.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
Maine Department of Education, Special Services; Maine Arts Commission; Maine CITE; Maine Support Network; Alpha One Center for Independent Living; Husson University; Bowdoin College; Maine College of Art; University of Southern Maine; Hudson Foundation; Maine State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation; Maine Alliance for Arts Education; Maine Developmental Disabilities Council; Maine Parent Federation; Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association; Davis Family Foundation; Lifeboat Foundation; Jane B. Cook Trust; Midcoast Community Action/Headstart; Maine Community Foundation; Target Foundation; Alfred M. Senter Fund; Davenport Trust; and Eleven Pleasant Street Arts Center
Educational Programs and Artist Residencies
Artist Residencies in Schools and Community Arts Programs
Artist Residencies in Schools and Community Arts Programs support student achievement by coordinating visits from professional artists to classrooms with students with disabilities in kindergarten through 12th grade in community settings, and cultural venues across the state. Residencies are designed to instruct teachers on how to use the arts in teaching academic subjects while addressing the Maine State Learning Results and Federal No Child Left Behind regulations; to provide direct, hands-on experiences with professional artists; to encourage interdisciplinary learning and enrichment of curriculum content; to engage all students by having them use all their senses in participating in the artistic process; and to promote full access to quality arts experiences for all students. VSA Maine staff and volunteers also provide three-days of art-making every year for thousands of children visiting the Common Ground Fair.
ArtVan Program
The ArtVan Program is a mobile art therapy program bringing artists, art therapists, volunteers and equipment to public housing developments, day care and Head Start centers, schools and group homes in Bath, Brunswick, Biddeford and Lewiston/Auburn. The ArtVan programs are designed to build self-esteem, strengthen local communities and enrich lives. ArtVan's website is www.artvanprogram.org.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
Professional Development
Professional Development increases the number of children with disabilities engaged in arts programming in schools through VSA Maine workshops for teachers, artists and arts educators. The workshops focus on disability awareness, adaptation techniques, and building student skills. Every year, VSA Maine participates in a statewide conference of more than 300 Maine special education professionals to advocate for the infusion of arts into curricula and to provide them with new skills.
The Gallery at Eleven Pleasant Street
The Gallery at Eleven Pleasant Street provides a venue for adult artists with disabilities to learn arts business skills through hands-on apprenticeships. Participants learn about all aspects of the business of art, including portfolio development, framing, marketing, hosting opening receptions, working with the press, and understanding financial management. Following the apprenticeships, artists receive mentoring for ongoing support.
Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services
Accessible Maine (AccME)
This program is a collaboration between VSA Maine, Husson University, and Alpha One Center for Independent Living to increase awareness of accessibility issues in Maine’s arts, cultural, and recreational facilities. Occupational therapy students from Husson survey cultural sites such as theaters, museums, and art centers and provide the sites with reports on their facilities’ accessibility and suggestions for improvement. Each spring the partners present a free seminar, “Low Cost Solutions for Accessibility.” Cultural sites may also conduct self-surveys through an online tool with accompanying recommendations for improving accessibility.
Arts Are Basic Coalition (ABC)
This is a group of the statewide arts education organizations in Maine, partnering with the Maine Department of Education to advocate for daily access to quality arts education for every child in Maine schools. VSA Maine’s participation ensures that children with disabilities are not forgotten when planning education policy in the state of Maine.
Public Awareness and Outreach
A Matter of Perception: Exhibition by Artists with Disabilities
A Matter of Perception: Exhibition by Artists with Disabilities showcases the artwork and talent of Maine artists with disabilities. The exhibition occurs in a two-year cycle: the first year includes a call for art and all artwork submitted is exhibited at least once (as many as 400 pieces may be displayed at up to 15 sites). In the second year, a jury selects up to 60 pieces that are exhibited with an accompanying catalogue at other locations across the state. Exhibition locations include art galleries, libraries, the state capitol, and disability organizations. Related activities and events include public opening receptions, gallery talks, disability awareness training for museum and gallery personnel, and outreach to schools, group homes, and social clubs. The exhibitions and programming raise awareness of disability issues, create opportunities for artists with disabilities to market their work, and expand access to the arts for traditionally underserved populations.
Information and Referral Services
Through the VSA Maine Web site (www.vsartsmaine.org) information and referral services provide a resource for educators, administrators, artists, and cultural venues throughout the state. Serving more than 500,000 people annually, the site includes updated lists of program partners, resources, and important links that help to build support and awareness while serving children with disabilities, their parents and educators, and artists throughout Maine.
(F) 202-429-0868