VSA arts of Michigan
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100 West Alexandrine |
Lora Frankel |
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Tel.: (313)823-3303 |
Website: |
Organizational Profile:
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Full-time Staff: 1 |
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VSA arts of Michigan promotes creative power in people with disabilities and works to create a society where people with disabilities participate in, learn through, excel in, and enjoy the arts. VSA arts of Michigan increases educational and community arts opportunities for individuals with disabilities and promotes the need for arts education. Each year, thousands of individuals benefit from VSA arts of Michigan programs throughout the state. VSA arts of Michigan also provides direct assistance to local organizations in the areas of program development, fundraising, public relations, and community networking.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
Programming partners include the Children’s Center of Wayne County; Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs; MARO Employment and Training Association; and Michigan Statewide Independent Living Council. Funders include the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan; The Skillman Foundation; The Kresge Foundation; Ruth Mott Foundation; Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation; School District of the City of Highland Park; City of Detroit Planning and Development Department; Comerica; Pfizer Global Research and Development.
Educational Programs and Artist Residencies
artsJAM Detroit! Gallery and Studio Program
The artsJAM Detroit! Gallery and Studio program provides an opportunity for youth with disabilities to learn a variety of arts media through mentoring by professional teaching artists. Participants are engaged in setting their own goals for participation, developing portfolios, gaining work and social skills, and assessing their progress on an ongoing basis. Youth are given opportunities to share their accomplishments with parents, families and friends at occasional performances and exhibitions. They are also provided opportunities to visit arts and cultural institutions in the community and attend theater, dance, and music performances.
artsJAM Detroit! Work Alternatives for Youth Program
This is a summer program employing youth living in Detroit, Highland Park, and Hamtramck. Young people, ages 14–22, are hired at minimum wage to work six hours per day, four days per week, for three to six weeks. These employees, mentored by professional teaching artists, choreograph dance, create drama, compose music, write poetry, and create works of visual art. With the assistance of a social worker, they assess their participation and record their daily experiences in journals. They are also given opportunities to contribute to their community and develop a culminating event, attended by families and friends, at the end of the summer that celebrates their accomplishments.
Artists-in-Residence Programs
VSA arts of Michigan collaborates with educators in elementary and secondary schools to integrate dance, drama, music, and visual arts with the language arts, math, science, and social studies curricula in inclusive and special education classrooms. Residencies include planning meetings with teaching artists and school staff, in-service workshops for teachers and paraprofessionals, classroom observations by the artists, classroom workshops taught by the artists, evaluation sessions with teachers, and culminating events to give opportunities to the students and teaching artists to exhibit or perform their creative work.
Educational Workshops
One- to five-hour workshops conducted by professional teaching artists are provided for children, youth, and adults with disabilities that demonstrate how the arts benefit learning. In some instances a series of three to four hourlong workshops are taught by the same artist. Workshops take place in schools and art and community centers.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
Community Outreach
Training and technical assistance for VSA arts of Michigan district volunteer coordinators are available through ongoing communication and meetings to assist with program development, fundraising, publicity, and volunteer recruitment and retention. Each year a Volunteer Leadership Development Institute is offered at a conference center on Higgins Lake.
Artist Services
VSA arts of Michigan responds to requests from artists with disabilities for information, resources, and assistance with career development. Staff assist the artists in evaluating their needs and developing a plan for providing necessary services, which may include development of portfolios and marketing materials. In October 2007, VSA arts of Michigan conducted its first Career Forum for Artists with Disabilities at the Michigan Rehabilitation Conference in Grand Rapids, and will be offering a series of workshops throughout 2008 that will assist artists in career development. A database of artists is maintained and, as opportunities arise for exhibiting or performing, they are informed by an e-mail Listserv and/or direct mail.
Educator Professional Development
Workshops
VSA arts of Michigan offers half- to full-day workshops for educators upon request. Occasionally school districts and individual schools contact the state office and request a workshop. Schools are matched with teaching artists in the medium of their choice and purchase the workshop on a fee-for-service basis. Workshops are also conducted at arts, education, and disability conferences.
Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services
Workshops and Site Surveys
VSA arts of Michigan provides disability awareness and access training workshops, accessibility site surveys and information and resources for arts and cultural organizations and institutions in Michigan upon Request.
Inclusive Arts Services include:
Arts for All—A rental/lending process established for the use of art tools that were created by Michigan native Dwayne Szot. Affiliated VSA arts of Michigan district organizations may borrow the tools, and other organizations rent them. Training sessions in the use of the tools are offered for a fee.
Tickets to Theatre, Dance, and Music Performances—Complementary tickets or tickets purchased at group rates are provided to children, youth, adults, and their families.
Kids on the Block—Third-grade students in the Traverse City area are provided puppet performances that address a variety of disability issues.
ASL Interpretation—VSA arts of Michigan, Grand Traverse area, and the Traverse City Symphony Orchestra collaborate to provide sign-interpreted performances and an instrument “petting zoo” at family concerts.
Michigan Youth Arts Festival
High school youth with disabilities who participate in the artsJAM Detroit! program and exhibit their work in the Emerging Artists’ Touring Exhibition attend this three-day festival that takes place at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo each May. Participants are engaged in workshops and attend festival rehearsals and performances. The Michigan Young Soloist Award recipient is showcased during the Thursday evening gala concert.
Public Awareness and Outreach
Emerging Artists’ Touring Exhibition
An annual call for art is announced in the fall of each year, resulting in an exhibition of 40–60 works of visual art created by emerging artists. The exhibition travels to approximately 20 venues throughout the state, including conferences, festivals, schools, libraries, malls, and art and community centers. The Inside Out touring exhibition will be launched in February 2008.
VSA arts of Michigan Festivals
District organizations conduct festival events celebrating the culmination of their yearlong programming. Festivals take place in April and May in Centreville, Flint, Grand Rapids, Petoskey, and Traverse City.
Expressions Newsletter
VSA arts of Michigan publishes three issues of Expressions each year.
Information and Referral
VSA arts of Michigan will continue to provide information regarding assistance and resources available in the arts, education, and disability communities for persons seeking information and referrals.
(F) 202-429-0868