VSA arts Institute: Educators and Museums: Building Inclusive Learning Communities, Jacksonville, Florida – November 2-5, 2005

October 11, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 11, 2005 - The VSA arts Institute: Building Inclusive Learning Communities will be held at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens on November 2-5, 2005 in Jacksonville, Florida.

The VSA arts Institute is four days of professional development led by museum and arts in education leaders. Designed for museum educators, K-12 classroom teachers, teaching artists and arts administrators, the Institute features: core sessions, featured speakers, panel presentations, hands-on workshops, study groups to develop professional action plans, private consultation with faculty, and Creativity Works!, a forum for individuals with disabilities interested in a career in the arts.

“Museum Accessibility has grown far beyond simply building a ramp to the door. Attracting new and diverse audiences requires museums to not only rethink the use of architectural spaces, but more importantly how to be programmatically accessible,” says Hope McMath, Director of Education, Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens.

Participants will join a learning community of professionals working together to discover how partnerships between museums and schools can result in programmatic and environmental accessibility. “The goal of the VSA arts Institute is to enhance and strengthen the ability of practitioners to integrate the arts in education and meet the needs of people with disabilities,” said Soula Antoniou, president of VSA arts. “I encourage anyone who is serious about including and reaching all learners to attend this vital program.”

Speakers include:

Rebecca McGinnis, Access Coordinator and Associate Museum Educator, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Maarten van de Guchte, PhD, Museum Director, the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
Hope McMath, Director of Education, The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens

VSA arts is pleased to partner with The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, and VSA arts of Florida, an Affiliate of VSA arts and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. to bring the VSA arts Institute to Jacksonville, Florida. Registration options, including early registration discounts, are available online. Institute attendees will also receive special room rates at The Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront.

About VSA arts

VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where all people with disabilities learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts. VSA arts provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and the tools to support arts programming in schools and communities. VSA arts showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities. Each year millions of people participate in VSA arts programs through a nationwide network of affiliates and in more than 60 countries around the world. VSA arts is an affiliate of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information visit www.vsarts.org.

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