VSA arts of Washington
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305 Harrison Street, Suite 303 |
Patti Lee |
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Tel.: (206) 443-1843 |
Website: |
Organizational Profile:
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Full-time Staff: 3 |
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VSA arts of Washington (WA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing arts opportunities by, for, and with persons with disabilities throughout the state of Washington. VSA arts of WA advocates for equal access to the arts and to the arts in education for all by creating quality programs, both targeted and inclusive, which provide a strong avenue for artistic and creative exploration, expression, and development. VSA arts of WA provides professional development opportunities for emerging and professional artists with disabilities and helps forge links between artists with disabilities, arts communities, and the general public.
In fiscal years 2004 and 2005, VSA arts of Washington also provided services in Oregon.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
All Aboard; Antioch University; Asian Counseling & Referral; Ballanger Commons; The Boeing Company; Burien Parks Department; Centrum; Centerpointe; Creative Living Services; DASH; gatheringplace; Dance Educators Association of Washington; Edmonds Community College; Everett Community College; King County Elections; Fort Worden State Park Group Home Association; Harborview Medical Center; Highline Community College; Kent Parks and Recreation; Metro Transit; Momentum; Mosier Art Center; Northwest Center for Independent Living; Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; Partners in Care; Provail; Providence Hospital; Reach for It!; Seattle Center; Robert Frey Gallery; Seattle Center Academy; Shoreline Parks and Recreation; VSA arts of Massachusetts; Washington Association of Art Educators; Washington Association of Theatre Educators; Washington Music Educators Association; Washington State Arts Commission; 4Culture; ArtSpace; The Boeing Company; Creative Activities for the Physically Disabled; King County Department of Community and Human Services, Developmental Disabilities Division; EAGLE Alternative High School; The Seattle Foundation; Seattle Mayor’s Office on Arts and Cultural Affairs; Seattle Police Employee’s Charity Fund; Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council; Washington State Arts Commission
State Programs
Educational Programs and Artist Residencies
VSA arts of Washington Community Classes Network
VSA arts of Washington community classes provide arts instruction to youth and adults with disabilities in collaboration with community organizations throughout the state. Classes are designed to develop and expand inclusive arts education opportunities and increase social and artistic skills of program participants. VSA arts of Washington community classes are offered year round in five-to-ten week sessions. Classes are conducted by trained VSA arts of Washington teaching artists who provide instruction in painting, drawing, weaving, ceramics, photography, and multi-media projects. Professional development opportunities for artist-instructors, technical assistance for site coordinators and artist-instructors, and exhibit and professional development opportunities for class participants are also offered. Participants develop their professional skills by exhibiting their work in community and statewide VSA arts of Washington classes and exhibits. Class sites include Kent, Shoreline, Burien, Lynwood, Port Townsend, Spokane, and Tacoma. In FY 2006, VSA arts of Washington is also providing support to community classes in Eugene, Corvallis, and Portland, Oregon.
Artist-in-Residence Program
The Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program connects professional artists with schools, group homes, hospitals, and other community facilities. Past Artist-in-Residence programs have reached up to 1,500 school children and 100 educators, parents, and paraprofessionals each year. In FY 06, Washington State Arts Commission, VSA arts of Washington’s funding partner for our AIR program, shifted its focus toward efforts to create community consortia that will sustain local arts education efforts over the long term. The transition program is called the First Step grant. VSA arts of Washington’s First Step program will serve youth with disabilities in Toppenish during the 2005-2006 school year.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
Professional Development for Artists with Disabilities
VSA arts of Washington’s professional development activities for artists with disabilities include the preparation, display and sale of artists’ work; technical assistance on the development of portfolios, biographies, and artists’ statements; assistance with photographing artworks for inclusion in digital portfolios; assistance with applying to calls for art; assistance with the preparation of artwork for exhibit; and promotion of artists’ work through an online Artist Registry.
Exhibit opportunities include the Harrison Street Gallery, No Boundaries, and off-site exhibit services, as well as VSA arts of Washington’s new Vision Gallery, which opened January 2006 in the Pioneer Square gallery district of Seattle. These exhibits provide an opportunity for artists with disabilities to show their work and for the larger community to gain awareness and appreciation for the community of artists with disabilities. The Harrison Street Gallery is located at the Seattle Center and presents VSA arts of Washington exhibits twice per year. No Boundaries 2006 will be exhibited at the Harrison Street Gallery, Robert Frey Gallery, Harborview Medical Center, Pendleton Center for the Arts, Northlight Gallery, and the Vision Gallery. Off-site exhibits tour a minimum of five sites per year throughout Washington and will include new works this year.
Studio Programs
The Seattle Center Artists Studio (AU Studio) program provides a working space, materials and art classes to artists of all abilities. The studio is prominently located in the Seattle Center and is open six days a week. The Vision Studio is located adjacent to the Vision Gallery and is expected to open in April of 2006.
Professional Development for Teachers and Teaching Artists
Through its teacher/artist training, VSA arts of Washington will reach artists, educators, and site administrators who teach youth and adult students with disabilities; professional and paraprofessional educators of children ages three to six; and educators, administrators, professionals, and students of the arts that are involved in statewide educational public and private programs. ArtsTime is a biannual arts and education conference for educators, administrators and others interested in learning more about arts essential learnings, frameworks and program assessment. VSA arts of Washington staff also conduct Start with the Arts training workshops as well as teacher training workshops designed around the needs of the individual school or school district.
Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services
Access Services
VSA arts of Washington supports access to the arts for people with disabilities throughout the state. VSA arts of Washington publishes print and online versions of arts access documents; maintains a database of arts and disabilities resources; and trains and manages volunteer Cultural Access Monitors to provide volunteer access surveys for arts organizations in their communities.
Public Awareness and Outreach
ArtSpring
ArtSpring is the largest festival held by VSA arts of Washington each year. The 2006 festival will be held May 2-3 at Seattle Center, and hundreds of students are expected to attend. ArtSpring activity centers offer opportunities for students with disabilities to make a take-home art project with a qualified artist. Through the activity centers, students discover their power of creative expression. ArtSpring workshops also expand students’ thinking and horizons of possibility as they learn from professional artists with and without disabilities who model vision and success.
(F) 202-429-0868