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 (VSAAW) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing arts opportunities by, for, and with persons with disabilities throughout the state of Washington. VSA arts of Washington 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 Washington 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.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
Antioch University; Asian Counseling and Referral; Ballanger Commons; Boeing Company; Burien Parks Department; Centrum; Centerpointe; Creative Living Services; DASH; gatheringplace; Dance Educators Association of Washington; Edmonds Community College; Everett Community College; 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; Seattle Center Academy; Shoreline Parks and Recreation; Washington Association of Art Educators; Washington Association of Theatre Educators; Washington Music Educators Association; Washington State Arts Commission; 4Culture; ArtSpace; Boeing Company; Creative Activities for the Physically Disabled (Ida’s Fund); King County Department of Community and Human Services, Developmental Disabilities Division; Seattle Foundation; Seattle Mayor’s Office on Arts and Cultural Affairs; Seattle Police Employee’s Charity Fund; Shoreline—Lake Forest Park Arts Council; Patrick Sutcliff
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 multimedia projects. Professional development opportunities for artist-instructors, technical assistance for site coordinators and artist-instructors, and exhibition 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 exhibitions. Class sites include: Kent, Shoreline, Burien, Port Townsend, Spokane, Tacoma, and Seattle.
Artist-in-Residence Program
The Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program connects professional artists with schools, group homes, hospitals, and other community facilities. Past AIR programs have reached up to 1,500 school children and 100 educators, parents, and paraprofessionals each year. In FY 06 the 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. FY 07–08 will include four residencies across the state.
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 with the development of portfolios, biographies, and artists’ statements; assistance with photographing works of art for inclusion in digital portfolios; assistance with applying to calls for art; assistance with the preparation of works of art for exhibition; and promotion of artists’ work through an online Artists Registry.
Exhibition opportunities include the Harrison Street Gallery, No Boundaries, and off-site exhibition services, as well as VSA arts of Washington’s Vision Gallery, which opened January 2006 in the Pioneer Square gallery district of Seattle. These exhibitions 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 exhibitions twice per year. No Boundaries 2007 is touring through June 2009 and will be exhibited at the Harrison Street Gallery, Robert Frey Gallery, Harborview Medical Center, Pendleton Center for the Arts, Northlight Gallery, Vision Gallery, and others. Off-site exhibitions tour a minimum of five sites per year throughout Washington, and will include new works this year.
Studio Programs
The Seattle Center/VSAAW Artists’ Studio program provides 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 VSA arts of Washington Vision Gallery is home to the new Vision Studio, offering year-round classes and activities.
Professional Development for Teachers and Teaching Artists
Through its teacher and 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 learning, 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! and Festivals
ArtSpring! is the largest festival held by VSA arts of Washington each year. The 2007 festival was held in May at Seattle Center, attended by more than 700 students, teachers, family and the public. ArtSpring! activity centers offer opportunities for students with disabilities to create and take home multimedia art projects with a qualified artist. Through the activity centers, collaborative projects, and art show, 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.
VSAAW also participates in other festivals around the state, provides informational booths at events, and awareness trainings and events in schools and other public venues.
(F) 202-429-0868