VSA arts Announces National Awards for Excellence

June 8, 2006

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2006 – VSA arts announced its 2006 National Awards for Excellence and Dedication to Service during its annual affiliate meeting in Washington this week. Affiliates, partners and staff were recognized for their outstanding work in the arts for people with disabilities.

VSA arts works with a network of affiliate organizations that are independent nonprofit organizations. Each VSA arts affiliate coordinates a comprehensive set of programming across the state.

“These awards represent the dedication and innovation of VSA arts affiliates and their partners in increasing access to the arts for people with disabilities in their communities,” said Soula Antoniou, president of VSA arts.

The award recipients are:

Jeffrey Melzack received the VSA arts National Award for Excellence in Leadership on behalf of VSA arts of Massachusetts. As a teacher, Melzack helped define the earliest VSA arts festivals, conducted numerous workshops for the affiliate on topics including music in math and models of inclusion. He served as jury chair for visual arts shows, exhibit curator, and a board member for the affiliate. He was also involved in one of the VSA arts Institutes.
Morgan Barr Lewis, ADA coordinator, State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs received the VSA arts National Award for Outstanding Community Partner on behalf of VSA arts of Florida. The Division of Cultural Affairs has measurably increased cultural access and inclusive arts services statewide, developed grant guidelines that require greater oversight of ADA requirements by cultural institutions, and required active participation in the state’s NEA career forum for artists with disabilities.
VSA arts of Texas received the VSA arts National Award for Excellence in Educational Programming for its Arts Alive program. Arts Alive serves general and special needs children, ages 3-8, in public school settings in four communities. The program reaches 3,500 children―700 with disabilities. The program also trained more than 400 educators in inclusive arts education over the past year. VSA arts of Texas was recently awarded $400,000 in a two-year grant from its state education agency to evaluate Start with the Arts professional development and teaching artist programs in pre-K bi-lingual and English as a Second Language classrooms.
VSA arts of Florida was awarded the VSA arts National Award for Excellence in Professional Development and Technical Assistance. The affiliate was recognized for its multi-pronged statewide approach to professional development programming. Through its annual leadership conference the affiliate reached more than 600 educators and teaching artists throughout the state, 20 percent of whom had disabilities.
VSA arts of Hawaii-Pacific was applauded for its professional development for artists with disabilities through the Artists Mean Business and Hire Abilities programs. The affiliate provided assistance to artists with disabilities access to career education in a non-restrictive setting as way of helping them to compete more effectively in a diverse workforce. The affiliate received a $1 million grant from the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid services to increase competitive employment outcomes for people with disabilities.
The VSA arts National Award for Excellence in Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services was given to VSA arts of Pennsylvania for its Visual Access Project and Independence Starts Here! Programs. The affiliate partnered with more than 30 cultural organizations to transform attitudes about providing greater accessibility for people with disabilities and provide greater inclusion of artists with disabilities.

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.

Media Contact

Marcia Rhodes / VSA arts, (202) 628-2800, ext. 3883, marciar@vsarts.org