VSA arts of Arizona
|
3321 North Chapel Avenue |
Barbara Yorkis |
|
Tel.: (520) 795-6502 |
Organizational Profile:
|
Full-time Staff: 1 |
 |
The mission of VSA arts of Arizona (VSAA) is to provide inclusive opportunities for participation in the arts for persons with and without disabilities, and/or persons who are disadvantaged or at-risk. VSAA's primary focus has been children, ages 4-21, in public schools.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
The Arizona Commission on The Arts; The Tucson Pima Arts Council; Rise Inc.; Tucson Unified School District; Amphitheater School District; The Arizona Community Foundation; The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona; The Women’s Fund for Southern Arizona; Lyons PTA; The Center for Culture in Hermosillo, Mexico
State Programs
Educational Programs and Artist Residencies
Teacher-Student Training Programs
VSA arts of Arizona provides yearlong teacher-student training programs at various sites throughout the state. As part of a three-year commitment, teachers will work with artists to learn methodologies such as focused skill development using sequential techniques; use of inquiry-based educational instruction, development of vocabulary and encouragement of independent ideas; reflective time in journaling; and skills in building a cooperative learning environment.
The relationship transfers 'teaching' from the artist to the teacher during the three year mentoring model. Artist and teacher use a curriculum specific to the population; pre- and post- testing of skills and knowledge; a skills list to identify when skills are mastered; the Manhattanville Music Curriculum Project methodologies coupled with implementation of Gardner’s Theories on Multiple Intelligences; rubrics; and both summative and formative evaluations. The artist and teacher meet each month to discuss specific factors identified in a research project undertaken by VSAA and funded by the Arizona Art Education Research Institute.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
Artist Training
VSA arts of Arizona provides monthly training programs for artists during the school year, and for approximately 50 to 60 hours during the summer. VSAA brings together artists, administrators, teachers, and consultants for training sessions focused upon specific topics such as how children learn and evaluation. Evaluation sessions have explored information gathering, and the connection of that process to required and elective data collection, as well as to VSAA and national VSA arts goals, and have led to the identification of a set of research-based benchmarks. VSA arts of Arizona also provides disability awareness training on an as-needed basis to all who request it.
Building Your Career
VSA arts of Arizona will continue the career development dialogue and assistance program that was initiated in October 2005. VSA arts of Arizona and the Arizona Commission on the Arts launched the program for artists with disabilities with a conference, “Building Your Career,” held in Scottsdale. The conference brought together both professional artist who shared their stories and professionals in public and private service groups who described what their organizations offer artists with disabilities. Additionally, individual career plans created by each participant were reviewed. A second conference will be held in late January in Maricopa County as part of the Southwest Arts Conference. Attendees of the October conference will review needs met and unmet since the first conference.
Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services
Cultural Access Survey Training
To increase access to the arts for people with disabilities, VSA arts of Arizona plans to invite the VSA arts of Massachusetts Access Team to Tucson to provide cultural access survey training. Participants will include representatives from arts groups in Arizona, as well as youth participants, compliance officers from school districts, and facilities managers for public venues in Tucson. Training activities will include a one-week session with the Access Team from Boston, and practice sessions during the summer at schools, libraries, theaters, restaurants, and tourist attractions. The goal is to train a cadre of youth who will continue the program by training new youth each summer and performing surveys as part of the “community service” program for high school students. Over time, the program will selfperpetuate with support from VSA arts of Arizona and other entities in Tucson.
Public Awareness and Outreach
Public Awareness Activities
VSA arts of Arizona’s 2006 public awareness activities will focus on the development of a fully accessible Web site to highlight the work of adult artists with disabilities, as well as the work of artists, teachers, and students in youth programming.
(F) 202-429-0868