VSA arts of Maryland

MD State Dept of Education 200 West Baltimore Street, 5th Floor Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Tel: (410) 767-0173 TTY: (410) 333-6422 Relay: (800) 735-2258 Fax: (410) 333-1146

Organizational Profile:

Full-time Staff: 1
Part-time Staff: 1
Volunteer Hours: 6/month
Projected Total 2007
Income: $134,163
(including In-Kind Contributions)
Direct Participants: 5,598
Indirect Participants: 3,265

The mission of VSA arts Maryland is to enrich the lives of persons with disabilities through active involvement in the arts. VSA arts of Maryland operates on the principles that the arts are fundamental to the human experience; the arts provide experiences for children and adults that contribute to their intellectual, social, physical, and aesthetic well-being; and that every individual has the inherent right to realize their creative potential, know the joy of creating and achieve fair and equitable inclusion in the cultural life of their community.

Programming Partners and Other Funders:

Kennedy Krieger Institute; Maryland State Department of Education-Division of Early Intervention and Special Education; Arts Education in Maryland Schools; Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind; Towson University; University of Maryland; Quest: Arts for everyone; Maryland State Fine Arts Council; Maryland Local Educational Agencies

State Programs

Educational Programs and Artist Residencies

"Touch Art" – Art Beyond Vision

"Touch Art" is a partnership between the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind in Riverdale, Maryland and VSA arts of Maryland. "Touch Art" is designed to build awareness of how touch can be used as a way of creating visual art. Participants with little or no visual memory develop their touch, as one hand functions as the eye and the other hand creates shape and texture. This program is a series of 12 practical sculpture workshops designed to bring the world of art through sculpture to children who are blind or low vision.

ART EXPLORE: Young Artists Studio After School Program

Special education students will be provided a curriculum that accesses their ability to demonstrate cognitive and artistic growth. This outreach program gives students the opportunities to experience art activities to develop the aesthetic and technical skills that encourage creativity and personal expression. Art history and culture are integrated in lessons as students learn how to create art and build knowledge of artists and materials. Students tap into their imagination and build critical thinking skills, and expand their awareness of the world around them. This program consists of after-school workshop sessions in photography, ceramics, painting, and sculpture lasting eight to ten weeks.

ARTS ALIVE! Artists Residencies

VSA arts of Maryland, in collaboration with the Maryland State Arts Council, will provide artists for five special education centers throughout the state of Maryland. The goal of the residencies is to help students better understand fine arts through participatory activities and workshops. The residencies last three to ten days and consist of sequential sessions with a core group of students. Ideally, the core group will include small groups of eight to twelve- students who participate in a minimum of three workshop sessions.

Professional Development and Technical Assistance

Start with the Arts Institute

This two-day workshop will focus on how learning is best achieved when integrating the arts to access the cognitive development of early childhood learners. This comprehensive approach of arts integration combines classroom discussion with hands-on training to familiarize teachers with instructional program concepts, functions, and procedures. Artists, teachers, and service providers throughout Maryland will create and process various lessons, learning how to use many approaches and tools to incorporate the arts in learning. The program takes place on the campus of Towson University during the spring semester.

VSA arts of Maryland Artist Retreat

This Artist Retreat serves as an opportunity for VSA arts of Maryland and Quest: Arts for everyone to support Maryland artists in the development of quality innovative programming for children with disabilities. The program is divided into two phases. In phase one, each artist, with the guidance of master teachers, participates in brain-trust sessions to gain curricular connections for the use of artistic activities. In phase two, artists will conduct a series of three workshops under the supervision of their master teacher. The master teacher provides feedback to the artist about classroom work.

Public Awareness and Outreach

Festivals

The Festivals provide support for community-based celebrations that showcase the artistic accomplishments of students and adults with disabilities. Through festival activities, performance exhibitions and demonstrations, the artists can share their creative gifts with the general public and with each other, enhancing a sense of community. The festivals will feature four activities, including make-and-take projects, motor activities, performing activities, and environmental/discovery arts. The festivals promote the ideal inclusive environments for all individuals.