VSA Missouri
|
P.O. Box 887 |
Kit Bardwell |
|
Tel.: (816) 868-1789 |
Website: |
Organizational Profile:
|
Full-time Staff: 1 |
 |
VSA Missouri is a statewide organization promoting access to the arts for people with disabilities. VSA Missouri is committed to collaborating with a broad range of community partners to promote access and facilitate accessible arts opportunities for children and adults with disabilities throughout Missouri.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
The Missouri Arts Council, Regional Cultural and Performing Arts Development Commission (RAC), STAGES St. Louis, That Uppity Theatre Company’s DisAbility Project, Celebration of Life/Benton County Advocates for Developmental Disabilities, Columbia Services for Independent Living, Ozark Center for Independence, Missouri Arts Education Collaborative, Epworth School, Marillac, University City School District, Meramec Community College, St. Louis Public Libraries, The St. Louis Diversity Awareness Project, Missouri Association of Community Arts Agencies, Best of Missouri Hands (Missouri Artisans Association), Left Bank Books, Prosperos Books, Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts, ParaQuad, South West Center for Independent Living, Governor’s Commission on Disability, Albrecht-Kemper Museum, St. Louis Arts Marketing Alliance.
Educational Programs and Artist Residencies
Artist-in-Residence Program
VSA Missouri collaborates with schools and diverse community organizations to enhance and expand arts opportunities for children with disabilities. In 2009-10 VSA Missouri is partnering with Marillac in Blue Springs and Accessible Arts Kansas to continue a successful artist-in-residence program offering students the opportunity to work with artists on a weekly basis throughout the school year. In the St. Louis area, VSA Missouri is collaborating with the teacher training program at Meramec Community College and Epworth School to offer weekly arts instruction for children, age 7 – 21, who have been diagnosed with severe learning disabilities, emotional disorders and/or behavioral disorders. VSA Missouri is also partnering with That Uppity Theatre Company’s DisAbility Project, a community ensemble of actors with disabilities, on the presentation of an adaptation of Tom Sawyer’s Huck Finn in collaboration with The Big Read. Outreach throughout the state includes short term residencies and one-time workshops in both urban and rural communities.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
Career and Professional Development Programming
VSA Missouri is partnering with the Missouri Artisans Association (Best of Missouri Hands) to bring artists with disabilities to the annual ArtSmart Conference, a three day career development summit for artists which will be celebrating its 20th year in 2010. This year’s event, held in Boonville in March 2010, will include a targeted session on Social Security Work incentives and for the first time accessibility will be highlighted in all Conference outreach materials. Best of Missouri Hands is offering a complementary one-year membership to all VSA artists attending the Conference.
The successful VSA Missouri Career Development Network, established last year, continues to offer one on one mentoring and networking support, with a focus on sharing information about opportunities for artists and supporting participation by artists with disabilities in both local and national opportunities. Collaborating partners include Missouri Independent Living Centers, the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Governor’s Commission on Disability. A high profile touring exhibit featuring artists included in the VSA Missouri anthology Blindness Isn’t Black is scheduled to open in October 2010.
Effort is being made to connect with existing and potential teaching artists with disabilities to establish a VSA teaching artist roster, offer professional development support, and to link teaching artists with opportunities.
Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services
Cultural Access Programming
VSA Missouri offers presentations, technical assistance, and distributes information promoting best practices in cultural access through arts community networks and for individual arts and cultural institutions throughout the state. In conjunction with the Missouri Arts Council, VSA Missouri hosts a webinar on best practices in cultural access for Arts Council grantees.
Public Awareness and Outreach
Outreach Efforts
VSA Missouri is spreading the word throughout the state that accessibility is important and achievable. Through e-mail blasts, the VSA Missouri Web site, participation in arts and disability community awareness events and active engagement in arts and education community networks, information about both local and national VSA opportunities is shared.
(F) 202-429-0868