VSA arts of Missouri
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1724 McAlester |
Mr. Fred Berry |
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Tel: (573) 875-2872 |
Website: |
Organizational Profile:
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Full-time Staff: 0 |
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VSA arts of Missouri enriches the lives of children, youth and adults with disabilities through opportunities for creative expression through the arts. VSA arts of Missouri provides free, inclusive programs in creative writing, dance, drama, music and visual arts that foster individuals' exploration and expression and help participants develop independence, learning skills and increased self-esteem. Each year, VSA arts of Missouri serves thousands of individuals throughout the state.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
University of Missouri - Columbia, Center for Literary Arts; Services for Independent Living, Columbia; Morningside Community School, Columbia; ITT Technical Institute, Earth City; Kirksville Arts Association; Truman State University, Kirksville; Kirksville Regional Center; Sheldon Concert Hall, St. Louis; Barnes and Noble, Columbia; Missouri Arts Council; St. Louis Regional Arts Commission; City of Columbia's Office of Cultural Affairs; Downtown Optimist Club, Columbia; 3M; Greater Kansas City Pilot Clubs; Karen Aulisa, Independent Latasia Jewelry Designer; John W. Nagel Memorial Fund; Tiger Pilot Club, Columbia; Boone Electric Community Trust; National Endowment for the Arts; Social Security Administration; University of Missouri - Columbia, Disability Services, PACE-IT and Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity - Beta Epsilon Chapter
State Programs
Educational Programs and Artist Residencies
VA/VSA Artist-in-Residency
The VA/VSA program, "Written Expressions," provides weekly creative writing courses to veterans at Jefferson Barracks Hospital in St. Louis. Classes meet every week of the year. An annual publication is printed with works from the ongoing project. The Art and Soul series provides professional college level courses to all people with disabilities. There are three writing and two visual arts adult-based classes planned for the upcoming year in Columbia and two youth-based classes in Kirksville in the spring. Topics range from poetry to life drawing and creative movement. Courses are taught by professional artists and writers.
Young Playwrights Discovery Program
The Young Playwrights Discovery program will take place in a St. Louis high school in the spring of the school year. Members of a professional theatre company
in St. Louis, the DisAbility Project, will teach the techniques of script writing to high school students with a program focusing on theatre in the world of disability. The program will culminate with a public performance.
Artist-in-Residency
The Artist-in-Residency Program brings a professional artist with a disability into inclusive classrooms to teach students specific skills and provide additional professional development for teachers.
Mixed Abilities Dance Program
In October 2004, VSA arts of Missouri began a mixed abilities dance program in Jefferson City. This program provides opportunities for people with physical and developmental disabilities to receive formal dance instruction in an informal dance setting.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
Artists Unlimited
Artists Unlimited connects professional and emerging artists with disabilities to the arts community statewide. Artists in the Artists Unlimited Registry are notified at least twice monthly of upcoming opportunities. These prospects include conferences, festivals, and exhibitions identified by the VSA arts of Missouri staff as appropriate locations for exhibiting and the sale of work by Missouri artists with disabilities. In addition, artists are contacted about programs and contests administered by VSA arts, as well as teaching and career opportunities. Missouri schools are contacted to identify potential recipients of this information so that young artists are included. Artists in the registry may work in any medium including visual arts, music, theatre, storytelling, dance, and writing.
Public Awareness and Outreach
Traveling Arts Exhibit
Based on the desire of Missouri artists with disabilities, both professional and emerging, to exhibit their work, VSA arts of Missouri has organized its first annual statewide traveling art exhibit.
Reclaiming Our Heritage
The Reclaiming Our Heritage Program is now in its second year of a partnership between VSA arts of Missouri and the Kirksville Arts Association. This program collects oral histories of local residents and integrates them into the social studies curriculum of the Kirksville Public Schools utilizing students from Truman State University, Kirksville.
Creative Arts Festivals
Seven traditional children’s creative arts festivals will be held in the Kansas City area throughout the spring of 2005. Greater Kansas City area children and youth with disabilities attend a host of activities in the arts, and the events will be used to identify classrooms for additional long-term VSA arts of Missouri programming. The annual creative arts festival for children will be held at the Sheldon Concert Hall featuring educational arts workshops and demonstrations. The one-day event in late April will help VSA arts of Missouri find interested classes for implementing long-term programming. VSA arts of Missouri also participates in the Columbia Festival of the Arts with the Arts for All activity. In the past year, more than 1,000 children were directly reached with these festivals.
(F) 202-429-0868