VSA arts of Missouri
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6128 Delmar Boulevard |
Deborah Mashibini |
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Tel.: (314) 920-9701 |
Website: |
Organizational Profile:
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Full-time Staff: 0 |
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VSA arts of Missouri is reemerging as a statewide organization dedicated to promoting the work of artists with disabilities. This organization is committed to facilitating and collaborating with a broad range of accessible arts opportunities for children and adults with disabilities throughout Missouri. In 2008–2009, the organization is networking to recruit board members and solicit input in development of its vision, mission, and organizational framework so that a viable and effective VSA arts affiliate is active throughout the state by fiscal year 2010.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
Missouri Arts Council; Regional Cultural and Performing Arts Development Commission (RAC); Delta Gamma Center; STAGES St. Louis; That Uppity Theatre Company’s DisAbility Project; New City School; Ackerman School (Special School District); faculty from the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University; the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, ParaQuad; South West Center for Independent Living and additional independent living centers throughout Missouri; PhD Gallery; Governor’s Commission on Disability
Educational Programs and Artist Residencies
Citizens Making a Difference: Disability/Insights
In collaboration with That Uppity Theatre Company’s DisAbility Project, an ensemble of actors with and without disabilities and students from fourth-grade classrooms at New City School in St. Louis will work with students from Ackerman Special School District to research disability issues, write, rehearse, and perform an original play on a theme related to disability. The Disability/Insights project began in January 2009, with culminating public performances scheduled for May 14 and 15 of 2009.
Teaching artists from STAGES St. Louis will be in residence at Delta Gamma School for students who are blind or have visual impairments to develop, write, and perform an original play in the spring/early summer of 2009.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
The VSA arts of Missouri Career Development Network connects artists with disabilities throughout the state through an information- and resource-sharing network. Artists who participated in the 2004 Missouri Career Forums—as well as representatives from Missouri independent living centers, the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Governor’s Commission on Disability, and schools and other service/advocacy organizations—receive and share information about opportunities relevant to the primary goal of promoting access to the arts. Informational mailings will go out via e-mail on a monthly basis.
A series of information and resource sharing workshops to be facilitated in conjunction with local arts councils is being considered for the spring of 2009.
Public Awareness and Outreach
The first issue of Vision, Strength, Access, a VSA arts of Missouri anthology featuring creative writing and visual art by professional and emerging artists with disabilities, is scheduled for publication in the spring of 2009. One thousand copies of the 50-page anthology will be distributed throughout the state and beyond. Current plans are to have the publication ready for disability awareness day at the state legislature in March 2009. All work will be reviewed by a selection committee including established community artists and poets, a representative from the Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis and faculty from the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University.
VSA arts of Missouri actively distributes information about and encourages submissions for the VSA arts national Call for Writing, the International Young Soloists Award, and the annual Call for Children’s Art.
Additional projects and collaborations will be developed throughout the year. Contact VSA arts of Missouri for more information.
(F) 202-429-0868