VSA arts of New Jersey
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703 Jersey Avenue |
Vanessa Young |
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Tel.: (732) 745-3885 |
Website: |
Organizational Profile:
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Full-time Staff: 1 |
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The mission of VSA arts of New Jersey is to enrich the lives and promote the creative power of individuals with disabilities through the development and support of model and inclusive cultural, educational and recreational programs and services. VSA arts of New Jersey fosters artistic growth, lifelong learning, and strive for personal excellence through programming in all of the arts disciplines. Founded on the principles of accessibility and artistic excellence, the organization is a leader in arts-based programming for New Jersey residents with disabilities.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
Chancy Memorial Foundation; College of St. Elizabeth; Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation; Educational Information and Resource Center; Forum School; Fund for the NJ Blind; Henry H. Kessler Foundation; Highland Park School District; Learning Resource Center South; Mason Gross School of the Arts – Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; Mercer County Office for the Disabled; Middlesex County College; Middlesex County Cultural & Heritage Commission; New Jersey Department of Community Affairs; New Jersey Governor’s Awards in Arts Education; New Jersey State Council on the Arts; Rowan University; Stephen J. Capestro Theatre; United Way of Central Jersey
State Programs
Educational Programs and Artist Residencies
Mercer County Arts Institute & Mentor Program
This comprehensive year-round program provides visual and performing arts workshops for students with disabilities in Mercer County. Through after school enrichment activities designed to teach and reinforce the fundamentals of the art forms, students develop an understanding and appreciation for the arts, enhance their self-esteem, and learn positive social skills. Mentoring opportunities encourage young people with disabilities to develop relationships with adult artists and foster their continued involvement in the arts.
Parent/Child Workshops in the Arts for Children with Autism
This program, which is conducted in the northern, central and southern regions of the state, aims to develop the creative abilities of young people with autism and to foster the family experience of the visual arts, music, and dance. Participants are exposed to the fundamentals of the art forms as they develop behavioral, cognitive, and motor skills. In addition to skill development, the workshops foster an increased bond between families and their children with autism through the arts experience. Inclusive arts workshops provide opportunities for children with autism to interact with their peers without disabilities in a creative arts environment that fosters mutual respect and the encouragement of strengths.
Residencies
VSA arts of New Jersey offers artist residencies in collaboration with schools to meet the needs of their students with disabilities.
Storyteller Players
Through this program, adults with developmental disabilities learn to tell their own stories, in their own words, in an accepting and encouraging environment. Each participant is guided and encouraged to participate in any way that best involves his or her level of interest and ability to create and perform. The use of music, movement, and storytelling provides partipants with a framework for self-expression and structured socialization.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
Arts Achievement Awards
Through the annual awards competition, VSA arts of New Jersey honors students with disabilities ages 14 to 21 for outstanding achievement in and dedication to the arts and recognizes educators and administrators who develop quality arts programming for young people with disabilities. Award recipients will become candidates for the New Jersey Governor’s Awards in Arts Education.
Unlimited Potential Theater Company (UPTCo)
UPTCo is an inclusive theater company that provides opportunities for adults with and without physical disabilities to be actively involved in all aspects of the performing arts. Components include main stage productions; workshops led by master artists on topics including acting, stage movement, playwriting and poetry; annual statewide writing competitions; touring performances; and an ongoing poetry group for writers.
Artists Registry & Exhibits
VSA arts of New Jersey welcomes artists with disabilities who have regional, national, and international reputations to become part of the artist registry, as well as emerging artists who have received little or no public exposure in media. Categories include painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media, as well as commercial arts and computer graphics. The organization sponsors exhibits and holds them in collaboration with other cultural and community organizations to provide increased opportunities for artists with disabilities.
Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services
New Jersey Arts Access Task Force
The Task Force will assist New Jersey cultural organizations in achieving compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Comprised of individuals with expertise in accessible programming and facilities, the Task Force will provide training and technical assistance to the cultural community as it implements structural and programmatic changes, develops programs that include people with disabilities, and engages in sensitivity training.
VSA arts of New Jersey Access Services
Programmatic access services are provided at public events, workshop series, and events. In addition to alternate format materials, the organization provides CART services, assistive listening devices, and sign language interpretation during the UPTCo main stage production at the Stephen J. Capestro Theatre and the Readers’ Theatre.
Public Awareness and Outreach
Festivals
Festivals provide a day of enriching and accessible arts workshops, exhibits, and performances that promote the involvement of people with disabilities in the arts and the integration of people with and without disabilities in celebration of the arts. Students will have the opportunity to engage in interactive and cooperative learning activities that support the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards in the Visual and Performing Arts.
Dare to Imagine Awards
The Dare to Imagine Awards recognize children and adults who have made a significant impact on the lives of a person or persons with disabilities. Award candidates must have made an impact that relates to one or more of the following focus areas: corporate and organizational responsibility; education, training, and enrichment opportunities; accessibility; and personal commitment and volunteerism.
VSA arts of New Jersey Web site
VSA arts of New Jersey hosts a Web site (http://www.vsanj.org) designed to provide information on available programs and services.
(F) 202-429-0868