VSA 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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Founded in 1978, VSA New Jersey has a mission to enrich the lives and promote the creative power of people with disabilities. Guided by the principles of accessibility and artistic excellence, the organization is a leader in the provision of multidisciplinary arts programming for New Jersey for residents with disabilities. Statewide initiatives are centered on arts education, professional development, cultural access, and public awareness.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
Arc of Monmouth; Artworks; Burlington County Special Services School District; Chancy Memorial Foundation; College of St. Elizabeth; Cultural Access Network of New Jersey; Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation; Deluxe Corporation Foundation; Edison High School; Educational Information and Resource Center; ELKS of New Brunswick; Forum School; Girl Scouts of New Brunswick; MagyarBank Charitable Foundation; Mercer County Office for the Disabled; Mercer County Special Services School District; Mercer County Library System; Middlesex County College; Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission; New Jersey Department of Community Affairs; New Jersey Division of Disability Services; New Jersey Governor’s Awards in Arts Education; New Jersey State Council on the Arts; New Jersey Theatre Alliance; North Brunswick Township Schools; Plainsboro Township Recreation and Community Services Department; South Brunswick Public Library; Trinity United Methodist Church; United Way of Central Jersey
Educational Programs and Artist Residencies
Mercer County Arts Institute and Mentor Program
This after school program will provide comprehensive visual and performing arts workshops for students with disabilities in Mercer County. Through weekly enrichment activities designed to teach and reinforce the fundamentals of different art forms, students will develop an understanding and appreciation of the arts, enhance their self-esteem, and learn positive social skills. Mentoring opportunities will further support the artistic development of young people and provide them with access to professional artists.
Parent-Child Workshops in the Arts for Children with Autism
Now in its 26th year, this signature program supplements and supports the educational development and personal growth of young people with autism. Participants are exposed to the fundamentals of the visual and performing arts as they develop skills essential to academic and personal success. In addition to skill development, the workshops foster an increased bond among family members 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 friendship.
Residencies
VSA New Jersey’s arts education programs provide schools with unique opportunities to promote skills development while preparing students to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Innovation and creativity abound as students delve into sequential, curriculum-based projects in the visual, literary, and performing arts. Residency programs provide students with opportunities to learn from artists whose professional backgrounds and teaching expertise lead to exceptional classroom experiences.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
Statewide Forums on Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities
Follow up activities to last year’s series of three, full-day regional forums on careers for artists with disabilities were conducted including discipline-specific forums, dissemination of resource materials, and other additional activities.
Arts Achievement Recognition Program
Through the annual recognition program, VSA New Jersey will honor students with disabilities, ages 14–21, 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)
Recently celebrating 20 years of excellence on the stage, the Unlimited Potential Theater Company will provide actors and writers with the opportunity to receive support for their individual and collective career pursuits. Additional components will include a statewide writing competition and readers theatre as well as touring performances.
Art Gallery, Artists Registry, and Exhibitions
Established in 2007, the Red Horse Gallery at the Freehold Raceway Mall showcases the work of established and emerging artists with disabilities. A collaboration between VSA New Jersey, the Arc of Monmouth, and the Freehold Raceway Mall, the gallery is New Jersey’s only permanent exhibition space dedicated to showcasing the work of artists with disabilities in a high traffic, retail destination.
Professional Development for Educators
VSA New Jersey is a registered provider of professional development with the New Jersey Department of Education. Programs are designed to meet specific training needs related to engaging students in and through the arts. Options include Start with the Arts™, a program that promotes the development of basic literacy skills and offers engaging arts activities that teachers can apply in all curricular areas.
Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services
Cultural Access Network of New Jersey
The Cultural Access Network 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 network 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 New Jersey Access Services
Programmatic access services will be provided at performances, workshop series, and other public events. The organization also will be available to provide technical assistance to individuals and organizations seeking information or presentations on cultural access.
Public Awareness and Outreach
Festivals
Through the statewide Partners in the Arts Festival and a southern region festival, VSA New Jersey will provide enriching and accessible arts workshops, exhibitions, 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 will recognize individuals who have made a significant impact on the lives of people 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 New Jersey Web Site
VSA New Jersey hosts a web site, www.vsanj.org, designed to provide information on available programs and services.
(F) 202-429-0868