VSA arts of New York City
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18-05 215 Street, Suite 15N |
Dr. Bebe Bernstein |
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Tel.: (718) 225-6305 |
Website: |
Organizational Profile:
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Full-time Staff: 1 (unpaid) |
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VSA arts of New York City provides art, educational, and creative expression experiences to thousands of children, youth, and adults with disabilities who reside in the five boroughs of New York City. It provides opportunities for people with disabilities to demonstrate their accomplishments in the arts and foster increased understanding and acceptance. The organization promotes the development of partnerships within the public and private sectors of the city. VSA arts of New York City works with cultural facilities of New York City to enrich arts experiences for its participants.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
New York City Department of Education; New York City Division of Special Education, District 75; New York City Public School Districts; Teachers College, Columbia University; St. John’s University; Mayor’s Office on People with Disabilities; New York City Hospital School Programs; Queens Museum of Art; Whitney Museum of Art; Programs for Visually Impaired Students; Lowell School; Schools for Career Development/Occupational Training Centers; Citywide Speech and Language Services Department; Teachers College Services for Students with Disabilities; Arts Horizons; Fieldston School; Kids Project; New York City Department of Sanitation; Museum of Natural History
Educational Programs
“Celebrate the Arts!”
In 2009, VSA arts of New York City continues to implement a total arts education program with a “Celebrate the Arts!” theme. Art projects, programs and classroom activities based on the theme will be introduced to itinerant personnel, teaching artists, classroom teachers, community organizations, and volunteers in each borough at the beginning of the school year. Participants include thousands of pupils within inclusive organizations, school settings with special and typical classes, kindergarten to 12th grade. Programs culminate in May–June 2009 with local and borough-wide arts events—St. John’s University Festival, All City Arts Festival at Columbia University, and Citywide Early Childhood Day—where participants demonstrate, display, exhibit, and perform. As required by the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), exit projects are planned for each program. These events are planned as celebrations and educational experiences for students, professional staff, and public.
Early Childhood Initiatives
The New York City Early Childhood Initiatives program focuses on applying arts activities and experiences to achieve, as studies have shown, educational and social goals for an early childhood population. Goals include: readiness, reading and writing skills, self-expression, and socialization. In Phase III of the Express Yourself program, activities will be conducted in three different neighborhood schools in Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn. During the 2009 school year, students from prekindergarten through second grade from Queens Early Childhood Center and Brooklyn and Bronx school districts will participate.
The Phase III topic is “Our World of Animals: Animals That Help Us.” This includes service animals for people who are blind or have low vision, rescue animals, hospital and family pets, and others that help people with disabilities. Some projects that students will undertake involve creating “animal art,” visual art projects, puppetry, and writing poems and stories.
A team of speech and language therapy specialists and artists assigned to each site will train classroom teachers, provide materials (including the VSA arts Start with the Arts™ resource) through weekly one-day sessions, and develop a culminating event. Examples of possible culminating events include an interactive performance, an exhibition of pupil artwork, or an early childhood festival.
Programs for Youth
Highlights for this program in 2009:
Intermediate students will participate in a variety of VSA arts programs. Their participation will include: performing; creating banners, signs, and exhibitions; directly assisting at events; and contributing to workshops with younger students.
A local intermediate school will hold its annual Photo Fence Project at the Queens Festival, where all attending classes receive instant school photographs. The project is implemented in conjunction with students from St. John’s University’s Fine Arts Department. The Fieldstone School, a private school in Westchester, New York, will once again bring more than 50 student volunteers to a VSA arts of New York City event at Columbia University. The school has included their participation as an integral part of the school’s studies program.
The New York City Volunteer Corps comprises special education and city high school students trained by the VSA arts of New York City volunteer coordinator. In 2009, the coordinator will also prepare CVS volunteers who are part of the VSA arts and CVS Caremark All Kids Can collaborative program with CVS pharmacies.
Professional Development
One-Day Events and Artist Residency
In 2009, to meet the geographic challenge of this large city with its outlying boroughs, VSA arts of New York City will continue a variety of professional development-oriented one-day events, in conjunction with its partners, to introduce new projects or reinforce existing ones. Planned workshops and events include VSA arts’ Express Diversity!© workshops at each festival site; mural workshops; and museum training days. VSA arts of New York City will participate in ArtLink, an international art exchange program.
Artist residencies will once again be an integral part of the CVS residency project, centering on integrating the mandated social studies curriculum with supportive arts activities and experiences. VSA arts of New York City has piloted and participated in the VSA arts collaborative projects with CVS pharmacies since their inception.
New Dimensions Teacher Training Workshops
In Fiscal Year 2009, VSA arts of New York City continues training sessions to introduce the classroom teacher to new techniques and a variety of art media for use in classes for children with disabilities. Artists, engaged through Arts Horizons, will implement classroom workshops with students and conduct follow-up sessions with the teacher at selected inclusive school sites.
Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services
“Murals on Parade”
VSA arts of New York City maintains ongoing partnerships with a variety of New York City museums and cultural organizations. An exhibition of young artists’ work will go on display at the renowned Queens Museum of Art. The event will mark the opening of the VSA arts of New York City murals program exhibition. For the official opening, political figures, families, and the general public will be invited to a reception and recognition ceremony hosted by the museum and VSA arts of New York City. The Queens Museum of Art is a totally accessible facility, recognized for its projects for children with disabilities across the city. After the two-week display, the exhibition will become available to other sites during 2009.
VSA arts of New York City and the Queens Museum Weekend Program
VSA arts of New York City will collaborate on a project with the Queens Museum’s Art Access Program. As part of the New York City early childhood initiatives program, the public, students, families, and caregivers will participate in two weekend art activities workshops led by museum staff and docents. The artwork resulting from the program will be exhibited at the Queens Museum.
Public Awareness and Outreach
Public Awareness Campaign
In 2009, VSA arts of New York City will continue to promote awareness in the five remote boroughs through its communities, a senior and student volunteer network, annual theme posters, buttons, the VSA arts of New York City calendar, exhibitions, fliers, e-mail, and events. The focus will be on publicizing the VSA arts of New York City festivals, murals program, exhibitions, announcements of national VSA arts programs, and utilizing Web site listings such as the New York State Alliance for Arts Education’s VSA arts of New York City link.
Murals Program and Calendar
The annual VSA arts of New York City calendar features murals created by classes in all boroughs. The theme for the 2009 calendar is “Celebrate the Arts!” Completed murals will be submitted for display at the VSA arts of New York City festival and other events. Following the exhibitions, a jury will select murals to be included in the 2009 calendar. The calendar will be distributed to schools, organizations and elected officials. It serves as a major tool to increase public awareness and recognition of the contributions of students with disabilities through the arts. Initially held in 2008 at the State Capitol in Albany, a second murals and calendar exhibition will be held in 2009.
(F) 202-429-0868