VSA arts of Rhode Island
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500 Prospect Street |
Jeannine L. Chartier |
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Tel.: (401) 725-0247 |
Website: |
Organizational Profile:
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Full-time Staff: 1 |
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VSA arts of Rhode Island (RI) is dedicated to providing opportunities for people with disabilities to actively participate in high quality programs in the visual, literary and performing arts. VSA arts of RI creates model programs for inclusive audiences throughout the state in partnership with the arts, cultural, disability and educational communities. Founded in 1986 on advocacy for access and artistic excellence, VSA arts of RI increases public awareness of the creative talents of children and adults with disabilities, integrating their achievements into Rhode Island’s mainstream community, thereby promoting the cultural benefits of the arts for all.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
Rhode Island Department of Education, Office of Special Populations; Rhode Island State Council on the Arts; Rhode Island Department of Mental Health, Retardation & Hospitals, Division of Developmental Disabilities; Governor’s Commission on Disabilities; Rhode Island School of Design Museum; Rhode Island Dance Alliance; Rhode Island ARC agencies; Warwick Housing Authority; All Childrens Theatre; Providence Black Repertory Theatre, Rhode Island Independent Living Centers; Rhode Island Special Olympics; Lagniappe Productions; Verizon; Bryant College; Ocean State Charities Trust; Target Stores; United Way; CVS; Rhode Island Foundation; Reeve Foundation; Cox Charities; Hasbro Charities
State Programs
Educational Programs
Access the Arts
VSA arts of RI’s "Access the Arts" is a collaboration with the Rhode Island Department of Education creating inclusive artist-in-residence programs statewide. Students with disabilities explore their creative talents in a wide variety of visual, literary and performing arts by working with professional artists in intensive "hands on" projects that enhance curriculum goals while school educators receive job embedded professional development in the arts. An art exhibit is maintained at the Department of Education’s headquarters in Providence showcasing student artwork produced in the residencies.
Chance to Dance
VSA arts of Rhode Island supports Dance Alliance’s “Chance To Dance” weekly classes held at schools & community locations throughout the state. Students with and without disabilities work together with an artist-in-residence to research and interpret a dance theme; choreograph, learn, and rehearse their dances; and then perform in a culminating weekend of shows in May at the Providence Performing Arts Center.
Legacy Program
VSA arts of RI's "Legacy Program" provides instruction in visual arts and creative writing for seniors and adults with disabilities living in the Warwick Housing Authority’s locations. This artist-in-residency program begins in January and ends in June with a culminating exhibit at the Warwick Public Library.
Allen Ginsberg Poetry Program
VSA arts of Rhode Island's "Allen Ginsberg Poetry Program" provides a series of creative writing workshops for adults with developmental disabilities at a variety of sites throughout Rhode Island and culminates in a statewide poetry competition, award ceremony and springtime poetry readings.
Monday Night Music/Tuesday Nite Dance
VSA arts of Rhode Island provides a year-round series of classes for youth and adults with cognitive and physical disabilities to participate with service providers from local disability agencies and receive instruction in a variety of music and dance styles.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
Artistic Expressions
VSA arts of Rhode Island supports the career development of artists with disabilities by producing art exhibits, artist receptions and gallery talks as well distributing publicity about both the artists and the exhibitions. VSA arts of RI also assists individual artists in developing skills necessary to facilitate the artist’s professional development towards improved marketing and sales.
VSA arts Connection with Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum
VSA arts of RIhode Island in collaboration with the RISD Museum of Art, sponsors visual art classes for adults with developmental disabilities. Participants receive art education in a variety of mediums within the museum’s galleries. Classes contain art history lessons, instruction using the museum’s artworks as visual reference, and culminate in a gallery exhibition, thus improving their professional development as artists and enhancing the museum’s ability to provide inclusive programming.
VSA arts Reach: Program and Accessibility Training
VSA arts of Rhode Island conducts workshops, seminars and consulting services for general curriculum and special education teachers, art educators, school and program administrators, docents, etc. Training includes information on how accessibility is achieved in specific VSA arts programs, disability awareness training, updating general inclusion techniques, and arts standards/frameworks education. VSA arts of Rhode Island is also working with the Rhode Island Arts Learning Network in developing the State of Rhode Island’s Proficiency Based Graduation Requirement in the Arts.
Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services
Accessible Rhode Island
VSA arts of Rhode Island's statewide Initiative actively promotes inclusion and assists arts and cultural organizations in developing new audiences by conducting site surveys towards identifying access barriers and developing proposed solutions towards improving access; providing American Sign Language Interpreters for stage performances; purchasing/soliciting admission passes to a wide variety of cultural events; facilitating distribution of tickets and providing additional support to encourage greater participation by people with disabilities in the cultural life of our community.
SummerCamp Connection
VSA arts of RI provides appropriate artists, program design and other assistance to education and community organizations throughout the state that provide summer programming to facilitate the inclusion of quality arts experiences for children with disabilities.
Cultural Community p-ART-nership
VSA arts of Rhode Island individually tailors programs that provide arts services and other direct assistance to community agencies throughout the state. p-ARTnerships address specific community needs to help expand a site’s programs to a more diverse population, create increased inclusion of children and adults with disabilities and form a bridge between cultural and disability organizations.
ACTor Assistant
VSA arts of RI provides an ensemble assistant to work with children with disabilities who want to perform in Rhode Island's All Childrens Theater (ACT). The ACT assistant will directly increase participation and full inclusion of children with developmental and physical disabilities in the ensemble activities and theatrical performances of All Childrens Theatre’s company.
Public Awareness and Outreach
VSA Artists & Arts Resource Directory
VSA of Rhode Island maintains and regularly updates a roster of qualified artists and art therapists who provide inclusive arts programming in Rhode Island, as well as an arts and culture resource directory. The gathered information is made available to all schools and agencies interested in VSA arts programming and in artists with extensive experience in working with people with disabilities, as well as provided as a referral service to interested individuals throughout the state who are designing or implementing educational arts programs independent of VSA arts of Rhode Island.
Festivals
VSA arts of Rhode Island supports a mini-festival entitled, “Arts, Artists & Athletes” at the Rhode Island Special Olympics State Games - hosted by the University of Rhode Island in June, and the children’s art activities at the “Rhythm & Roots Festival” at Ninegret Park in September. VSA arts of Rhode Island assures that festival activities are physically and programmatically accessible, assists with outreach and audience development and provides appropriate artists and participatory activities.
Web Site
VSA arts of Rhode Island’s Web site extends public awareness and outreach activities to include news on its school programming, disability awareness information, and downloadable forms to apply for VSA arts of Rhode Island arts-in-education and exhibit programs.
(F) 202-429-0868