VSA arts of Alaska

3800 DeBarr Road
Anchorage, Alaska 99508

Michael Huelsman
Executive Director

Tel.: (907) 279-8099
Fax: (907) 279-8100
Relay: 1-800-770-8973

Organizational Profile:

Full-time Staff: 3
Part-time Staff: 3
Volunteer Hours: 11,232 hours/year
Projected Total 2008 Income: $338,560
(including In-Kind Contributions)
Direct Participants: 308
Indirect Participants: 400

Serving as Alaska's VSA arts affiliate since 2002, VSA arts of Alaska (ON) connects art, community, and change throughout the largest state in the union. Now entering its thirddecade, ON finds and shares cultural explorers whose ideas challenge and inspire; builds and operates creative space where all generations gather and learn; and champions, through the arts and humanities, people marginalized in our society.

Programming Partners and Other Funders:

Alaska Alliance for Arts Education; Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired; Alaska Community Share; Alaska Railroad Corporation; Alaska State Council on the Arts; Arc of Anchorage; Bezek Durst Seiser; Clark Middle School; Fairbanks Arts Association; Fil-Am Showtime; Kodiak Arts Council; KYES-TV 5; McLaughlin Youth Center; Municipality of Anchorage; National Performance Network; Network of Cultural Centers of Color; PAX Academic Exchange; POV American Documentaries; Storytellers Guild of Anchorage; UAA Disability Support Services; Wendler Middle School; Western States Arts Federation

State Programs

Educational Programs and Teaching Artist Residencies

Images of Youth

VSA arts of Alaska’s multi-disciplinary youth arts program serves students with learning disabilities and other at-risk students in grades 7-12. Professional artists guide adolescents in creative writing, performance, visual, and media arts to develop their talents, knowledge of contemporary art forms, social and academic skills, literacy, confidence, and self-esteem. Youth-devised projects give teens a public forum to express their aspirations and concerns through the arts.

Professional Development and Technical Assistance

Cultural Worker Training

Artists provide professional training at workshops and teacher institutes to support the development of dynamic accessible arts programs in cities and remote rural settings.Teachers and community cultural workers learn how to effectively integrate the arts into the curriculum for special needs students in grades pre K-12, and to use art as a tool to teach other academic subjects and life skills.

Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services

Facility Access Program

With the goal of creating an environment where artists and audiences can participate fully regardless of age or ability, ON’s board, staff, artists, members, and local design professionals are investigating options for re-envisioning ON’s 10,000 square foot home. Now owned by ON, the former public library is evolving into a multi-arts facility with adaptable performance/screening space, gallery, classroom, media suite, and radio studio.

This project includes the development of an Open Caption Lab to add captioning to independent video created by Alaskans. Additionally, ON provides consultation to other organizations around the state considering community revitalization projects that will serve artists with disabilities.

Public Awareness and Outreach

Artability

VSA arts of Alaska highlights the work of artists with disabilities through public performances, screenings, exhibitions, and festivals. The annual Reel Eyes showcase of media art by, for, and about people with disabilities features creative documentary, live action, and experimental videos from around the world. An annual arts festival and year-round activities bring children with disabilities in contact with professional artists with and without disabilities for participatory experiences in visual art, poetry, dance, puppetry, theater, and music.