VSA arts of New York City
|
18-05 215th Street, Suite 15N |
Dr. Bebe Bernstein |
|
Tel.: (718) 225-6305 |
Organizational Profile:
|
Full-time Staff: 1 (unpaid) |
 |
VSA arts of New York City (VSANYC) 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. VSANYC utilizes the 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; 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; Alley Pond Environmental Center; Arts Horizons; Fieldston School; Kids Project; New York City Department of Sanitation; Museum of Natural History
Educational Programs
“Live and Learn through the Arts in New York City”
In FY 08 VSA arts of New York City will continue to implement a total arts education program with the theme “Live and Learn through the Arts in New York City.” Art activities based on this theme will develop and trace the relationships among the living experience and the many diverse cultures in New York City’s various neighborhoods and boroughs. The theme will be introduced on professional training days for itinerant personnel—teaching artists, classroom teachers, community organizations, and volunteers in each borough. Arts activities are developed in scheduled workshops; music, visual, and performing arts are first introduced at the beginning of the school year throughout the five boroughs and then on an ongoing basis through the 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 2008 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 display, exhibit, and perform. As required by the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), exit projects are planned for each program.
Early Childhood Initiatives
The New York City Early Childhood Initiatives Program will be developed by applying the FY 08 theme “Live and Learn through the Arts.” In Phase II, “Express Yourself through Writing,” students will learn to write stories and poems inspired by their neighborhoods and cultures. The emphasis of this program is on the social acceptance of people with disabilities and appreciation of one another’s lifestyles. The program will be conducted in three different neighborhood schoolsin Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn. Students from pre-kindergarten to second grade will participate (Queens Early Childhood Center, Brooklyn and Bronx School Districts) from October 2007 to May 2008.
A team of speech and language therapists/specialists and artists assigned to each site will design the program, train classroom teachers, provide materials (including the VSA arts Start with the Arts™ resource) through weekly one-day sessions, and develop a culminating exit project as required by the NYCDOE. Examples of possible culminating exit projects include an interactive performance, an exhibition of pupil activities, “My Neighborhood Day,” or an Early Childhood Festival. The exit project will be launched in May 2008 at each site.
Programs for Youth
In 2008, intermediate students will participate in a variety of projects including a Student Volunteer Corps. A VSA arts School-to-Work project for 50 adolescent students with disabilities will be held at the School for Career Development, designed to prepare students for work. This innovative project will utilize art techniques and the basic school curriculum to prepare students for employment. Issues addressed in this phase of the program will include job interviews, work relationships, and appropriate grooming for the workplace utilizing dramatization, psychodrama, and role-playing techniques. The program will culminate with a Career Day event in spring of 2008.
Professional Development
One-Day Events and Artist Residency
In 2008, to meet the geographic challenge of this large city with its outlying boroughs, VSA arts of New York City plans to continue a variety of professional development–oriented one-day events to introduce new projects or reinforce existing ones. Planned workshops and events include Express Diversity workshops at each festival site; create-a-mural workshops; museum training days; and VSA arts’ Let Your Style Take Shape workshops. VSA arts of New York City will participate in ArtLink, an international art exchange program. Artist residencies are an integral part of early childhood and youth programs.
New Dimensions Teacher Training Workshops
In FY 08, VSA arts of New York City will introduce a series of 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. The program will be introduced in selected classrooms during the 2008 school year.
Follow-up activities for participants will include school exhibitions and demonstrations at VSA arts events and staff meetings. Art media areas will include collage, 3-D painting, 3-D structures, and paper batik. This training concept was introduced at the New York City VSA arts festival in May 2007 in conjunction with the CVS/VSA arts All Kids Can project.
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 exhibition. The murals on display demonstrate the cooperative art projects, including the New York City murals project and calendar, of special education classes in each of the boroughs.
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 2008.
VSA arts of New York City and the Queens Museum Weekend Program
The VSA arts of New York City theme of “Live and Learn through the Arts” will be the focus of a collaborative project between selected NYCDOE early childhood programs and the Queens Museum of Art. As part of the VSA arts early childhood initiative, students, families, and caregivers will be invited to a 2–4 week Saturday enrichment series, “Building Our Community.” Participants will explore New York City neighborhoods and communities. Utilizing various art media, they will build their neighborhoods and surrounding communities. The activities will provide rich lessons and experiences for children with disabilities.
Public Awareness and Outreach
Public Awareness Campaign
VSA arts of New York City will initiate its FY 08 awareness and outreach efforts with local schools, districts, and organizations serving children with disabilities, inclusive community resources, and ongoing partners.
In 2008, VSA arts of New York City will continue to promote awareness in the five remote boroughs through 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 exhibition of program posters, calendars, and photographic retrospectives. New resources such as the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) will allow us to make extensive use of newsletters and Web listings.
Murals Program and Calendar
The New York City Murals program is ongoing in all boroughs. Both special education and typical class students work cooperatively to complete a mural. Classroom teachers working with school personnel and artists will develop murals that address the 2008 theme. Following exhibitions, a jury selects murals for the VSA arts of New York City calendar. The calendar serves to increase public awareness and recognition of the contributions of students with disabilities through the arts. The calendar was distributed to elected officials, organizations, and schools in January 2008.
(F) 202-429-0868