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Even though we have been programming, since 1978, VSA Michigan ocially
became a 501(c)(3) incorporated organizaon on October 15, 1986. This 25th
birthday causes us to reect on our history, and think about where we have
come from and how our organizaon has evolved.
It began in the mid-1970s when Jean Kennedy Smith, with the help of the U.S.
Legislature, founded the Naonal Commiee-Arts for the Handicapped. The
John F. Kennedy Center hosted a conference to iniate Very Special Arts
Fesvals across the naon. Michigan was represented by a team that included
Mary Phipps, a music therapy professor at Eastern Michigan University, and
Barbara Carlisle, Michigan Department of Educaon ne arts specialist. Mary
and Barbara then brought together a 'steering commiee' to iniate training
and fesvals in Michigan. Some early steering commiee members included
Mary Phipps, Barbara Carlisle, Ginny Foster, Muskegon ISD, Mary Homan,
Gogebic/ Ontonagon ISD, Kris Kitzman, Marquee ISD, and July Avery from the
Michigan Library for the Blind & Physically
Handicapped.
The Michigan Department of Educaon
received funding from the John F. Kennedy
Center to be the leader of this state
iniave. Grants were provided to support
planning, professional development and
associated costs to bring students andeducators together for a fesval that included
arst/educator presentaons and promoon.
During the rst year, we oered professional
development workshops in the arts for special
educaon teachers. We also oered these
opportunies to arts educators wishing to
increase their ability to beer serve students
Happy Birthday, VSA Michigan!I n s i d e t h i si ssu e :
Presidents
Leer
2
Execuve
Directors
Leter
2
Teaching ArstJournal
3
Call for Art 4
Around the
State
7
Educator of
the Year
Nominaons
10
Thank You 11
expressionsF a l l 2 0 1V o l . X X I V , N o . 1
e n g a g e .
c r e a t e .
e m p o w e r .
expressions
is available in
LARGE PRINT
and AUDIO
edions upon
request.
Story connues on page 3
Students make music in an
early VSA Michigan program.
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Page 2
of you, wehave been
able toproudly servepeople with
the past 25years.
Mary Bevans Gillet
VSA Michigan
Board President
From the Execuve Director
From the Board PresidentOctober marks VSA Michigans 25th anniversary as an organizaon and as the states leading
voice for arts and disability. Thousands of youth and adults in communies throughout the
state benet from our programs, aliates, and partnerships.
We have come a long way since 1986, yet the constants remain as we celebrate the creave
spirit that drives our organizaon inclusion, commitment, community, advocacy and peop
In parcular, it is the people that have been so essenal to VSA Michigan the arsts,
teachers, sta, donors, volunteers, advocates, and program parcipants. It is because of yo
we have been able to proudly serve people with disabilies for the past twenty ve years.
Engagement is needed on all levels and in many roles as advocates to raise awareness and
lobby for programs, as educators using the arts to teach and connect, as arsts sharing your
talents with the youth we serve, as parents, volunteers, board members, peer organizaons
local businesses, foundaons and donors. Your contribuons of me, talent and treasure a
vital and valued as we move forward.
Thank you for your engagement and commitment during our rst 25 years. We look forwar
to working together and celebrang the possibilies that the arts create for another 25 yea
This has been a dicult year for VSA Michigan, yet we have been successful in many ways.
With an annual budget hovering around $350,000, we really do wonders with the 2.5 sta
members we have. Many thanks to the 50+ volunteers who have helped us serve thousand
throughout Michigan.
I am very encouraged by the fact that the Board of Directors has embarked on a strategy th
believe, will make a posive impact on the capacity of the organizaon to connue to serve
children, youth and adults with disabilies, their families, and oen their nondisabled peers
Board members are working to establish regional advisory groups in areas of the State whe
we have signicant programs, and also areas in which we do not. This will help us to beer
understand where there are needs sll to be met.
Aer several meengs with individuals who have the capacity to support VSA Michigan, I am
opmisc that we will persevere in providing arts educaon programming to dierenated
learners, and professional development to educators and teaching arsts who work togethe
to make arts educaon possible in special educaon or inclusionary classrooms.
We thank all who have and will join us in this eort, so that more people with disabilies ar
able to parcipate in, learn through, excel in and enjoy the arts.
Lora Frankel
VSA Michigan
Executive Director
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with dierenated learning styles. The intent was for these educators to bring more arts-based lessons and
xperiences to students, especially those with disabilies. This occurred during the school year and in the spring w
osted fesvals to showcase student work, thus bringing young people together in a public forum to celebrate arts
nd creavity. These rst-year acvies took place at High Point School in Washtenaw ISD, and a special educaon
acility at Gogebic/Ontonagon ISD. Following this, requests for parcipaon went out across the state and the
umber of sites in the state grew. We connued to focus on awareness, teacher educaon/professional
evelopment; arsts working with youth in the schools; and fesvals.
n thinking about our journey from these wonderful beginnings, not many
hings have changed in terms of focus and mission. Our name has
hanged from Very Special Arts Michigan to VSA arts of Michigan and
nally to VSA Michigan - but the intent of the organizaon has always
emained the same: providing professional development for arsts and
ducators, creang awareness in the areas of inclusion and accessibility,
nd creang rich and valuable learning experiences in and through the
rts for children, youth and adults with disabilies.
We honor our roots and celebrate our accomplishments in this 25th
year of
romong creave power in people with disabilies here in Michigan.
As a member organization of Michigan Youth Arts,
VSA Michigan is proud to support the 50th Anniversary.
A young student and an older man w
side by side on a visual arts proj
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VSA Michigan seeks arsts with
isabilies to submit artwork for
Celebratng Silver, the 2012-
2013merging Arsts Touring
xhibion. Artwork will be juried
o include a wide range of ages,
bilies, media, and geographic
ocaon.
ligibility
Celebrang Silveris open to all
tudents and adults with
isabilies. Applicaon and
onsideraon requires theubmission of original artwork by
anuary 21, 2012. No slides or
igital les will be accepted. Two
nd three-dimensional works are
ccepted. Arsts have the
pportunity to donate their works
o VSA Michigan for use in fund
aising iniaves.
Celebrang Silverwill travelhroughout Michigan from May
012 through April 2013. Works by
igh school students will be
xhibited at the 50th Anniversary
Michigan Youth Arts Fesval in May
012.
C e l e b r a t i n g S i l v e rAddionally, two pieces of donated
art by students age 5-15 will be
considered for a naonal exhibit aspart of the VSA/CVS Caremark All
Kids Can...Create Program. Selected
works will be exhibited at Union
Staon in Washington, DC in
Summer 2012.
Guidelines for Submission
All art must able to withstand
transporng and the normal daily
exposure of a public seng. Artwork
must be original and producedwithin the last three (3) years. Art
reproduced from other arsts work,
from adversements, or from widely
circulated photographs are not
considered original artwork and may
not be displayed. Two dimensional
work is not to exceed 36 (inches) in
any direcon. Three dimensional
work should not exceed 24 (inches)
in any direcon.
Entries must be accompanied by a
completed form, signed by the
arst, and parent or guardian if the
arst is a minor. Works may be
submied by a teacher, but a
parent/guardian signature is sll
required if arst is under 18, or
to 26 and sll enrolled in K-12.
The labels provided below must
fastened to the back (or boom
each submied piece. Arsts m
submit up to three (3) works.
Pieces should NOT be maed,
mounted, or framed. Art must b
shipped to VSA Michigan and
insured at the risk and expense o
the shipper. Every precauon w
be taken to assure protecon of
work; however VSA Michigan anthe exhibion hosts are not liabl
for loss or damage.
Submission of an applicaon and
artwork assumes understanding
the guidelines and requirements
outlined herein. VSA Michigan
reserves the right to use names,
images, and bios for promoons
related to VSA Michigan and thisprogram.
Works not accepted will be
returned soon aer adjudicaon
Accepted artwork will be return
in Summer 2013.
Arst
Title
Donated: yes no
Return To:
address)
phone)
email)
Arst
Title
Donated: yes no
Return To:
(address)
(phone)
(email)
Arst
Title
Donated: yes no
Return To:
(address)
(phone)
(email)
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his form must be
ompleted in its enrety and
ubmied with artwork. All
ntries must be received by
VSA Michigan no later than
anuary 21, 2012. C e le b r a t in g S i lv eArst Name: Date of Birth:
arent/Guardian (if applicable*):
Arst Address:
City/State/Zip: Phone:
Arst or Parent/Guardian Email:
Disability(ies) (condenal):
Parent/Guardian approval is required for arsts under the age of 18, or up to 26 and sll enrolled in K-12 educao
(the arst) wish to be idened as ONE of the following:
AdultAge 18+ and not enrolled in High School
Elementary/Primary School Student **
Secondary/Middle/Jr.High School Student**
High School student (up to age 26 if applicable)*
or works submied by teachers, please complete the following:
eacher: School:
chool Address: City/State/Zip:
chool Phone: Teacher Email:
Artwork submied by a teacher, will be returned to that teacher following adjudicaon and/or exhibit.
Arst Signature: Date:
arent/Guardian Signature (if applicable): Date:
eacher Signature (if applicable): Date:
By subming this applicaon, arst consents to the guidelines and requirements as outlined in the prospectus.If you are interested in donang your artwork to VSA Michigan, please check yes in the corresponding box
* Arsts classied as a High School Stude
are eligible to exhibit at the 50th
Anniversary Michigan Youth Arts Fesv
** Arsts age 5-15 are eligible for VSA/CV
Caremark All Kids Can...Create
TITLE MEDIUM DIMENSIONS DONA
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
Ship to
VSA Michigan
c/o EART
1920 25th Street, Suite B
Detroit, MI 48216
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his form must be
ompleted in its enrety and
ubmied with artwork. All
ntries must be received by
VSA Michigan no later than
anuary 21, 2012. C e le b r a t in g S i lv eArsts, please use this space to tell us about yourself, your arsc process, and the work that y
have submied to Celebratng Silver.
Ship to
VSA Michigan
c/o EART
1920 25th Street, Suite B
Detroit, MI 48216
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Copper Country
Pag
n Copper Country, we connue to
artner with Oak House to oerweekly art classes to cizens with
isabilies. Classes run through
November, and will resume again
n March when snow no longer
mpedes the roads. Each month a
ierent instructor oers
xperiences in visual arts, music,
nd more. We have partnered
with Oak House to oer this
rogram for nearly twenty years,
nd it has been so grafying to see
he growth in creavity of the
arcipants. The Copper Country
Mental Health BRAVO program
rovides transportaon to and
rom these classes.
ast spring, we partnered with the
earning Center at Copper Country
ntermediate School District.
eaching arsts held residencies in
lassrooms and assisted teachers in
roviding engaging and meaningful
xperiences in the visual and
musical arts. We are currentlyworking to make this available to
he ISD students again this year.
or informaon on programs in
Copper Country:
usan Burack
burack@pasty.net
06.482.3270
VSAMI-Genesee County voca
perform at the 2011 Flint Jazz Fes
around the stateGenesee County
the beauful new Howe Art Stu
and Swartz Creek Art Center. It
was very successful and will be
expanded this year.
Five VSA vocal arsts took part
the 2011 Flint Jazz Fesval,
mentored by respected jazz
musician Pat Cronley. Also,
keyboardists who play by ear
Margie Mascow and Ebony Gru
were Young Soloists for VSA
Michigan in the past. They ope
the fesval on Saturday, along w
three apprence singers to
enthusiasc response.
For informaon on programs in
Genesee County:
Randee Pieper
vsami.genesee@gmail.com
810-733
-7196
www.vsami-genesee.org
We have a long history in Genesee
County, but 2011 may be our mostsuccessful year yet! Thanks to
wonderful support from the
Community Foundaon of Greater
Flint, Ruth Mo Foundaon, and
more, the 2010-2011 school year
was lled with a wide variety of art
experiences and plenty of
Art-I-Tude! This theme connued
through summer acvies as well.
We had the joy of engaging nearly
1,000 youth with disabilies in the
county through various arst
residencies in classrooms, our aer
school program artsJAM Flint, and
spring fesvals celebrang the
creavity of our
program parcipants.
New this past year, was the
opportunity for us to
work with adults with
disabilies. Club Create
is an aer-work art
program for clients fromVIP, a local sheltered
workshop. Four sessions
took place during the
past year in clay, dance,
cake decorang, and
many thanks to the hard
work of Stephen and Martha
Broadworth and Sharlene Howe at
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Marquee
Pag
n August, VSA Michigan-
Marquee parcipated in Dramand Dreams Playscape Theatre
Camp presented by Lake Superior
heatre and hosted at Northern
Michigan University Black Box
heatre.
Chris LaRose and Jim Edwards
aught improvisaon for young
ctors. A Power Point presentaonf the parcipants was created
uring rehearsal and later shown
efore their on-stage performance
t the Community Room in Peter
White Public Library. Our
Marquee aliate has worked
with the leaders of this project for
he last few years lending
materials, providing experse, and
ven sponsoring young actors.
or informaon on programs in the
Marquee region:
m Edwards
museummrjim@gmail.com
06.226.3911
Jim Edwards of VSAMI-Marquee
leads students in a drama workshop
around the state
t began with a meeng between
om Moran ofMoran Iron Works,
nd the Northeast Aliate. We
were approaching Tom in hopes
hat he would agree to serve as an
dvisor for VSA Michigan in the
Northeast
Northeast. What resulted was a
wonderful collaboraon between
Moran Iron Works, VSAMI-
Northeast, and Straits Area
Services (SAS), a Cheboygan
nonprot Community
Rehabilitaon Organizaon which
empowers people with
developmental disabilies to
realize their full potenal. Tom
wanted to assist our Northeast
aliate in oering welding lessons
to clients of SAS. They would work
together to create a large metal
sculpture.
Nearly 40 drawings were submiedby clientele of SAS and juried down
to 12 drawings that would be sent
to Moran Iron Works to determine
feasibility. Tom was asked to select
one drawing that the group would
then create.
An arst himself, Tom has created
Owl
Magnicent
is the result
of a group
welding
class oered
to clients of
SAS
Our Southeast Regional VSA
Michigan Fesval celebrated it
20th anniversary in June. The
2011 fesval took place over tw
days, at two dierent locaons,
and featured performances by
more than 250 individuals with
developmental and physical
disabilies. Youth performers
hailed from schools in Northville
Southeast Region
pieces seen throughout Michiga
and the Midwest. Working with
four clients from SAS, he taught
them to cut steel, weld, andsandblast for eight weeks. Und
his guidance the parcipants
created Owl Magnicent, a nam
appropriately given the sculptu
by the arsts Ron, Mike, Jonath
and Cheryl.
For informaon on programs in
Northeast Michigan:
Joann P. Leal
jpl0206@a.net
231.436.5626
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Pag
onac, Detroit, and Lincoln Park
nd were joined by adults from the
metropolitan Detroit region.
hroughout the year thesendividuals parcipate in music and
rt therapy classes and present
heir accomplishments at the
esval.
n addion to providing performers
with cognive and physical
mpairments the opportunity to
howcase their talents, the fesval
ngages parcipants in hands-on
rt acvies. Fesval aendees
were invited to assist in painng a
ollaborave mural with arst
Daniel Cascardo. Also on hand was
African drummer, Baba Kevin
Collins and jugglers, Dan Baier and
Chuck Clark.
A student drums at the 2011 Southeast
Regional VSA Michigan Fesval
around the stateWe wish to thank VisTaTech Center
at Schoolcra College and
Michigan State University
Community Musical School ofDetroit for being the 2011 Fesval
hosts. Special thanks also go out to
CVS Caremark Fund and their
volunteers, St. Josaphat Knights of
Columbus, GK Photography, Sharon
LeMieux Photography, and all the
other fesval volunteers.
For informaon on the 2012
Southeast Regional VSA Michigan
Fesval:
Jody Stark
canc@earthlink.net
313.273.7762
Washtenaw
Last spring, the VSA Michigan-
Washtenaw aliate kicked o the
Cultural Arts Program (CAP) with
two visual arts classes and two
dance classes. This year, they are
oering a full year of classes
including yoga, dance, and visual
artsall for young adults with
disabilies. Students may choose
and register for their classes by
contacng Deb Duranczyk at
734.994.8100 x 1523. Most classes
will take place at Riverside Arts
Center in Ypsilan.
The VSA Michigan-Washtenaw
aliate also sponsored a brand
A youth CAP student works on a la
sh painng
new gallery of framed artwork i
the Washtenaw Intermediate
School District lobby. This long
term exhibit displays 20 works students throughout the
Washtenaw county area. In Ma
laughs and tears of pride lled t
gallery as young arsts, their
families, and community memb
came together to enjoy art, goo
food, and live music by the
Community High School Jazz Ba
We are very grateful to the Ann
Arbor Host Lions Club and the A
Arbor Kiwanis Club; their
contribuons helped to make th
project possible.
For informaon on Washtenaw
programs:
Deb Duranczyk
ddurancz@wash.k12.mi.us
734 994 8100 x 1523
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Beyond Self-CriticismBy Shaqe Kal
One morning, as I nished
emonstrang drawing a face on
he board, a lile boy looked at his
aper and then looked at me. Iont like this, he told me. I
eplied, Let me look at it for a
moment. He looked at me with a
ense of hesitaon and, I could tell,
was awaing some kind of yes,
hat it was not good. I asked him if I
ould take his pencil and show him
omething on his drawing. He gave
me his pencil, and I said, You
make sure to look at what I do
ecause youre going to love your
icture aer were done.
his interchange happened during
residency I had with thirty rst-
raders at Oakman Elementary in
Detroit through VSA Michigan this
ast June. Throughout the
esidency I observed over and over
gain students who were unhappy
with their artwork. It was startling
o me that these rst graders were
o self-crical.
n my experience by third grade itsrey normal to see kids erasing
what they created or ripping up
heir art, or deciding to just not
reate. I feel that it is crucial for a
hilds creave and educaonal
evelopment to counteract this
cricalness. This self-cricism is
ot the same as crical thinking
that kids are encouraged to do, but
rather its a sense of shame, a
feeling of failure, and a feeling that
what they have created is badand absolute or unchangeable.
Teaching arsts have the ability to
counteract these feelings.
In the story I started above, the
boy looked at the paper as I
showed him how we could change
the faces eyes by adding triangles
at the end of the circles. I had been
teaching basic shapes in this class,
so I wanted to emphasize this
idea. He sll was not sure. He said,
But look at the mouth. I said,
OK, now look at what Im going to
do to the mouth. I added an
upper and lower lip. The child
started laughing and smiling andyou could see that this had become
a moment of magic for him. He
said that the person in his drawing
was laughing. In that moment his
percepons changed. Instead of
liming his world he
opened it up with the
idea that by adding a
simple shape he
could change his
picture. And, in that
moment, he also
learned that nothing
you do is absolute.
This kind of self-
cricism that children
develop oen extends into
adulthood due to early experien
in school. As children enter scho
theyre told that theres a rightanswer and a wrong answer,
especially in math and spelling.
when they begin to work with t
teaching arst they second-gue
what they are doing as if they a
doing something wrong. They a
ulmately surprised when they
there is no one right answer.
The childrenmay be surprised,
it doesnt surprise me that child
are feeling the pressures of a
product-oriented educaon. If w
teach children that there is alw
only one answer, they will follo
this model and not look for
alternave soluons to problemoverall.
Originally published August 19, 20
http://tajaltspace.com/post/9126733323/beyondselfcritici
Portraits created by a rst-grade student in Shaqe K
residency at Oakman Elemen
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As a non-prot, tax-exempt organizaon, VS
Michigan relies on the generous support of
hundreds of grant-makers, businesses, and
individuals in addion to the leadership of it
volunteer board of community members fro
across the state.
On a modest budget of about $350,000 we touch over 63,000 lives each year. - thats only $5.00 p
person. But with nearly 1.4 million Michigan residents living with disabilies, there are so manymore that need our help to benet from the arts. With more resources, we can extend our work i
ddional communies, reach more children and adults, and improve even more lives.
Please join us in our work to create a society where the talents of ALL our friends and neighbors
nurtured and celebrated. Make a gi to VSA Michigan today.
Your tax-deducble donaon made be made online at www.vsami.org or sent by mail.
Name:
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Phone:
Email:
I would like my gi designated to:
State Oce
Aliate:
Please Note
If using credit card, mailing address must be same as billing address.
If no designaon is made, funds will be directed to the state oce.
Method of Payment
Check Credit Card
Credit Card #
Exp. Date: CVV:
8/3/2019 Final Fall 2011
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1920 25th Street, Suite B
Detroit, MI 48216
P 313.843.2355
F 313.843.2353
info@vsami.org
www.vsami.org
Dont forget...
www.facebook.com/vsaartsmi
t
www.twitter.com/vsami
www.youtube.com/vsamichigan
VSA Michigan programs and services are made possible in part by grants from VSA-The Internaonal Organizaon
rts and Disability by way of the U.S. Department of Educaon, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Aairs, The
Kresge Foundaon, The Fred A. & Barbara M. Erb Family Foundaon, CDBG Neighborhood Opportunity Fund/City o
Detroit, Ruth Mo Foundaon, Community Foundaon of Greater Flint, and other foundaon and government supp
s well as contribuons made by individuals and corporaons.
Visit us onlinewww.vsami.org
Each year, VSA Michigan recognizes educators
and teaching arsts by selecng an Educator of
the Year. Students, parents, families and
community members are asked to nominate an
individual they feel has made a signicant
contribuon to arts educaon by facilitang
the mission of VSA Michigan. These educators
and teaching arsts understand the benet of
infusing the arts in learning and we are grateful
for the work they do.
Download a nominaon form at
hp://vsami.org/educator-of-the-year.html
Nominaons due January 13, 2012.
Educator of theYear Nominations