Programs
A Visual Arts Workshop Program for Adults with and without Disabilities
Program Founded in 2000 by Art Access/VSA Utah
Designed for adults 20 and older
Come together at Art Access Gallery and join other art-minded adults to experience a day of creating art, guided by professional artists. Each year this series of five workshops offers a variety of art medium and an opportunity to develop new art skills.
A Visual Arts Workshop Program for Teens with and without Disabilities
Founded in 1995 by Art Access/VSA Utah
Designed for teens ages 13 - 19 (or up to age 22, for people with cognitive disabilities)
Join other art-minded teens at Art Access Gallery, and experience quality art guidance by professional artists. Participants will be exposed to a variety of art mediums and have an opportunity to develop new art skills. Along with developing new art skills, participants will have the opportunity to have their artwork displayed at the culminating Teen Workshop Exhibit in August.
"The first thing he said as we were leaving (the workshop) was 'When do
I get to come back for the next class?' That is a lot coming from (him)." Father of Teen Workshop participant who rarely speaks.
Program Founded in 1995 by Art Access/VSA Utah
This fully participatory program provides adults with disabilities the opportunity to be creatively engaged and to have direct access to professionals in the arts. Residencies are conducted year-round for groups of adults at community partner venues where adults with disabilities live or gather, such as rehabilitation centers, care centers, senior centers and other public or private service organizations.
Literary Arts incorporates Writing Residencies for Adults and Teens with Disabilities, the Writers' Edge Writing Group, Desert Wanderings Literary Magazine, and Disability and Literature Book Group.
Please read more about each of these programs below.
New! Art Workshops for Veterans
As part of a program series for veterans, Art Access is partnering with the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center to offer quality art workshops that are affordable, inclusive and accessible.
Program Founded in 1993 by Art Access/VSA Utah
Art Access provides meaningful and inclusive arts services in all art mediums to students ages 3-22 who receive special education services at Utah public schools, as well as other disability service venues. The service is available through our partnership with the Utah State Office of Education: Special Education Services Unit.
Educators and service providers collaborate with professional artists to create residency programs, festivals, or special projects as requested by individual schools, teachers or administrators from school districts and disability or cultural service organizations statewide.
Program Founded in 1994 by Art Access/VSA Utah
The Partners Program serves artists with disabilities and other adults with life circumstances that preclude them from fully participating in the arts community. Talented adult artists with disabilities are matched with professional artists for one-on-one mentoring. Participating apprentice artists receive guidance on developing technique and make vital connections to the local arts community -- fostering growth and creating possibility for skillful and rewarding participation in the arts.
Program Adopted in 2011 by Art Access/VSA Utah
Designed for children whose chronological and/or cognitive age is 5 to 13, the Kindred Spirits program offers young participants an opportunity to engage creatively in a variety of visual arts projects in an inclusive environment. By integrating children with and without disabilities, Kindred Spirits works to eliminate barriers, empower participants and foster growth.
Program Founded in 2010 by Art Access/VSA Utah
Art TREATS (Targeted Rural Education in the Arts Through Sustainability) is an innovative program designed to further expand our services to individuals with and without disabilities who live in rural communities that have little or no access to the arts and arts education. Art TREATS provides arts education sustainability within Utah's rural communities based on structured, in-depth partnerships with organizations, businesses, teachers, artists and students. Through implementation of Art TREATS, Art Access/VSA Utah hopes to leave these small communities with a sustained enthusiasm for engaging in arts as well as the necessary resources and hands-on art-making knowledge.
Founded in 2002 by Art Access/VSA Utah in Partnership with the Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Everyone Welcome is an education program for docents and staff of Utah's museums. The goal of Everyone Welcome is to create awareness and understanding of accessibility and disability issues to foster a welcoming environment for museum visitors with disabilities. The program examines the language used regarding disability, and explores attitudes and strategies for achieving a climate of inclusion. Trainings highlight the importance of the arts for people of all abilities.
Program Founded in 1991 by Art Access/VSA Utah
Art Access/VSA Utah buys and collects art created by adult artists with disabilities. These works become part of the Artists Unlimited Permanent Collection, which is available for loan and public display, on a rotating basis, to organizations and schools statewide. Exhibits from the permanent collection are also available on a short-term basis for disability group conferences. Artists Unlimited provides opportunities for artists with disabilities to show their work and for the public to gain new appreciation for art by people with disabilities.
Program Founded in 2011 by Art Access/VSA Utah
The Theatre Arts Program seeks to educate the public to respect and celebrate differences among all people. Appropriately themed stage productions are performed for groups of attendees, who may be school students or adults from the community. Following each production, attendees are encouraged to participate in a discussion about the performance and to address the theme of respecting differences.
Through a partnership with PYGmallion Productions, the Art Access Theatre Arts Program seeks to educate the public to respect and celebrate differences among all people. Appropriately themed stage productions are performed for groups of attendees, who may be school students or adults from the community. Following each production, attendees are encouraged to participate in a discussion about the performance and to address the theme of respecting diversity and difference.
As an in-service component for schools, Art Access is developing a curriculum that will include a teacher's kit and classroom activities, as well as other educational tools for use in the classroom following performances of thematically selected scripts, or along with a class production of a play from an available script. More productions of other relevant short theatre pieces are being explored and incorporated into this program's format.
For its debut of the Theatre Arts Program, Art Access has as been presenting a one-act-play called The Mysterious, Happy Life of Brown Bag. Written by local playwright Greg Near, the play tells the poignant story of a boy who was born with an unusual difference. The story chronicles Brown Bag's struggle to fit in, and is told from the perspective of his mother and his teacher. The title character teaches us to embrace and respect differences. This play helps Art Access to exhibit our organizational philosophy of inclusion by creating a clear level of understanding of the beauty and depth of diversity and the richness that diversity can add to our lives.
To learn more about The Mysterious, Happy Life of Brown Bag, check out these VIDEOS on Vimeo.
Contact:
To request a performance of The Mysterious, Happy Life of Brown Bag, or to learn more about this program, please contact Amanda Finlayson at 801-328-0703 opt. 5 or email
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