Meeting Participants:
April Sullivan, ArtWorks Director, VSA arts of Texas
Socorro Diamondstein, Cultural Funding Coordinator, City of El Paso, MCAD
Bob Snead, Commissioner, Texas Commission on the Arts
Leticia Chavez, Representative, Dr. Pepper Sabrosura Contest
Maria Teresa Aguirre, visual artist and Artist Mentor, VSA arts of Texas
Daniel Scarborough, President, National Pass Network
Valora Taylor, musician; employee at El Paso Community College
Burns Taylor, freelance writer; employee of DARS
Bill Bennett, City of El Paso ADA coordinator
Diane Vera, El Paso Museum of Art
Melissa Ruisz, El Paso Museum of Art
Cinda Cotham, El Paso State Center
Elizabeth Gonzalez, painter
Rebecca Bencomo, painter
Irma Salas, writer
Chris Bond, puppeteer at Manos Arriba Puppet Theater; Patches the Clown
Martha Elena Octuna, painter
Victor Salas, Irma’s husband
Nancy Green, musician & photographer
Rebecca Santascoy, poet
Maria Alma Herrera, El Paso Community College, Office of Students with Disabilites
Armando Alcarado, retired teacher & librarian
Ben Fyffe, Arts & Education Programs Specialist, MCAD
Isela Laca, muralist & Director of Social Services, Loretto Nursing Home
Eva M. Vanderburgh, ceramic artists
John, interested party
Notes from meeting:
April Sullivan discussed the point of the meeting and how it came about. Gave background information on VSA arts of Texas. Resources available for artists with disabilities including workshops, exhibitions, and calls for art can be found at the VSA arts of Texas web site.
Leticia Chavez introduced the Dr. Pepper competition for Latino artists age 15 and up. Update: There is no upper age limit as was originally stated at the meeting! This is a competition for art in 2-D media. Cash prizes will be awarded to semi-finalists, finalists, and the grand prize winner. For more information visit the Dr. Pepper web site. or email Leticia.
Socorro Diamondstein talked about the local resources available to artists through MCAD. Specifically the CAP Program, a program for individual funds for established artists to coordinate exhibitions or concerts or for educational purposes. More information can be found at the MCAD web site.
April Sullivan talked about resources for artists at the TCA website. and introduced Bob Snead from the Texas Commission on the Arts. Bob Snead talked about the Young Masters Program. This is a program for gifted art students to win a $2500 award to study in their discipline anywhere in the world in the summer. It is open to students in 8th-11th grades. No El Paso student has ever received an award. The deadline for entries is November 15th. Information can be found at the TCA website mentioned above. You can also email Bob or learn more about Bob’s personal artwork at Bob's web site.
Socorro mentioned another program called ADEP – Arts Development & Enrichment Program for artists to apply to coordinate an exhibition or performance. Also artists can list their events on the El Paso Events web site.
MariaTeresa Aguirre talked about an exhibition and performance she coordinated at the Chamizal a few years ago that included six artists who all have Macular degeneration. She is currently working on scheduling another exhibition at the Chamizal for Fall of 2008 that will include artists with disabilities from around the state of Texas. Irma Salas suggested that the literary arts be included in that exhibition.
Daniel Scarborough talked about the ArtWorks Creative Industries Project and work incentives programs through the Social Security Administration. How does income affect your SSI eligibility? How can you set aside money to start a business? You can use work incentives such as the PASS to set aside money & get a business loan. Through this project we will be working on attitudes toward people with disabilities at the bank and setting up workshops in El Paso to explain the process to artists. For more details on this project visit Daniel's web site.
Diane Vera talked about a call for art, a Binational Competition for regional artists. The deadline is December 31st. For more information visit the El Paso Art Museum web site.
We went around the room and each group member introduced themselves. See the above listing of attendees.
Cinda Cotham talked about the El Paso State Center. It is a facility for 150 consumer living with mental disabilities. They are looking for artists to visit the center.
Armando Alvarado mentioned that he is looking for monies to help two children in south El Paso pursue their career in music.
Next Meeting:
The group decided to meet every other month with the next meeting being in January, then March, etc. The next meeting will be a chance to learn more about each other. Bring a work of art or something that you are working on and be prepared to say a few works about yourself. Decided to rotate locations. Cinda Cotham of the El Paso State Center will host the January meeting. Burns Taylor of DARS will host the March Meeting. A list of attendees will be sent out by April Sullivan with these notes.
The next meeting will be Friday, January 11, 2008 from 3:00-4:30 pm at the El Paso State Center, Conference Room, 6700 Delta, El Paso, TX 79905. Upon entering the State Center you must sign in at the main office before going to the conference room. For more information contact Cinda Cotham at 915-782-6572.
We had 8 people attend the meeting and they all brought their work and talked about it. El Paso Museum of Arts talked about the new bags materials for the visually impaired people to feel the art work on displayed. That was really exciting.
Question was raise as to the VSA artwork network is about, and we came up with supporting each other in their artworks, and trying to display the works, and inform each other of different works going on out in the community.
For our next meeting everyone was going to try and bring one more person. Mrs. Valora Taylor will entertain us at this meeting with her singing. Get information on how to display their works in the community.
Meeting Participants:
John S., Artist
Cinda Cotham, State Center
Maria Teresa, Artist/VSA
Zenaida Olivas
Burns Taylor, Writer
Peggy Browning, Advisory Board EPMA
Valora Taylor, Musician
Diane Vera, El Paso Museum of Art
Notes from meeting:
Meeting Participants:
John Striplin
Martha Octuna
Nancy Green
Donovan D.
Elizabeth Gonzalez
Rita
Diane Vera
Notes from meeting:
Meeting Participants:
Barbara Clark
Rachel Flores
Elisha Serckpor
Nancy Green
Fernie Melendez
John Striplin
Burns Taylor
Diane Vera
Lorenza de la Trinidad
Carol Durkin
Patricia de la Trinidad
April Sullivan
Notes from meeting: