A Call for El Paso and surrounding area artists (Visual Artists - Musicians – Writers – Crafters – Entrepreneurs) with disabilities to exhibit at The El Paso Border Regional Conference on Creative Entrepreneurship and Self-Support Opportunities for People with Disabilities. VSA arts of Texas in cooperation with Education Service Center – Region 19 is hosting this two-day conference. We are looking for artists to display their artwork on one or both days. Artists will receive a table (5 ft by 1.5 ft) and two chairs. You may display your visual art, books, CDs, or other hand-made items on your table or on display panels that you may bring. The event is free to exhibitors and to participants. All sales will be handled by each artist individually and no commission will be taken by VSA arts of Texas.
Two chances to participate!
Friday, May 16, 2008, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PMBooths will need to be set up before 8:30 AM and artists need to have someone monitoring their booth throughout the day. A reception will follow from 4:00 - 5:00 PM for participants to take time to really look at the art and to have live entertainment. Entertainers needed!
Saturday, May 17 2008, 9:00 AM to 3:30 PMBooths will need to be set up before 9:00 AM and artists need to have someone monitoring their booth throughout the day.
To reserve a booth space for one or both days, please contact April Sullivan at VSA arts of Texas at 1-866-489-8412 or email April. A limited number of booth spaces are available, so please contact as soon as possible.
ArtCessibility will be exhibiting artworks at the Gallista Gallery in San Antonio during Contemporary Art Month. ArtCessibility’s theme celebrates the 18th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The reception will take place 6-9pm on July 12, 2008.
Artworks will be on display for 30 days, July 12 - August 12, 2008. The wall space will accommodate 18-20 two-dimensional 24” x 24” works. At least eight to ten artists will be able to exhibit 3 to 4 (or more) art pieces depending on dimensions of submissions. If you are submitting three-dimensional pieces please relay size and type of support needed. At least one of your pieces should reflect your feelings regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Deadline for contacting Joy Deadrick about participating in this event is May 23rd and artworks must be received by July 3rd. Please contact Joy Deadrick at 210-212-9380 or email Joy your preferred e-mail address and phone number along with a link to web site displaying your work and/or photos of your art.
For the sixth year, The Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City is hosting Arts on the Hill, an exhibit that showcases, promotes and sells art by professional and emerging artists with disabilities. The exhibit, to be held September 26, 2008 - October 31, 2008 in Kansas City, MO, draws more than 500 guests who view and purchase art. The exhibit is held on-site at the Rehabilitation Institute - 3011 Baltimore, Kansas City, Missouri. For more information about the Rehabilitation Institute visit www.rehabkc.org.
Download the Official Call For Entry and Artist Application for the Art on the Hill, VI Exhibit.
VSA arts, under generous sponsorship from Volkswagen of American, Inc., launched "Green Light," the seventh call for entries to identify emerging artists with disabilities, ages 16-25. Fifteen finalists will be awarded a total of $60,000 in cash awards that is distributed as follows: $20,000 grand prize, $10,000 first award, $6,000 second award, and 12 awards of excellence in the amount of $2,000. Finalists will be honored at an awards ceremony on Capitol Hill during the Fall of 2008, and their artwork will be displayed in a nation-wide touring exhibition that debuts at the Smithsonian during September 2008. No entry fee. To learn more about last year’s program, visit www.vsarts.org/driven.
VSA arts of Texas is collaborating with Dreams Fulfilled Through Music to bring a day of art and music by people with disabilities to San Antonio. Art is needed to be displayed for this one day event on Sunday, July 13th at the Guadalupe Theater, 1301 Guadalupe Street in San Antonio. The event will include a concert from 2-3pm and an art reception following. Works will be accepted and hung on Saturday, July 12th. The space will hold about 10-15 pieces. If interested in this short opportunity to display your artwork, please contact April Sullivan at 512-454-9912 or 866-489-8412 toll free or email April Sullivan.
Good Bytes Café is a new cyber café in San Antonio, Texas run by Goodwill Industries. This café has 4 computers with accessible technology and free wi-fi. They are looking for art by artists with disabilities to display on their walls on a consignment basis. Please contact Sylvia De Leon at Goodwill Industries at 210-924-8581 or email Sylvia De Leon for more information on how to exhibit your work in this busy downtown café.
VSA arts of Texas and the Texas Commission on the Arts are excited to announce the launch of Artworks Network, a series of networking meetings to help artists with disabilities organize and structure informal networks in their area. This is a new series in the Artworks program that provides professional development support to artists with disabilities through regional workshops. Artworks provides artists with the tools they need to professionally access the arts. The meetings will give artists a chance to meet other artists with disabilities and learn about resources in their area. The initial meeting in each location was held in Fall 2007. Future meetings will be led by the artists themselves and may be used as open studio time, critique sessions, discussion groups, exhibition planning, or other ways of fostering mutual career support. The goal of Artworks Network will be to create self-sustaining mutual support networks for artists with disabilities. Below is a list of upcoming meeting dates as well as notes from previous meetings:
AustinVSA arts of Texas and the National PASS Network are working as partners for Artworks: Creative Industries, a unique project funded by the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilties to help artists with disabilities to become self-supporting as successful artists.
Produced in partnership with National PASS Network and Region 19 Education Service Center Office of Special Education, the El Paso Border Conference will focus on developing skills and opportunities for students and adults with disabilities in self-employment and business creation in the El Paso Border area and beyond. The conference will focus on professionals and service providers on Friday, and on family members and people with disabilities on Saturday. Everyone is welcome to attend both days. Simultaneous Spanish translation will be provided and all materials and workshop presentations will be available in alternative formats.
Conference Highlights:For more information contact VSA arts of Texas or call 512-454-9912 or 1-866-489-8412 toll free.
Download the El Paso Border Regional Conference flyer for Families.
Download the El Paso Border Regional Conference flyer for Professionals.
Designed for artists or anyone with a disability trying to go to work or start a business this workshop explores the impact of work and self-employment on continued eligibility for Social Security disability benefits (SSDI and SSI), Medicare and Medicaid. Review all the Social Security work incentive programs and how to access to them to preserve eligibility for benefits to enhance employment opportunities. Learn how to access Social Security work incentives directly from the Social Security Administration in a friendly and open environment.
This workshop will be led by Benjamin Fischer, the Area Work Incentive Coordinator for Central and South Texas. He has been working for the Social Security Administration for nearly five years. Ben is the area policy expert for all issues surrounding disabled beneficiaries of SSI and SSDI who return to work. Representatives from ARCIL will talk about their Work Incentive and Planning Assistance (WIPA) Project. WIPA offers outreach, Benefits Assistance, and Benefits Planning to SSI and SSDI beneficiaries.
For more information, please Email Lynn Johnson or contact 512-454-9912 or 1-866-489-8412 toll free.
Download the Disability and Work event flyer.