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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

8/3/2019 Final Fall 2011

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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

8/3/2019 Final Fall 2011

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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

8/3/2019 Final Fall 2011

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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

8/3/2019 Final Fall 2011

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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