Vsa Minnesota

Filing Period

Oct 1, 2011 to Sep 30, 2012

Signed

May 2, 2013

Return Version

2011v1.5

Gross Receipts

$614,022

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

Professional development:vsa minnesota conducted three workshops that addressed topics crucial to successfully using the arts with students with disabilities. The workshops brought together both residency artists and others seeking to improve their skills in working with students with disabilities in and through the arts. One of those workshops, held at the minnesota department of education in roseville in august, 2012, provided instruction in universal design for learning to 25 teachers and teaching artists. The professional development program area also includes facilitation and promotion of networking and technical assistance to artists with disabilities. This occurs through artist gatherings in two greater minnesota locations and one twin cities location and through an email posting service that lists current information pertinent to minnesota artists with disabilities, including employment opportunities, calls for art, accessible performance listings, and announcements of happenings by and for artists with disabilities. Finally, this program also includes the emerging artists grant program which recognizes minnesota artists with disabilities who have identified a project to move their careers forward. Seven $1,500 grants were awarded this year to writers, performing and visual artists.

Activity 3

Cultural access and inclusive arts services:vsa minnesota serves as a resource to state arts organizations on disability awareness, the americans with disability act, and physical and programmatic access to arts venues and services, using on-site materials and community resources. The program was greatly expanded this year with the initiation of the ada improvement grant program for metro arts organizations made possible by a grant from the metropolitan regional arts council (st. Paul). This program allowed vsa minnesota to make grants to 16 organizations seeking to improve access to their programs by people with disabilities through physical or program improvements. The maximum grant amount was $15,000.this program area also continues to include access to performing arts which is a long-standing program that provides technical assistance to arts organizations in the areas of american sign language interpretation and audio description for individuals who are deaf or blind who attend asl and ad performances. Technical assistance includes marketing to deaf/hard of hearing and blind/low vision communities and building performance organizations capabilities to meet the needs of audience members from these communities.

Filer

EIN

36-3440452