Artists' Pipeline #56 - July 2010

Comedian Josh Blue (2006 ‘Last Comic Standing’), Deaf actor Nic Zapko, and former U.S. Senator David Durenberger will be the key presenters at a Minnesota celebration of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The free event is Monday, July 26, from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Nicollet Island Pavilion, 40 Power Street, Minneapolis. The event will include vendors, exhibits, summertime food, local & national politicians, and access accommodations (audio description, ASL interpreting, captioning). Sponsors include ADA Minnesota, Great Lakes ADA Center, MN Department of Transportation, Pathways to Employment, Statewide Independent Living Council. For more information, call 651-603-2015, 888-630-9793; TTY 888-206-6513 or Marie at 1-866-635-0082; or email: cindyt@mcil-mn.org.

The next Artists With Disabilities Alliance (AWDA) meeting is Wednesday, July 21, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design, Emeritus Room 201, 2501 Stevens Avenue S., Minneapolis. The main MCAD building is next to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts & the Children's Theatre. There is a free parking ramp off 3rd Avenue S., and accessible parking off Stevens & 25th. Come early and view art exhibits at MIA or MCAD!

AWDA is an organization of artists with disabilities who meet regularly to share recently created art, get feedback, work on group projects and offer support for disability or art-related issues. The meetings are fragrance-free, and accommodations (like ASL interpreters) can be provided if requested at least a week in advance.

Open Flow forums are monthly opportunities for artists to share art, creativity and thoughts. Currently they are held at 7:00 PM the first Thursday of each month at Carleton Artist Lofts, Saint Paul.

To receive email or postcard reminders about either activity, contact Laura Ahola-Young, VSA Minnesota’s Artist Services Coordinator: laura@vsamn.org or 612-332-3888 ext. 5.

We / R / Artists hold monthly meetings in Saint Cloud from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Independent Lifestyles, Inc. building, 519 Second Street N. All artists with disabilities or people who know an artist with a disability are invited to attend and network. Bring samples of your artwork, writing, music etc. to share. The group discusses ways to improve visibility and to support each other as artists. On June 24 members showed their artistic creations at the Lemonade Arts Fair at Saint Cloud State Campus. For upcoming meetings, contact: Stacey at 320-203-7123 or geckogirl1@hotmail.com or Sharon at 320-230-9412.

The next meeting of the Arrowhead Alliance of Artists With Disabilities (AAAWD) is Tuesday, July 20 from 3:00 to 4:30 pm at DRCC - Soft Hands, 1902 East Superior Street in Duluth (1 block East of HDC's CSP offices). The building resembles a convenience store on the lake side of the street. Soft Hands is located on busline: DTA Route 6 - 7 East Mainline UMD - Lakeside. For directions, call Todd, 218-728-4621.

This is a wrap party for the group’s July 16 field trip to Grand Rapids. Come prepared to discuss and plan future events, outings, projects, etc. Bring a friend and feel free to bring a snack or beverage to share with the group. For more information, email aaawdmail@gmail.com or go to AAAWD Blog or AAAWD on Facebook.

Paul Mabon

Paul Mabon, Saint Paul performer, will perform in "To Kill a Mockingbird," a staged reading in observance of the 50th anniversary of Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The courtroom scene, dramatized by Christopher Sergel, will be performed for free on Sunday, July 11 at 3:00 PM at Stillwater City Hall (next door to ArtReach Saint Croix, 244 N. 4th Street). Mabon plays Tom Robinson, a black man accused of rape in a small Alabama town. He is defended by Atticus Finch, portrayed by Jim Blaha. The excerpt is directed by Mary Smith. ‘Mockingbird’ activities at ArtReach begin at 8:00 AM with readings of selected passages; at 4:00 Valley Bookseller will host refreshments with music by Mike Frain and show the Academy Award-winning film based on the novel. For more info, 651-450-3385 or ArtReach Alliance).

Leslye Orr, Ted Brown

Saint Paul performer Leslye Orr and Spring Lake Park musician Ted Brown will perform for a Hennepin County Government Center celebration of the ADA anniversary on Wed., July 28 from noon to 1:00 p.m. at the Hennepin Government Center skyway level atrium, 300 S. 6th Street, Minneapolis.

Tony Wentersdorf

Tony Wentersdorf, a Minneapolis musician and writer, will present his 65th Birthday Concert, "Music & Memories," on Saturday, August 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Walker Church, 3104 16th Avenue S., Minneapolis. Tony will perform on guitar and autoharp along with Mary Parker, Kent Eklund, the Waxing Nostalgics and a surprise guest or two. Suggested donation of $7 includes refreshments during intermission and will support the Walker and Tony’s upcoming Christmas CD. For more information: MN Artists, Tony Wentersdorf.

Tara Innmon

Tara Arlene Innmon, a Minneapolis visual artist and writer, has won a first place in two-dimensional art for her artwork "Alone in the Hospital" in the 2010 American Printing House for the Blind (APH) annual InSights art competition and exhibition. The contest received over 400 entries from blind artists across the U.S. and the world.

David Beebe

David Beebe, a Minneapolis writer, published a book of stories, essays and poems in 2009. It has just been made available on Amazon.com. Mindfull Ideograms: Crazy Times…Crazy Ideas is half short stories exhibiting psychosis and half essays seeking to understand how psychosis works and drawing out implications for living in society. Beebe, who spent 16 months of his life psychotic but has not been hospitalized since 1987, has been a mental health worker for 25 years. He says the title translates as a “mind” “full” of “idea” “writings.” The book is available for $14.95 plus shipping at: Amazon.com, Mindfull Ideograms by David Beebe.

Adults with mental illness are invited to sign up for free arts workshops at People Incorporated APOLLO Resource Center, 313 North Dale Street in Saint Paul. The workshops are partly to help artists prepare works for this year’s Artability at Apollo exhibit, held September 30 to October 2.

Monday, July 12, 4:00-6:00 pm - Color Design - Learn how to mix colors to achieve the perfect hue, and explore how color combinations can make or break a work of art.

Wednesday, July 14, 4:30-6:30 pm - We Like Short Shorts! - Join writer Marge Barrett for writing short-shorts (under 1000 words) in fiction, nonfiction and prose poetry. Through readings, exercises and peer-critiques, develop the essentials of good storytelling—plot, character, dialogue, point of view, image and metaphor.

Monday, July 19, 4:00-6:00 pm - Composition - Foreground, middleground, background, perspective, symmetry – what does it all mean? Figure it out in this workshop about how to bring the elements of design together to present a whole that makes sense.

Wednesday, July 21, 4:00-6:00 pm - Scratch Art - Artist Amy Marotz will guide artists to create a design by removing color on home-made scratchboard.

Monday, July 26, 4:00-6:00 pm - Workday - Bring in your works in progress. Get advice and inspiration and get that piece done! Various art materials will be on hand.

Wednesday, July 28, 4:00-6:00 pm - Jacob’s Ladder Books - Kassie Zimmer will instruct in how to make this accordion-style book incorporating collage art.

Workshops fill up fast. Sign Up today! No day-of sign ups. Workshop class size and supplies are limited. All workshops take place at the back of the Redeemer’s Arms apartment building on the ground level. Park on Carroll Street on the south side of the building and walk around to the back door. To register, call 651-227-6321 x42 or email Artability@PeopleIncorporated.org.

People Incorporated hosts the Artability art show each October to celebrate artists who use creativity in their journey towards mental health. Much of the art displayed in the Artability exhibit will be for sale. Artists receive 90% of the profits, with 10% going into the program. Writers can submit writing for the annual Artability Anthology – a collection of written works by adults with mental illness -- available at the Artability art show. Artability submission packets will go out in July.

Seventeen arts organizations in the Twin Cities have been awarded project grants to make the arts more accessible to people with disabilities. Funding for these ADA Access Improvement Grants for Metro Arts Organizations is from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, which voters approved in 2008. VSA Minnesota administers this program for the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. Summaries of each project are found on the VSA Minnesota website (What's New, Access Grants), but the recipients in the first two rounds of the grants in early 2010 are:

Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center, Minneapolis, $15,000
Circus Juventas, Saint Paul, $15,000
DanceWorks Repertory Ensemble, Lakeville, $4,937
History Theatre, Saint Paul, $15,000
Illusion Theater & School, Minneapolis, $15,000
Interact Center for Visual & Performing Arts, Minneapolis, $13,875
Minneapolis Musical Theatre, Minneapolis, $5,000
Mixed Blood Theatre Co., Minneapolis, $11,718
Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, $4,544
The O’Shaughnessy at Saint Catherine University, Saint Paul, $15,000
Park Square Theatre, Saint Paul, $15,000
Rosetown Playhouse, Roseville, $1,161.17
Sample Night Live!, Saint Paul, $15,000
The Soap Factory, Minneapolis, $15,000
Textile Center of Minnesota, Minneapolis, $4,500
Upstream Arts, Inc., Minneapolis, $15,000
Young Dance, Minneapolis, $9,496

The grants were reviewed by panels of persons active in the metro arts and disability communities. They read, discussed and ranked the applications, and their recommendations were approved by the VSA Minnesota board of directors. Two more rounds of grants (up to $15,000 each), along with updated guidelines and application forms, will be announced later this year and will be available at VSA Minnesota.

This year’s Minnesota Fringe Festival runs August 5-15 at many venues in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. It will include 23 shows audio described for people with vision loss, 14 shows ASL-interpreted for people with hearing loss, and 6 disability-themed shows. All will be found on the Fringe website (www.fringefestival.org) and the VSA Minnesota Calendar. The disability-themed shows include:

Disordered [thy name is teenager], presented by blank slate theatre at Ritz Theater Studio, 345 13th Avenue NE. ADHD. OCD. Suicidal. Promising to offend and inspire, a trio of teen actors poignantly and hilariously portray several different "disordered" characters in this award-winning original play written by teenagers.

Other Than Tragedy, presented by Alison Bergblom Johnson at Ritz Theater Studio, 345 13th Avenue NE. Alongside the tragedy of mental illness lurks ordinary life. the performer pieced together historical stories of mental illness in my family. Alma had it and she painted. Emma had it and before that she taught and wove.

Theory of Mind, presented by Mixed Blood Theatre at Minneapolis Theatre Garage, 711 Franklin Avenue W. Young Bill Gates, a 17-year-old with Asperger's, takes the woman of his dreams to the Hollywood Bowl to hear a concert by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. Written by Ken LaZebnik (winner of the American Theatre Critics Association's 2006 New Play Award for best emerging playwright), directed by Jack Reuler, featuring Skyler Nowinksi and Taj Ruler.

5th Floor Mercy, presented by Stunt Theater at Minneapolis Theatre Garage, 711 Franklin Avenue W. Welcome to the fifth floor of Mercy Hospital, the psychiatric ward. Tonight you will be meeting the patients to get a feel for what goes on up here. Keep your eyes and mind open - and your mouth shut.

The Squeaky Wheel Squeaks, presented by Squeaky Wheel, Inc. at U of M Rarig Center Arena, 330 S. 21st Avenue Author Brian Shaughnessy's story of waking from surgery, paralyzed. His challenges and triumphs including a master's degree and becoming a lawyer. Funny and tearful.

Code 21, presented by Russell Schneider at Gremlin Theatre, 2400 University Avenue W., Saint Paul. Two girls and their journey to understand: each other, the nature of love and redemption, what it means to be "broken," how to survive the mechanics of our psychiatric system, and themselves.

Join VSA Minnesota in nominating a person or organization for this year’s Arts Access Awards. The annual awards recognize artists, educators, volunteers, arts venues and producing or performing organizations that enable more people with disabilities to participate in the arts. Each recipient will receive a work of art created by a Minnesota artist with a disability, and will be recognized at a public event in September 2010 (details to be announced later). Nominations are due by Sept. 1, 2010. Sample categories are: Outstanding Arts Educator of Students with Disabilities; Most Active & Visible Minnesota Artist with a Disability (performer, visual artist, writer, …); Most Active Producing or Performing Group Involving People with Disabilities; Most User-Friendly Performance or Exhibiting Space for People with Disabilities. Send up to two pages with information about nominee and nominator and why the award is deserved. News clippings or photos may be attached. A form is available online: (2010 Arts Access Award Nomination Form). For more information, contact VSA Minnesota at 612-332-3888 or laura@vsamn.org.