VSA arts of Michigan Grand Rapids

A Night at the Gardens!

2010-04-22T12:17:00.001-07:00

Frederik Meijer Gardens was buzzing with 3-6 year olds last week Thursday evening. Students from Ridgemoor and West Leonard, Early Childhood schools took their families out for a night of art and fun at the Gardens.
Each year VSA puts on Early Childhood events with lots of art activities for students and their families for each of the Early Childhood schools in Grand Rapids and last thursday was the night for these two schools.

The students went from room to room, dancing with butterfly wings in the creative movement room, making beautiful clay tiles, drumming outdoors, engaging in interactive stories, participating in puppet theaters, and of course enjoying the butterflies at the Gardens.

Along with the artists leading the various activites, there were also a slew of volunteers who came out and helped! One group of volunteers was made up of the top 20designers who are part of the upcoming fashion event on May 15, Runway on Monroe. With these designers, kids created beautiful fairy bracelets and coffee filter butterflies, and left with these reminders of their night at the gardens.

Thanks to all the families, artists, volunteers, and teachers who came out and to Frederik Meijer Gardens for hosting this wonderful event!
To see more pictures from this event, go to our facebook page.

Painting Expressions: VSA Student Exhibit

2010-03-31T08:42:00.000-07:00

Over the past year, students in the Grand Rapids Public CBOT (Community Based Occupational Training) program have come to VSA each Wednesday for art classes. The art classes included a Drama/Theater session, a Jewelry making session, and a Painting session.

The students presented their work from their final session this past Wednesday, March 24 with a reception at VSA.

Before the reception, each of the students were also asked to finish two sentences:

1. I like art because:
2. My favorite part of VSA this year was:
These written responses were then hung up next to their painting.

One of the students answered the questions responding, "I like art because it helps you with many different techniques and colors," and "My favorite part of VSA this year was the painting because how it brings out your inner spirit and outer spirit and how it establishes your personal thought of how you feel."

The process of creating the pieces was definitely one of expression and the paintings the students produced were unique, intricate, and beautiful.

For more pictures of the student's paintings, see the album on our Facebook Page.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

2010-03-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Tuesday, March 23, the VSA offices were transformed into a Black Box Theater for a very special production.

As the culmination of a ten week adult theater class at VSA led by teaching artist, Tim St. Claire, ten students performed a few scenes from “The Wizard of Oz” for an audience of teachers, parents, siblings, and friends.

The students did a fabulous job on stage. They hit their lines, transformed into their characters, and at many times elicited uproarious laughter from the crowd.

Thanks to all those who came to see the show, to Tim for his wonderful direction, and thanks to the very talented actors and actresses who performed!

A Very Special Concert

2010-03-10T06:56:00.000-08:00

Come support the VSA choir!
This Saturday, March 13 at 3:00pm, at Kuyper College (Kuyper College Chapel, 3333 East Beltline NE, Grand Rapids).

The Very Special Choir was invited to sing with the training choirs of the Grand Rapids Symphony Youth Choruses. This should be a wonderful concert and will include a reception following the concert as well as a free-will offering going towards Very Special Choir to help continue to support this program!

Children Make Art for Children: DeVos Children's Hospital Artwork

2010-02-23T07:33:00.000-08:00

Friday night was an exciting night for VSA and the students who have been involved in the DeVos Children's Hospital project!

LaFontsee Galleries hosted an art opening exhibiting some of the art that has been created by VSA students for the Children's Hospital. The exhibition featured much work from VSA students along with students from other community organizations around Grand Rapids. Artists, students and teachers all came out for the event and everyone was excited to see their work framed and on display. Stay tuned as more VSA artwork is choosen as the hospital is completed.

Thanks to all the parents, students, and artists who came out for this exciting event and for LaFontsee for hosting.

Call For Art: Legacy Trust Award Collection

2010-02-22T10:23:00.000-08:00

VSA arts of Michigan-Grand Rapids seeks artwork from adult artists with disabilities for the Legacy Trust Award Collection to be included in ArtPrize 2010 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

VSA is soliciting artwork entries created by adult artists with disabilities for the Legacy Trust Award Collection of ArtPrize 2010.

ArtPrize is a radically open art competition, giving away the world's largest art prize. Part arts festival, part social experiment - this international art contest is decided solely on a public vote. ArtPrize runs September 22 through October 10, 2010 in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. For more information see the ArtPrize website at www.artprize.org.

This award collection has been designed to assist adult artists with disabilities to participate in a preliminary art competition with three winning artists moving forward to compete in ArtPrize 2010* in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as the Legacy Trust Award Collection.

*VSA will make every effort to secure an appropriate venue for the three winning artists, but neither artprize nor VSA can make any guarantees

To register and for more information,

see the Call for Art here.

Music in Mrs. Geers Room

2010-02-16T11:46:00.000-08:00

Each year over forty special education classrooms from throughout our community participate in VSA Artist Workshops and Artist Residencies, in mediums such as dance, music, pottery, jewelry making, and painting—all which encourage expression and confidence in these youth.

The pictures below are from one of our music workshops at Appleview Elementary. Teacher, Lynelle Geers, submitted a proposal for a workshop in music to "learn new ways to incorporate music into their routine that will burn some energy while teaching key concepts" She wrote, "I would would to use music to gain their attention, get some wiggles out, and build coordination."

Teaching artist and trained Music Therapist is doing just that with this class of 11, 8-11 year olds. Today was Erinn's second time visiting this classroom and she will finish up next week with the final, one-hour session. Erinn definitely has to work hard to keep the attention of these energetic students, but with the help of drums, active songs, egg shakers and lots of movement, she's able to do it!

Thanks to Mrs. Geers class for letting me come in today to make some music and take some pictures, you guys are great!

THANK YOU ARMA!

2010-02-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

This past Friday, February 5, 2010, VSA received a very exciting delivery. VSA was the proud recipient of boxes and boxes of art and office supplies very generously donated by ARMA (Association of Records Management Professionals).

ARMA has chosen VSA as their 2009-2010 non-profit partner whom they learn about and support in a variety of ways.

Thank you again for your VERY GENEROUS support ARMA--your gifts will reach many youth and adults with disabilities through VSA programs!

Drumming and Choral Concert

2010-02-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

Students in Holland, Zeeland, and Hudsonville's Community Based Instruction program recently finished their 9-session residency in Music. Every other week the students would meet with Jim Cooper, percussionist in a local band and teacher at the Holland Arts Council, to learn about various types of drums, experiment with different rhythms, and enjoy expression through a free-style drum circle. After an hour of drumming, students would then meet with Ron Toering, singer and experienced choir and music teacher, for an hour of vocal warm-ups, choral games, and generating a repertoire of popular choral music.

The students ended this residency by performing for friends and family in a concert. Both concerts showcased the students' hard work and enjoyment of singing and drumming and everyone (especially the kids in audience who danced to the drumming) had lots of fun.

Thanks to our two wonderful teachers, the students, and to our sponsors the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Outstate Michigan and the Herman Miller Foundation for making this possible.

See more pictures of the two concerts on our facebook page.

Call for Art!

2010-01-29T09:53:00.000-08:00

VSA arts of Michigan-Grand Rapids will showcase a special gallery exhibition of artwork by VSA artists in November, 2010 at the Forest Hills Fine Art Center Gallery. The Forest Hills Fine Arts Gallery showcases the talents of artists from throughout Michigan in exhibitions through-out the year.

VSA is soliciting artwork created by artists with disabilities of all ages for this upcoming special exhibition. Artwork received by VSA by the deadline of Friday, February 26, 2010 will be juried to create an exhibit of approximately 30 pieces that includes a full range of ages, abilities, and geographical representation.

To learn more and to download the application form, click here.

For questions about this opportunity call Katie or Michele at #885-5866 or e-mail vsaprogram@iserv.net or vsagr@iserv.net.

An Amway GRAND Tour

2010-01-28T07:22:00.000-08:00

With many of our students interested in exploring careers in the culinary arts, getting a chance to see into the inner workings of a commercial kitchen is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. On Wednesday morning, the VSA Arts & Mentoring class got that chance with a behind-the-scenes look at the amazing culinary operations at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. We learned that on some days, the culinary department can serve as many as 4,500 people in their special events alone!

The tour started at the Hotel’s loading dock as the order of fresh fruits and vegetables was being delivered. Fresh produce is delivered daily to the hotel! From there, we toured the special kitchen used just for the produce. From special sinks to a full-sized cooler, the fresh fruits and vegetables are kept separate from all other aspects of the culinary prep to avoid any contamination.

We even met Executive Chef Josef Huber in the main kitchen, who was busy preparing for the lunch menu for the day. Speaking with Chef Sally, who was busy preparing bacon for a recipe, we learned about the training needed to work as a cook in the kitchen. Our own Grand Rapids Community College has one of the finest two-year culinary degree programs in the area and many of those graduates now work for the Hotel. Other line cooks learn their jobs through on-the-job training and many years of experience.

We thank Assistant Catering Director Darrin Lettinga for giving us this wonderful tour.

Early Childhood Art Exploration

2010-01-25T14:20:00.001-08:00

Students from Wellerwood, West Leonard, and Ridgemoor Early Childhood Centers enjoy their second eight weeks of art with Phil Wilson teaching Pottery (Wellerwood), Mary Riley teaching Puppetry and Song (West Leonard) and Lori Teft teaching Creative Movement (Ridgemoor).

For the full picture album, go to our facebook page.

Pamper Yourself!

2010-01-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

Come enjoy food, beverages, and a sampling of select Vasaio Services. The cost of the event is $50 and all money will go to support VSA.
There are still a few spots left so sign up today by calling #885-5866 or by e-mailing Katie at vsaprogram@iserv.net.

Grand Valley Artist's Newsletter

2010-01-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

VSA was highlighted in "GVA Highlights: A Monthly Publication of Grand Valley Artists Inc."
See what was said:

Message From VSA
Making a Difference Through the Arts
VSA arts of Michigan- Grand Rapids (“VSA”) is a unique organization with
a unique mission. VSA provides access to and opportunities in the arts to
people with disabilities. Through their programs, VSA helps people with
disabilities gain self-confidence, become more independent and to develop
their creative voice. Each year, through its 16 programs, VSA provides arts
classes and other arts opportunities to over 4,000 individuals in our community.

Meet Alex*
In VSA’s Graduated Art classes for adults with disabilities, each week
student-artists explore new and exciting art projects, from creating candle
holders decoupaged with tissue paper or fashioning necklaces and
bracelets to painting beautiful watercolors. After the class, Alex and
several of his friends started keeping the plastic CD covers that they
were sorting, which are normally thrown away. When asked, Alex told
us that he was saving the covers in order to glue tissue paper to them and
create mobiles- a program he learned about during the VSA art class!

Meet the Puppets
In their early childhood special education art class, VSA introduces children
to the wonderful world of puppets. Using the puppets, the artist
teaches emotions, gender – “is Happy (the puppet) a boy or a girl?”,
colors and appropriate touch—“can you gently shake Sad’s hand?” The
puppets are also used to aid with singing, to help learn attention skills
and communication.
“It’s wonderful seeing Marcus* responding to the humor—he LOVEs
it” raves classroom nurse Pat. Classroom aid Kate adds “It’s been so
positive for our kids. Such a nice change to the normal routine and
something they look forward to. Even Molly*, who is blind, really tunes
in. You can hear her singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star long after the
song is done.”

How Can You Help Other Budding Artists like Alex, Marcus and
Molly?
VSA is always looking for interested community members to become
partners in our organization. If you would like to learn more, VSA offers
Very Special Tours to the community to see our programs and organization
in action. These tours are one hour long and are free to attend- all
you need to do is call VSA to set-up your tour time!

Volunteer
Are you interested in volunteering? VSA needs help in many areas.
Classroom assistants work alongside teaching artists to help students in
their art classes. These volunteers are friends and mentors to our students.
Office assistants help in the many tasks that are needed to
successfully run the VSA offices on a day-to-day basis, from website
and blog updates to mailings to correspondence. Board members and
planning team members help VSA to set and to carry out the strategic
plan to help the organization fulfill the VSA mission. Through these
jobs, you will have a voice in the path that VSA takes into the future.

Teaching Artists
Are you interested in teaching for VSA? VSA is always looking for new
artists to lead our arts programs and classes. We are looking for good
teachers, who have a passion for helping others learn about the arts.
These paid positions provide a wonderful opportunity for the right artists
to pass their wonderful talents and gifts onto others. Right now, VSA
has an immediate need for new photography teachers! (There is an application
and interview process required to become a teacher for VSA.)

Advocate for VSA
VSA needs other voices to join with them. Advocates help VSA by
organizing Very Special Tours, setting up art supply drives in the community
or even hosting a table at VSA’s annual Very Special Event Luncheon
in June of each year.

Want to learn more? Here’s how! Call or e-mail Michele or Katie
at VSA at #616-885-5866 or at vsagr@iserv.net to come in for a tour.
Check out the VSA website at: www.vsagr.org or the blog at www.
vsagr.blogspot.com. Become a fan of VSA on our Facebook page at
VSA arts of Michigan Grand Rapids.

*Names are pseudonyms
http://www.gvami.com/newsletters/january2010.pdf

Creative Movement Video!

2010-01-14T13:44:00.000-08:00

See what Clark Communications has to say about VSA's Early Childhood Creative Movement Classes. Then go to the link below to watch the fun!

"Remember when you were a kid and somehow you learned to do somersaults - maybe from your older brother or your preschool gym class? Somehow you learned to balance yourself, jump, swing, follow directions and be a little gymnast.

The reality is, not every kid has an older sibling or cousin or even parent to teach them these skills. For some kids it is a much tougher process due to a disability, to be able to learn and practice balance/technique.

I was honored to attend one of the VSA programs called "Creative Movement". VSA has set up a teacher who teaches these skills to children at learning centers in GR. This class is specific to children with disabilities or "at-risk" kids between the ages of 2-6 years. With respect for the teachers, children and families, all of these kids have been approved to be on video (just so you know).

I wanted to take you into the same thought pattern I was experiencing while watching these kids in their classroom setting. The laughter and joy was so contagious, that I was smiling the whole time I was there (I think you will too :)

Watch the children as they learn very small and simple things like following directions, keeping balance on one foot, curling their knees to their chest and rocking backwards. Remember that these are skills that most of us take for granted.

Please take some time to watch this video with that thought in mind. Look at the kids faces, their concentration and ambition. The video is over 9 min. long, so skip through a bit and listen to them laugh and learn life skills that teach them to socially interact and understand body awareness."

Guest Blog Entry by Jennifer Luth, Clark Communications

http://www.youtube.com/user/clarkcommunication#p/a/u/0/2q1haJ7nIjE

Winter Adult Art Classes: Sign up TODAY!

2009-12-22T11:45:00.001-08:00

VSA is offering three exciting adult art classes this winter:

Choir, Visual Arts, and Theater

1) Graduated Art: Art Explosion! For adults age 18 and up. The cost is $75.00* and includes artist fees and supplies. The class will incorporate various art projects in different visual art forms. Monday nights from 6:30-7:30pm for ten weeks, beginning January 28.

2) Graduated Art Class 2: Theater!
For adults 18 and up who are interested in having fun with acting! Activities in Theater class will include improv games, learning show tunes and dance moves, and acting out various scenes. The cost is $75* and includes artist fees and supplies. Tuesday afternoons from 4:00-5:00pm for ten weeks, beginning January 12.

*$75/class or $100 for both Graduated Art classes

3) Very Special Choir: This is a great opportunity for learning and growing in musical ability while making friends and having fun! For adults 18 and up. Thursdays from 12:30-1:30pm throughout the year. The cost is $60 for Choir from January to May. The choir will begin January 7, and meets at Kuyper College (3333 E Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids).

Contact Katie at 885-5866 or vsaprogram@iserv.net and sign up TODAY!

Support VSA while you Shop!

2009-12-16T12:45:00.000-08:00

What if VSA arts of Michigan--Grand Rapids earned a donation every time you searched the Internet?
Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support VSA?

Well, now it can!

www.GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

www.GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 30 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order at one of these or other partipating stores through GoodShop (www.GoodShop.com), you'll be supporting your favorite cause.

And if you download the GoodSearch – VSA toolbar, VSA will earn money every time you shop and search online - even if you forget to go to GoodShop or GoodSearch first! Add the VSA arts of Mighigan-Grand Rapids toolbar at http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/mode/

Thank you for supporting VSA!

Vanguard Academy students create artwork for others enjoyment | wzzm13.com | Grand Rapids, MI

2009-12-04T07:58:00.000-08:00

Vanguard Academy students create artwork for others enjoyment wzzm13.com Grand Rapids, MI

Central Students Create with Clay!

2009-11-30T13:29:00.000-08:00

Students from Central High School school students have recently begun a year-long pottery residency with teaching artist, Phil Wilson, in which they will learn the art of pottery making while expressing their unique artistic voice. The ten students will engage in the 2 hour art class on the first Friday of every month throughout the school year. This residency will culminate in May with the Central students helping to teach a workshop at Festival Day, 2010!

Decorating the DeVos Children's Hospital

2009-11-18T12:48:00.000-08:00

The new DeVos Children’s Hospital is seeking artwork to brighten their halls and VSA student artwork will be included! Twenty of our local VSA classrooms are creating artwork for this very special collaboration. See some of the work being generated for this exciting project.

Graduated Art: Book Making!

2009-11-04T08:06:00.000-08:00

This Fall, young adults are coming to VSA each Tuesday night from 6:30-7:30pm and learning the art of making books. This beautiful craft is taught by Book Binder, Wendy Withrow, and has thus far included creating decorative books, making unique paper, crafting nature booklets, and making artistic choices all along the way.Get a sneak peak of some of the beautiful things these artists have created so far through viewing the pictures below.

Early Childhood Family Art and Learn Night

2009-10-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, October 27, over 90 people traveled to Ken-O-Sha Preschool in Grand Rapids for an evening of art and fun hosted by VSA. At the event, these preschoolers and their families listened to stories, created pottery pieces, had their faces painted, played with parachutes, and made beautiful necklaces. It was a wonderful night for teachers, artists, students and volunteers alike!
See our facebook page for more pictures of this event.

Arts and Mentoring: Grand Haven

2009-10-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

Students in Grand Haven's transition program (aged 18-26) classrooms are currenlty taking a 9-week watercolor and drawing class with artist, Vickie Morgan. Catch a glimpse of what they've been doing through a few pictures of the classes.

VSA Auction: A Success!

2009-10-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who made VSA's Annual Auction such a success! To our countless volunteers, sponsors, auction committee members, artists, our wonderful auctioneer, Judge Sara Smolenski, and of course, all of you who attended: THANK YOU! We truly couldn't have done it without all of you!

And in case you missed Fox 17's story on Friday, check it out HERE

A Very Special Art Auction

2009-10-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

VSA's Annual Very Special Art Auction

There are still a few tickets available for VSA's annual Auction at DeVos Place tomorrow, Friday October 16, beginning at 6:30pm.

Come for delicious food, amazing auction items, to hear auctioneer, Judge Sara Smolenski, and to support the work of VSA arts.

Call #616-885-5866 to reserve your tickets.

And check out the 2009 Live Auction items on our website to decide what you'll be bidding on.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Call for Entries

2009-10-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

2010 VSA arts International Young Soloists Award
Musicians and vocalists with disabilities, age 25 and under.
Four recipients will each receive $5,000 and perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.For information on how to apply, visit www.vsarts.org/soloists.

Elephant Painting with VSA!

2009-09-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, September 24, Van Andel Arena teamed up with the Circus and VSA arts to decorate a city bus with paint. Students from Karen Rashewsky's class at Alger Middle School in Grand Rapids and from the classrooms of Emily Molesta and Lynelle Gears from Appleview Elementary in Sparta journeyed downtown to cover the bus with paint and then handed the rollers and paint brushes to the friendly elephants and watched them finish up.

See colorful pictures below of this exciting event!

Our fearless intern, Nichole, prepares the paints for the elephants (and kids).

The bus: Before

And the fun begins!

Even the clowns came out to paint!

And then the elephants wanted a turn...

The bus: After

Thank you to everyone who made this event possible: the students, their teachers, Van Andel Arena, the circus, and of course, the elephants!

For even more pictures, visit our facebook page.

ArtPrize 2009 Features Several Artists That Are Friends Of VSA

2009-09-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, I have been asked about ArtPrize from a number of our friends. Like you, we are excited to see how this revolutionary, international art competition plays out on the Grand Rapids stage.

I am excited to announce that VSA has 16 of our friends competing in this inaugural competition. This is my chance to tell you who they are, where they are showing and how you can vote for them!

Voting:
First, to vote, you must register in person with ArtPrize. They have registration sites throughout the three-mile competition radius and one site at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. (You can find the list on their website at: www.artprize.org)

After you are registered, you can vote on the ArtPrize website, by text message or by I-phone.

The first round of voting is September 23- September 30, 2009. During the first round, you can vote once on each of the 1,262 pieces of artwork in ArtPrize. Your vote can be: YES, I like this artwork or NO, I don’t like this artwork.

The second round of voting is from October 1 – October 9. During the second round, the artwork in the competition will be whittled down to the top 10 entries. During the second week, you can only vote once for your favorite in the Top 10.

The Friends of VSA in ArtPrize:

Artist Name Location Address
Jerry Berta WMCAT 98 East Fulton Street
Mark Bird Front Row 53 Monroe Center Ave, Ste B
Stephen Duren Old Federal Building 155 N Division Ave
Jasna Gopic Alten Place 17 Division Street South
Dennis Grantz WMCAT 98 East Fulton Street
Randall Gornowich Ledyard Building 125 Ottawa Ave NW
Jeff Hage Front Row 53 Monroe Center Ave
Madeline Kaczmarczyk Fountain Street Church 24 Fountain Street NE
Geraldine Kawa-Kurdelski Mel Trotter Ministries 225 Commerce Ave SW
Victoria Marnich-Reynolds Monroe Community Church 800 Monroe Ave, Ste 140
Victoria Mullen Bigby Coffee 146 Monroe Center
Dennis O’Mara The BOB 20 Monroe Ave NW
Marella Poortenga Amway Grand Plaza Hotel 187 Monroe Ave NW
Robert Stewart River House Condominiums 353 Bridge St NW
Stephanie Timmerman Schlatter Ottawa Tavern 151 Ottawa Ave
Phil Wilson Lots O Pots Pottery 645 West Fulton

Have fun with ArtPrize! And if you are downtown, stop and see the VSA co-hosted venue at Riverview Center 645 Front Ave NW.

Fall Programs are Starting!

2009-09-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

It is official! VSA’s fall programs start this week. Here is a sneak peak of what we have coming up:

Start with the Arts/ Art Explorations for Early Childhood
We are thrilled to be starting this pilot program with three of our early childhood special education preschools in Grand Rapids: Ken O Sha at Wellerwood, West Leonard and Ridgemoor. Children between the ages of 2-6 years old will explore pottery, puppetry and creative movement with VSA over the next 24 weeks.

Graduated Art: Art Explosion! And *NEW* Graduated Art: Bookmaking
And for adults, our immensely popular Graduated Art classes are back! These classes are open to any adult over the age of 18 that wants to flex their creative muscles and have a lot of fun.

These classes explore the visual arts with adults. In “Art Explosion” students engage in several projects over the course of the semester. And this semester, we are also offering an advanced class, which will explore the art of “bookmaking.”
These classes start the week of September 30, so there is still time to register. If you are interested, contact Katie at #885-5866 or vsaprogram@iserv.net.

Art& Mentoring/ Art Explorations for Transition Students
The school year is kicking off with a special tour of ArtPrize 2009 for our transition students.

After than, different classes will participate in: drumming, pottery, photography, painting, and music. Whew! That is a lot of creative energy.

Very Special Choir
For adults, our fantastic choir is back. Rehearsals start on Thursday September 24, 2009, at Kuyper College’s Dan Vos Chapel.

And meet our new choir director is Erinn Epp. Erinn is a certified music therapist, having studied music therapy at Wilfrid Laurier University (Ontario, Canada) and New York University. She has worked as a music therapist and educator with people aged 0-103 in a variety of educational, healthcare, and community settings. While living in Princeton, New Jersey, she was a founding member of the music therapy department at Westminster Conservatory, providing music therapy services to individuals with special needs in the context of a community music school. Erinn is also a registered Music Together teacher, and has combined music therapy techniques with the Music Together curriculum in her work with people with autism, developmental delays, attachment disorders, and hearing impairments. Originally from Canada, Erinn has lived and worked in many diverse locations across North America. She is excited to be in Grand Rapids, helping to bring the joy of music participation to people through the VSA. Erinn is also a pianist and vocalist, and loves to perform as well as teach. She lives with her husband and daughter, a very noisy toddler.

Interested in more information about the choir, contact Katie at #885-5866 or at vsaprogram@iserv.net.

Over the year, keep watching our blog for pictures and highlights of our programs.

JOIN US!

2009-09-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

We are welcoming 51 artists from around the world entered in ARTPRIZE, the world's largest art prize!

Important Dates

September 23
Opening Day of ArtPrize

September 24
Artists’ reception at Riverview Center!
5:00—8:00 pm
678 Front Ave NW, Grand Rapids
Located on the Southwest Corner of the historic Sixth Street Bridge

Meet the artists, see the artwork, VOTE and make your voice heard.

October 1
Top Ten Artists Announced

October 8
Winner of ArtPrize Announced

October 10
Closing Day of ArtPrize

What is ArtPrize?
ArtPrize is a radically open competition from September 23 - October 10, 2009. Open to any artist in the world who can find space. Open to anybody in Grand Rapids, Michigan who wants to create a venue. Open to a vote from anyone over 16 who attends.

Sponsored by:

CAFE STELLA

Meet one of our FRIENDS- Forest Hills Foods

2009-09-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

They are known for their commitment to quality and customer service, that’s right we are talking about Forest Hills Foods, your friendly neighborhood grocery store.

They have a great website that is fun, friendly and easy to use. (http://www.foresthillsfoods.com/). It not only features the normal spots, like weekly ads, but also great resources to help you with your shopping. Need to shop fast? You can plan ahead with the “Browse the Aisles” area, which tells you exactly where to find any product in the store- from diapers to pizza sauce. Need a creative idea for dinner? Try the Forest Hills Foods “recipe of the day” or browse your personal library of recipes that you can save on their website.

The store itself is welcoming. The aisles are easy to navigate and the staff is always friendly and helpful. The food is fresh, from the fun pastas and side dishes in the deli section to the locally grown plump fruits and fragrant vegetables in the produce area. And the store even includes a special area with a mix of table and specialty wines for every occasion.

But what I really like is their commitment to providing gluten free food options. Most stores only have three or four standard products. Not Forest Hills Foods. The store is constantly tasting and adding new products to their aisles. Don’t believe me? Just ask the Bakery Manager, Jason Bajema, for a few suggestions. We just had some fabulous, gluten free chocolate chip cookies the other day.

Forest Hills Foods has been a good friend of VSA for over ten years. They support us in so many ways, from displaying VSA student artwork in their cafe to joining us as one of our valued sponsors for our Annual VSA arts Very Special Art Auction.

Stop in and check out this local gem. They are located at 4668 Cascade Road SE in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their normal store hours are 7:00 am – 11:00 pm.

Thank you Forest Hills Foods.

Visual Voice Project Art Reception

2009-08-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, August 26 from 1:00-3:00pm, a group of amazing artists displayed their work for all to see at Metro Hospital. Patients on the Assisted Breathing Unit have been working with Teaching Artist, Carol Johnson each Wednesday afternoon over the past 12 months.

These adults have all enjoyed their time with Carol, both for the community and voice it has provided them, and for the beautiful art they have had the opportunity to create. They have created self-reflection collages and poetry, have made intricate prints, constructed mobiles, and much more. Two of the artists learned to paint and draw with mouth pieces and everyone learned new artistic techniques.

The art reception was a wonderful celebration of all the accomplishments and beautiful art that has been created by amazing artists through the Visual Voice Project.

VSA Adult Fall Classes Announced!

2009-08-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

We have an exciting line-up for this Fall with various opportunities to fit your interests.

To sign up or for more information, call or e-mail Katie Timmermans at #616-885-5866 or vsaprogram@iserv.net.

1) Graduated Art Advanced Class: Book Making! For adults 18 and up who have taken one or more session of Graduated Art and/or want a more challenging class. The cost is $75 and includes artist fees and supplies. It will meet on Mondays from 5:00-6:00pm for ten weeks beginning September 28.

2) Graduated Art Class: Art Explosion! For adults aged 18 and up. The cost is $75.00 and includes artist fees and supplies. It will meet on Mondays from 6:30-7:30pm for ten weeks beginning September 28.

3) Very Special Choir: This is a great opportunity for learning and growing in musical ability while making friends and having fun! For adults 18 and up. Thursdays from 12:30-1:30pm throughout the year. The cost is $110 for the year (30 sessions). The choir will begin September 24 and meets at Kuyper College (3333 E Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids).

Graduated Art Summer Session Ends

2009-08-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

Our summer session of Graduated Art was a smashing success. We had 15 adults in the class, many volunteers, and a wonderful artist, Vickie Reynolds. Projects this session included reverse paintings, sea shell mirorrs, and much more!

The fall session of Graduated Art will begin Monday, September 28 and runs for 10 weeks from 6:30-7:30 each Monday. Please call or e-mail Katie at #616-885-5866 or vsaprogram@iserv.net to sign up and reserve your spot for the fall!

Free Money for VSA--Just Sign Up!

2009-08-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

eScrip is a way that you can raise mony for VSA without it costing you ANY money and only five minutes of extra time! By signing up for eScrip, when you use your credit or debit card at participating establishments (which include hundreds of stores and restaurants including One Trick Pony, Mangiamo!, and Forest Hills Foods), a portion of what you spend will go towards supporting VSA.

Please take five minutes to sign-up for eScrip and support VSA nearly effortlessly. To sign up, go to http://www.escrip.com/ and follow these simple directions.

1. Click on “Members/Supporters” on the upper left hand corner
2. Click on “Sign Up Now” under the section titled, “We make it easier to keep you informed!”
3. Under “Group Name” type in VSA arts or type in the Group ID number 500018635 and click on the “Select” button
4. When the next page comes up, click VSA arts of Michigan-Grand Rapids
5. Proceed to fill out requested information and you are done.

Thank you for supporting VSA in this way!

Hope Network Residency

2009-08-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

Monday concluded a ten week summer art residency with 15 Hope Network clients.

Artist, Vickie Marnich Reynolds presented these gifted artists with unique projects each week: constructing tack boards, creating shell creatures, and designing beautiful mosaic tiles. By the end of the 10 weeks, it was evident that each participant had found their own creative voice and the created pieces were truly inspired.

Thanks to all our Hope Network participants, helpers, and VSA volunteers. You will all be missed!

Session 2 of Summer Camp: Photo Journal

2009-07-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

Another great week of Summer Camp concluded today. Thanks to Ms. Rashewsky's class and Alex (and Wendy, his mom) for journeying downtown this week and being amazingly enthusiastic about each and every project!
Student craft-favorites included photography, toilet paper birds, tack boards, and sun prints.
See our facebook page for even more pictures from the week!

Family Fun Night: Frederik Meijer Gardens

2009-07-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

Last night, despite the torrential downpour, we had many families come to Frederik Meijer Gardens for VSA's Annual Family Fun Night. Families bird-watched in the indoor gardens, learned about the Chihuly sculpture, built Calder-like mobiles and much more.

Thank you to all the families and volunteers who braved the weather and came out for a night of family fun!

Session 1 of Summer Camp Concludes

2009-07-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Today we said goodbye to the students and volunteers from session 1 of VSA Summer Camp. After four days of creating sunprints, cutting out giant flowers, taking beautiful photographs, and piecing together tissue paper collages while laughing and enjoying the beautiful weather, it was a sad goodbye.

Thanks to all of you students who made it such a great week and thanks to Hannah and Heather for being such WONDERFUL volunteers!

Check out part of the garden they created with their giant flowers (above)as well as some of the beautiful photographs taken by the students of downtown Grand Rapids (below).

Summer Art Camp Begins

2009-07-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

Summer art camp is in full swing this week and next. Our students this week will be partaking in a variety of activities. I have had the privilege of working with six year old Ryan. Ryan is always moving and is an adventurous little boy. He participates in all of the art activities, but like any little boy he is ready to move and run after five minutes of sitting. Normally his interest fades quickly, but not today when the parachute came out. The parachute is a large tarp with bright colors and handles around the sides. For the first time Ryan was not the first person to leave the game. His ear to ear smile and participation in the parachute games was a very pleasant surprise. As he participated you could see his eyes moving around to the different colors and students, could hear his laughter, and could sense his true joy and delight. Today was yet another exciting and eventful day. =] Very much looking forward to the rest of the week and next week.

~ Sarah

Sun Prints Instructions...

Painting Rocks

American Recovery & Reinvestment Act Grant Awarded to VSA

2009-07-13T06:18:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs met to discuss and pass their funding plan for the nearly $440,000 in federal stimulus money it received from the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The council received 122 applications from current grantees requesting nearly $1.5 million to help protect 756 jobs throughout Michigan. Due to the limited amount of funds available the council was only able to fund around a fifth of the applications it received, helping to protect 142 jobs.

VSA was one of thirty organizations to receive an ARRA grant last week. This grant of $6,250 will be used to help fund VSA's Program Director position, which is vital to our sixteen programs and operations. We are truly grateful for the faith and support of the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and to our community for recognizing the value of the work that we do.

2009-07-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

What is there to do in July in Grand Rapids? At VSA, the answer is a lot and the best part is that there is still room if you want to join in the fun.

Our Summer Art Camps for children and youth start July 13. The first session is from July 13 -16; the second session, July 20- July 23. We have so many fun art activities planned, including photography of the city, creating tissue paper collages and designing mosaic tiles. I cannot wait for the fun to start! If you would like to join us, please e-mail us at vsaprogram@iserv.net.

And looking for a fun, free evening for the whole family? The VSA Summer Family Fun Night at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is the answer. This annual event is always a highlight of the summer. We have fun activities to explore throughout the Lena Meijer Children's Garden from art projects to digging for fossils. You must pre-register (at vsaprogram@iserv.net ) to attend, but space is still available!

At VSA, summer days are not boring, they are exciting days of fun, creativity and art. Come join us as a participant, a volunteer or a friend. Everyone is welcome!