Programs
-Evelyn J. Moore, Marvin Picollo School, Reno
Current Programs. . . . .
Accessibility in the Arts Senior/Residential
Care Facilities/Nursing Homes
Scholarships for Artists
with Disabilities
With a grant from the City of Reno Cultural Grant Program,
VSA arts hires sign language interpreters for certain cultural performances in Reno including
Nevada Humanities Committee's Chautauqua and Arts and Authors, plays and other
events. For more information about interpreted performance times and locations please contact the
VSA arts office in Reno at (775)826-6100.
VSA arts conducts art and creative movement workshops for residents at nursing homes/ residential care facilities in Reno, Sparks and Carson
City. For many residents this is the only opportunity for creative
enjoyment. Residents look forward to the artist visiting their facility
1-2 times a month. VSA arts artists conducts arts workshops at the
following facilities: Classic Residence, Continuum, Hyatt Regency, Manor Care,
Renown
Health Center in Washoe County, Sierra Place in Carson City and Willow Creek
Assisted Care in Las Vegas. These workshops are
funded by the individual facility and VSA arts.
Arts-in-Education
Renown Pediatrics
and Oncology Unit
Exhibitions Artwork created by
VSA arts of Nevada participants is on permanent display at the William J. Raggio Plaza in Reno and the Frost Yazmur Estates in Carson City. Both units are operated by Accessible Space, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides accessible, affordable housing and support services for adults with
physical impairments and/or brain injuries. 21st
Century Learning Centers Program
This program is funded by a 21st Century Learning Center grant and VSA arts.
This Washoe County School District's after school program for at-risk youth.
Since it began, VSA has partnered with and conducted afterdchool workshops in
art, acting, and creative movement with music at Echo Loder Elementary, Robert
Mitchell , Traner Elementary Middle School, Smithridge Elementary, Glen
Duncan Elementary, Rita Cannon Elementary, Sierra Vista
Elementary and Sun Valley Elementary during the traditional school year. For many of
the children this is the only creative outlet they have during the day.
This program gives these at-risk students a safe place to go after school and be
"an artist".
Lake Mansion Renovation
Sierra Regional Center
Reno Housing Authority Renown Behavioral Services Open
to the
Public...
Past Programs. . . . . Teacher
Training "Arts Across the Curriculum"
Northern Nevada Center for Independent Living
Transition Services in Las Vegas
China Springs Youth Detention Center
Holiday Card Programs
McMillan Art Scholarship Program
Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services
Program for Juveniles in Detention Facilities
Murals Program
Soroptimists Salute to Youth
Teacher Renewal Scholarship
Reno
Sparks Indian
Colony
Kid's Cafe
Veteran's Administration/VSA arts Program
VSA arts of Nevada places artists in self-contained (only special education
students), mainstreamed (special education and regular education students) to teach visual and performing arts at schools throughout the state.
Throughout the
state, except Clark County, there are no visual art teachers in the elementary
school setting. This program is one of the few that is directed at
students with special needs. The arts have the ability to cause positive
changes in self awareness and confidence, and gives children the opportunity to
discover talents that do not have succeed or fail outcomes.
In Washoe County and Carson City, VSA conducts
approximately 900 workshops in 45 self-contained classrooms, K-12. This program is
totally grant funded.
In White Pine County, VSA arts has 2 artists travel from Reno and Battle
Mountain to conduct workshops for 800 students at 3 schools in the rural
communities of Ely, Lund, and McGill. The two visual artists stay in the
community for 5 days working with the students and other community members
throughout their stay. For many rural students, this is the only
opportunity throughout the school year to work with a professional artist and
also an event the entire community looks forward to - and so do the artists!
Discover the Arts
As part of the ARTown Summer Arts Festival in Reno each July,
VSA arts of Nevada invites children to participate in historical games played
by children during the 1800's and also create an art masterpiece during a
hands on workshop.
A short or sometimes long stay for children in a sterile hospital setting
can be a scary experience. VSA arts conducts weekly workshops with these
children who are hospitalized to bring color, recreation and creativity into
their lives. With the excitement that comes as their skills progress, the
children are able to create pieces of artwork for their hospital room or
to give to friends or family members.
Art Access Gallery
In October 2006, VSA arts established the Art Access Gallery at the Lake
Mansion. Over 20 emerging and professional artists from Reno, Sparks, Las Vegas
and Winnemucca show and sell their work at the gallery. All have some type of
disability. The gallery is open Monday-Friday 11-3 PM.
Festivals
VSA arts of Nevada Festivals take place throughout the state and can include hands-on
performing, visual art workshops, performances, and exhibits. Festivals have been held in the following locations: Austin, Battle Mountain, Carson City, Elko, Ely, Fallon, Las Vegas, Lovelock, North Las Vegas, Reno, and Winnemucca.
VSA arts of Nevada moved to the historic Lake Mansion in Reno in January, 1996. The mansion was the home of the founder of Reno, Myron Lake. Built in 1877, the main floor of the mansion remains a museum that
is open to the public. VSA arts of Nevada assisted with the renovation process, including making the Lake Mansion more
accessible. Arts workshops and art camp are conducted in the mansion's
classroom. VSA arts of Nevada is located at 250 Court
Street in the historic Lake Mansion.
Located in Sparks, the Sierra Regional Center is a residential facility for adults
with
moderate to severe disabilities.
VSA arts of Nevada conducts year-round visual arts and yoga workshops weekly.
As part of a federal drug elimination program, VSA arts of Nevada organized art activities for
100 children residing at the Reno Housing Authority's family facilities. For
these children, the arts are a way to express their feelings about their world
while offering a positive recreational and creative outlet. Since the
federal program ceased to exist in 2000, VSA has written annual grants to make
sure this worthy program continues. Current and past programs include visual, performing, and language arts workshops, as well as four day-long "art camps" per year. This program was recognized nationally by the National Association of Local Arts Agencies and was presented as a model project to housing authority administrators throughout the nation.
VSA arts of Nevada provides visual arts workshops at Renown's Behavioral
Services Unit thrice weekly. This program began in April 1997 and is funded by the facility
and VSA arts. The Unit is a recovery program for adults who suffer from
depression, anxiety, drug/alcohol abuse and compulsive behavior issues.
VSA arts conducts year-round arts workshops and camps for children and adults
that are accessible both physically and financially with scholarships available
for individuals who are unable to afford the fee. Workshops include mixed
media, painting, sculpture, clay and theater at the Lake Mansion (home of VSA
arts of Nevada) and in partnership with the City of Sparks at the Larry D.
Johnson and Alf Sorensen Community Center.
This is a program for Washoe County School District teachers. Elementary
school special education teachers receive 25 hours of one-on-one training with a
visual artist in their own classroom. The artist works directly with the
teachers while training them to conduct visual art activities with their
students with special needs. Over 120 students have benefited from these
training sessions, but hundreds more will benefit because trained teachers will
be able to affect the education of their future students as well. This
program was evaluated by John Mahaffy, Ph.D., the Director of the Office of
University Assessment at the University of Nevada, Reno, in spring 2001.
He interviewed each of the teachers who had participated in the program, and a
written evaluation was completed. "All those involved were adamant
that the program should be continued if not expanded".
VSA arts of Nevada conducts weekly visual arts workshops for adults with mental,
physical or emotional disabilities at the Northern Nevada Center for Independent
Living in Sparks. This program began in May 1998.
This is a non-profit agency providing community integration, employment services
and meaningful work and activities for adults with disabilities. VSA arts
conducts 11 visual art workshops at this site from August through September for
15 clients. Due to funding limitations this is not a year-round program
Summerlin Celebration for the Arts
VSA arts of Nevada has been designated as the beneficiary of the annual Summerlin Celebration of the Arts
located in Las Vegas and reaching an audience of 5,000 annually. VSA arts of
Nevada provides hands-on workshops, and volunteers assist in all areas of the
event.
Arts on the Roof
In the past the Gable Roof Cafe had held "Arts on the Roof," an annual benefit for
VSA arts of Nevada. Gable Roof Cafe was located at 55 W. Arroyo Street in Reno and
was owned by Carol and Randy Barton.
The China Springs Youth Detention Center was a site for VSA arts of Nevada programming, and provided creative outlets for youth who were incarcerated. In collaboration with the Nevada State Arts Council,
VSA arts of Nevada sponsored this artist residency for the youth at China Springs with artist Emily Silver.
Over 400 students in special education classes created original holiday art to be printed on greeting cards. FHP Health Care printed 20,000 holiday cards, which help spread the word about
VSA arts of Nevada's programs and mission. An exhibit of the original artwork was also conducted at several venues throughout the state.
In honor of VSA arts of Nevada's founding board member, Rosemary McMillan, VSA
arts of Nevada provided funding for adults and children with disabilities to attend workshops at the Namaste Art School in Reno.
VSA arts of Nevada works with the Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services
Facility in Reno to provide workshops for patients with mental illnesses. Once a
week,
VSA arts of Nevada provides visual art and creative movement workshops for a group of
6-10 adults. This program is funded by the facility and VSA arts.
VSA arts of Nevada provided art workshops for youth at the Elko County Juvenile Detention Center and Nevada Youth Training Center. Visual and literary artists lead the workshops, which assisted the youth in developing both social and artistic skills. This program
was funded by
VSA arts and the Nevada Arts Council.
Marine artist, John Coleman, worked with 20 students with disabilities in Reno schools to create murals of dolphins, porpoises, seahorses, and other scenes of ocean life. He worked in self-contained classrooms, and has completed 10 murals with over 550 students. In addition,
VSA arts of Nevada artist Phil Coleman worked with at-risk students at several middle and high schools, designing and creating murals developed by the students to tie into their language arts and social studies curriculum.
For several years, VSA arts of Nevada has provided artwork for the Salute to Youth invitations, programs and table favors. Young artists from the Reno Housing Authority program create the artwork to be used for this event, are invited to attend the luncheon, and are honored for their talent.
The VSA arts of Nevada Teacher Renewal Scholarship allows special education teachers and students with disabilities to take art workshops at the Namaste Art School in Reno. The scholarship was established by long-term
VSA arts of Nevada volunteer Charlotte Voitoff.
VSA arts conducts weekly visual arts workshops for the elders at the Reno
Sparks Indian Colony's community room. For many, these workshops are a
chance to get out of their homes, socialize and create art. This program
is funded by the facility and VSA arts.
This is a new program that VSA arts started in
September, 2001 that we are continuing. Once a week a VSA artist conducts
an hour long workshop in conjunction with the after-school Kid's Cafe program in
Sparks. Children have a safe location to go after-school to receive
assistance with their homework and a hot meal while also having a creative
outlet with VSAN workshops. Approximately 30 children participate in this
program.
The Veteran's Administration/VSA arts Program provides veterans who receive care at VA medical centers with quality arts experiences through artist-in-residence programs and community-based activities. A collaborative effort between the Department of Veteran Affairs and
VSA arts, this rehabilitative program for veterans builds communication skills, independence, and self-esteem.
VSA arts of Nevada conducts workshops at Arville House, a club-house for veterans with disabilities associated with Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Las Vegas. The program culminates with an exhibition to showcase the veterans' accomplishments.
