Vol. 8, No. 1
Spring 2001
To champion the arts for children with disabilities and
advocate access to the arts.

Heart of America Wind Symphony
Benefit Concert for Accessible Arts

The Heart of America Wind Symphony will perform a benefit concert for Accessible Arts at 8:00 PM, Friday, March 16th at St. Francis Xavier Church in Kansas City, Missouri. The concert will feature music from A Midsummer Night's Dream and Pictures at an Exhibition. The evening will also include a dance performance, a scene from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and visual art displays by artists with disabilities. Admission is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted at the door.

The Heart of America Wind Symphony (HAWS) was formed to present quality wind band concerts and to raise awareness and funds for charitable agencies and service organizations. All of the ensemble members are volunteers and 100% of the proceeds from the concert will benefit Accessible Arts.
“When Ronald Mundt (Executive Director of HAWS) asked if we would be interested in having a benefit concert for Accessible Arts, I was thrilled,” explained Martin English, Accessible Arts’ Executive Director. “We jumped at the opportunity. And as we started planning, we realized we could create a performance that not only featured music, but also theatre, dance and visual arts by artists with disabilities. ”

So the performance grew to include many different artists and arts disciplines. Terri Rathbun, a member of Accessible Arts’ Board, uses a wheelchair and loves to dance. Rathbun and Susan Rieger of aha Dance Theatre will perform a dance duet. Four professional actors including Mindy McCrary, William Warren, Tom Woodward and Cynthia Hyer will perform a scene from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream accompanied by sign language interpreters. Mark Manning, a watercolor artist with quadriplegia, and Tina Blatter, an artist with a visual impairment, will display their works of art in the outer lobby. Those attending the show will have the opportunity to purchase the artwork. English continued, “This performance will have something for everyone. And it’s not just a fundraiser; it’s a chance for us to educate the public about the world of arts and disabilities. ”
The Benefit will be held at St. Francis Xavier Church, 52nd and Troost in Kansas City, Missouri (across the street from Rockhurst College). For more information, please call (913) 281-1133.

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Accessible Arts Welcomes
New Program Director

We are pleased to announce and welcome Tina Blatter as our new Program Director at Accessible Arts. Tina had previously been associated with Accessible Arts as a visual artist and consultant. She also served as one of the artists on the 2000 Oregon Trail trip. This fall, she coordinated follow-up projects with students from all three years of the Oregon Trail experience. (see related story, page 7)
Tina moved to Kansas City from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. There she had been endorsed through the South Dakota Arts Council for the last 5 years. This allowed her to be involved with the “Artist-in-Residency” and “Touring Arts” programs. Tina traveled around the state of South Dakota and worked with students in schools serving large and small populations. Tina used non-traditional materials in various ways that enabled students to create three-dimensional projects. Everything from textured collage to masks and maracas was created. In addition, larger permanent projects were created such as 16 ft. long textured murals with scenes and large 40 ft. to 70 ft. long mobiles. All of Tina’s school programs included education and discussion about disabilities and specifically visual impairments.


“As much as I wanted to create
art...I had to enter the art field
through the ‘back door.’”
Tina Blatter


The Touring Arts Program allowed Tina to display her tactile art collages at universities, art galleries and in public buildings. All of Tina’s work can be touched and has large print and Braille labels. Tina used her personal experiences with blindness as a way to make people aware of how important it is that art exhibits be accessible to everyone. This has been a life long goal of hers.


Tina explains, “As much as I wanted to create art and make artwork accessible, I had to enter the art field through the ‘back door’.” Thirty years ago, she wanted to go to college and focus on an art degree. Rehabilitation professionals told her she was being unrealistic, because she had been legally blind all her life. She was unable to take art classes in college, but that didn’t diminish Tina’s determination. She continued to paint and use various materials all through college. Later, she was able to take some adult education classes in clay work – hand-building techniques.

Tina’s initial degree was in Elementary and Special Education, from D’youville College in Buffalo, New York. Tina obtained a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling at Syracuse University while working full time at a rehabilitation center for adults with all types of disabilities.
She tried to incorporate the arts in any way she could while working with children and adults with disabilities. Over the years she gained excellent skills in teaching, counseling and evaluating. She always had a studio, no matter where she was living. Tina worked in the early morning before leaving for work and when she came home at night. With support from others and inspired by famous impressionists who had low vision, she carried on. Tina has discovered many new and wonderful ways to make artwork even more tactile.

After moving to Colorado, Tina decided to take the plunge into art as a professional career, working very hard to maker her long-time dream a reality. She entered as many art shows as she could, contacted arts organizations, got involved with VSAarts of Colorado and volunteered to set up fundraising shows for them. In 1994 she planned and conducted a workshop in Brussels, Belgium for over 400 children and adults with disabilities from all over the world.
Tina’s determination and passion have led her down a pathway that has brought her to Accessible Arts. She is excited about her position as program director and delighted with the opportunity to work in the arts with children with disabilities.

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Accessible Arts Wish List
As a non-profit organization, we are always looking for donations to help us with our large commitment to champion the arts for children with disabilities. Our “Wish List” is another way to engage community resources. You might be a business or individual who has items you no longer use. Or you might know someone else who does. Below are suggestions that may give you some ideas. Of course, financial donations are also welcome.
Wish List
Volunteers Needed To:
Self-hardening clay
Acrylic paints
Children’s scissors
‘Specialty scissors’ (w/scalloped edges)
Colored tissue paper
Construction paper
Matte board
Heavy duty wooden easels for painting
Fancy easels for displaying artwork		 Lights that clamp on tables
Musical instruments - all types and sizes
Unusual beads - various sizes and shapes
Feathers - various sizes and colors
Children’s costumes, hats, masks
1/2" & 1" white 3-ring binders (w/plastic insert front/spine)
New copier (2-sided, sort, reduce/enlarge, 2 paper trays)		 Prepare bulk mailings
Do general filing and organizing of files
Copy and fold brochures
Read for visually impaired staff
Drive staff to meetings
Put photos into albums
Maintain database
Unpack boxes of materials and reshelve
Call our Resource Center patrons who have not returned materials
Provide training in Word, Excel, Outlook Express, and Filemaker Pro for Macintosh computers)

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“Please DO Touch the Art!”
By Beverly Johnson

From early childhood we are admonished in stores, in other people’s homes, and especially in museums, “DO NOT TOUCH—anything!”
On April Fool’s Day (April 1, 2001) from 1:00 to 5:00 PM, the public is invited to really touch selected works of art from the permanent collection of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art at 4420 Warwick Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri (one block east of 45th & Main). This free event is called In Touch with Art and you are invited to join us to explore a variety of art objects from a “hands-on” perspective. You can set movable art in motion, get down on your hands and knees to tactually explore every inch, and feel the differences in materials and textures.

In Touch with Art visitors can also explore behind-the-scenes Museum activities such as framing, canvas stretching, crating, and conservation. They will also have an opportunity to make clay sculptures under the guidance of a skilled facilitator. Braille and printed text will describe the selected works, and volunteer docents who are trained to work with blind, deaf, and deaf/blind visitors will enhance the understanding and appreciation of the art. Metropolitan area Lions Clubs will provide transportation for the blind and visually impaired if requested by Friday, March 23, 2001.

This second annual In Touch with Art is a collaborative effort by the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Accessible Arts, Inc., Alphapointe Association for the Blind, and VSA arts of Missouri. Financial support includes a grant from VSA arts of Washington, D.C. Volunteers are needed for the event and interested persons should contact Beverly Johnson at Accessible Arts to be scheduled for a training in early March. Last year’s volunteers enthusiastically described their experience as enjoyable and educational. For more information, please call (913) 281-1133 or e-mail accarts@accessiblearts.org
The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art special exhibit will be available yearlong for persons who are blind or deaf, by advance request. Call (816) 753-5784 or e-mail kristy@kemperart.org.

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www.accessiblearts.org

Accessible Arts now has a home on the world wide web thanks to a grant from the John W. & Effie E. Speas Memorial Trust. Check out our new website at www.accessiblearts.org

The website will contain information about Accessible Arts trainings, demonstrations, programming, a catalogue of our Resource Center (books, periodicals, video/audio tapes), links to other websites, and cultural access information. Eventually we hope to include a virtual gallery of art by persons with disabilities. The Accessible Arts staff can also be reached by e-mail by visiting the website.

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The Beat Goes on for 99 Drums

April 20-22, 2001, Accessible Arts will co-host a weekend of hands-on music and dance workshops integrating blind and sighted youth, fourth through eighth grades, from across the state of Kansas. The 99 Drums event will take place on the campus of the Kansas State School for the Blind and explore the arts, history, customs, languages and lifestyles of the West African, Native American, Hispanic and Carribean cultures. The students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the drumming, dance and food of these richly diverse cultures.


Bird Fleming of the Traditional Music Society is the Artistic Director for 99 Drums and has gathered a talented group of musicians and dancers who will perform and present interactive, hands-on workshops throughout the weekend. Other collaborators include KanArts, the Pelathe Center, St. Paul’s Dove Arts Center and the Kansas State School for the Blind.
The students will arrive on Friday evening, April 20th, and be treated to dinner and a musical performance. They will stay overnight and attend workshops all day Saturday. When they arise Sunday morning, they’ll attend more workshops culminating in a public performance Sunday afternoon.

The cost for the entire weekend, which includes all the workshops, 6 meals and room, is only $25 per student! Adult volunteers are also needed, so come join the fun! Please call (913) 281-1133 or e-mail accarts@accessiblearts.org for more information.

99 Drums is sponsored in part by the Kansas Arts Commission, Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation, State Street Corporation, Sisters of Loretto, and Farmland.

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Heidi Benham Joins
Accessible Arts Board

The following are excerpts from an interview with new Board member Heidi Benham by current Board member Danny Meisinger.

What are you currently doing professionally or academically which relates to the Accessible Arts Board of Directors? “I am in my fourth semester in the Sign Language Interpreter Training Program at Johnson County Community College. I plan to complete the program this spring and begin interpreting in the community. My interest in the Deaf community is where I think I am linked to making arts accessible to people with disabilities.”

What experience do you bring to the Accessible Arts Board? “I earned a BA in Education from K.U. During those college years, my focus was in art education and special education. My hope was to combine the two. After graduating I began working with Sprint’s relay center in Independence, MO. I stayed with Sprint for 11 years until starting full time in the Interpreter Training Program.”

What has been the most rewarding challenge you have faced? “I made a decision to bike a 700 mile course down the West Coast. That decision was the force behind months of training. I biked it alone geared with tools, maps, clothes, food and determination. I am not an athletic type and it took me a full 3 weeks; however, it is that determination which I can smile back on and know as Helen Keller said, ‘We can do anything we want to if we stick to it long enough.’”

Tell us about your family. “My husband of 11 years, Jonathan, studied painting in college and works in publishing. My son Noah is 7. He is a gentle boy and interested in animals, as his name would imply. We live in an 80-year-old farmhouse purchased on April Fool’s day. The three of us are making plans for a bike trip around Vancouver Island some day.”

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ACCESS TO THE ARTS™

Educational Curricula Modules
in
ART, MUSIC, DRAMA,
and DANCE/MOVEMENT
for integration of the arts in the inclusive classroom
Featuring:


A Five Lesson Unit Curriculum - including a Comprehensive Bibliography and Nationwide Resource Listing
Developmental Guidelines in the Arts - For grades K - 12
A 45-minute Arts Training Video - featuring children with special needs participating in dance/movement, music, and visual art

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The Access To The ARTS™ educational materials are user friendly, adaptable to each art discipline, and allow for faculty personalization of course content.

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Accessible Arts Board of Directors

Patty Scott, President
Kathleen White, Vice President
Walter Dietrich, Treasurer
Martin Zander, Secretary
Heidi Benham
Fritz Edmunds
Vickie Horton
J.J. Jones
Danny Meisinger
Dawn O’Brien
Terri Rathbun
Donna Tout

Accessible Arts Staff

Martin English, Executive Director
Tina Blatter, Program Director
Eleanor Craig, Office Manager
Beverly Johnson, Program Assistant

(913) 281-1133 [Voice/TTY]
(913) 281-1515 [FAX]
accarts@accessiblearts.org
www.accessiblearts.org

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Oregon Trail Veterans ‘Show the Way’
to Warford Elementary Students

By Tina Blatter


Students and staff involved with the Oregon Trail Project over the past three years gathered for a weekend in late October. Kendall Kerr and I had been a part of the 2000 summer trip and we organized the art projects for this weekend along with Eleanor Craig and Julia Austin. The major goal for the October gathering was to create three-dimensional landscapes in wooden boxes. Students reminisced about their Trail experiences and chose historic areas to recreate. Pictures of historic sites were described to them by adults who had participated on the summer trips.

Various art materials were used to experiment with rut formations and other landmasses. In this way, students had a chance to develop ideas and experiment with new art forms. Then students created the land formations in wooden boxes.

Wonderfully realistic “Trail-scapes” emerged, each easily identified by the rest of the group. Students learned a lot about creating three-dimensional land areas and were fascinated with the new and different materials they used. Five landscape boxes were created in all. One was of an historic wagon-burning scene, from a pioneer’s journal. Historic sites included Chimney Rock, Alcove Springs, the Wakarusa River crossing, and the deep ruts at Guernsey, Wyoming.

On Sunday morning, Martin English, Executive Director of Accessible Arts, led a drama workshop with the students. Martin did several improvisational exercises that the students enjoyed tremendously. They discussed a theme for a two-minute scene and used improvisation to create the script. This scene, which explored an encounter between pioneers and Indians, would be part of an assembly program at Warford Elementary School.

The follow-up project at Warford Elementary School was multi-faceted. The major goal was to have the Oregon Trail students who experienced the weekend workshops in October act as mentors for the elementary children at Warford. The all-school assembly involved not only the scene, but also descriptions of our Trail adventures and a question and answer period as well.

The other segment of our program at Warford Elementary included a class project with four 4th grade classes. The Oregon Trail students showed the fourth graders their landscape scenes. Then, working in groups, the Warford students created landscapes in boxes. Their goal was to create a landscape scene that showed where they would camp for the night, if they were on the Oregon Trail.

This follow-up project was a wonderful way to share three years of Oregon Trail experiences with a cross-section of the community and display the possibilities of arts and students with disabilities.

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DON’T NEED THIS NEWSLETTER?

We are happy to continue sending our newsletter to all persons who wish to receive it. The Accessible Arts mailing list now contains nearly 5,000 contacts and friends nationwide. However, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please help us by letting us know. We will immediately remove your name from our list. Or if you have any changes or updates for our mailing list, please notify us. You can e-mail us at accarts@accessiblearts.org or drop us a note at Accessible Arts, Inc., 1100 State Ave., Kansas City, KS, 66102-4411 or feel free to call us at (913) 281-1133. We also welcome feedback about our programming and the content of our newsletter. Thank you for your help in this matter.

 

1100 State Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66102-4411
(913) 281-1133 [Voice & TTY] (913) 281-1515 [Fax]
eMail: accarts@accessiblearts.org Us

For large print or Braille newsletter contact Accessible Arts

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