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15th Annual VSA Arts Festival at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
March 11, 2010
Jacksonville, Fla. - The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens will host the 15th annual Very Special Arts Festival (VSA), sponsored by Citi, on March 23 through March 26, 2010. This festival provides an opportunity for more than 2,000 students from Duval County Public School’s Exceptional Student Education (ESE) to experience the beauty of original works and to demonstrate their own artistic abilities. Each student and their teachers will enjoy, explore, and interact in the museum’s galleries, gardens, studios and Art Connections while participating in eight art activities. This year’s ArtStops include a gallery coloring book, painted silk scarves, collage, music performance, abstract painting, clay birds, music making and storytelling, and time to explore Art Connections.
“The festival is based on the premise that interaction with art is not passive, but should be active,” said Museum Director Hope McMath. “We intentionally have the majority of art and music activities in the galleries, so that children with disabilities have the opportunity to create works of art, participate in music making with talented musicians while surrounded by the masterworks in our collection. We all benefit from being engaged, using our minds, hearts and hands, when learning. For children with varying abilities this is even more critical.”
The festival is structured around eight ArtStops throughout the museum and gardens that provide the unique opportunity for students to not only make art, but do so surrounded by masterpieces of original art. Students will travel to each ArtStop led by a guide and spend 15 minutes participating in these activities that have been adapted for disabilities as far-ranging as profound physical disabilities to blindness. These activities include listening to a unique style of storytelling by Ajamu Mutima, creating a collaborative cityscape collage, painting silk scarves inspired by The Cummer Gardens, coloring a gallery coloring book of favorite works of art in The Cummer collection, a jazz music performance by Tony Steve, abstract painting, and creating clay birds found in the Meissen Porcelain collection.
Students will also spend time in Art Connections, browsing through the exhibition Jazz ABZ: Improvisations by Students at S.P Livingston, created by students in the ESE program at S.P. Livingston Elementary. Participating students learned about the exhibition Jazz ABZ: An A to Z Collection of Jazz Portraits by Paul Rogers that is on display at The Cummer as part of an on-going outreach program between The Cummer and 10 underserved elementary schools, called the Weaver Academy of Art program at The Cummer. The works on display by the students exemplifies the use of music, spoken word and art to form their own creative representations by applying the principles and elements of art seen throughout the exhibition. This year an image of a Jazzy Cityscape, by Naomi Sellers, a fifth grader from S.P. Livingston Elementary will be the image for the festival and is featured on all the volunteers’ shirts.
This four-day festival has been recognized as a national model by VSA Arts International and is the only festival to be held in museum galleries anywhere in the country. The festival is unique in that it not only involves children in art making, but they do so right in the galleries surrounded by masterpieces of original artwork. For many of these children it is their one opportunity to experience the beauty of original works of art and the creative power inherent in the art-making process.
“The impact on the students served in the festival is clear to all who participate. Ah-ha moments occur every hour of everyday of the festival,” said McMath. “I also feel like the most under told story of the festival is the impact on those who volunteer. To connect with other human beings in such an intimate way, using art in a beautiful setting is very powerful and those of us lucky enough to work with this program are better people as a result.”
This year more than 1,100 volunteers will devote their time and talent to the festival. Volunteers represent every segment of the community and include corporate volunteers, university students, high school students, school system staff members, museum docents, and hundreds of other individuals.
This year Citi is, again, the main corporate sponsor of the event, providing financial support and over 400 volunteers. Other sponsors of the VSA Festival include, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc., HEAL Foundation, Chartrand Foundation, Fifth Generation Fund of the Bradley-Turner Foundation, Inc., DuBow Family Foundation, Borowy Foundation, Watkins Christian Foundation, Firehouse Subs, Brooks Rehabilitation, Tropical Smoothie, VSA Arts of Florida, Inc., Duval County Public Schools, FDLRS Crown, FOCUS Cummer, Anonymous Docent, Ms. Meg Rose, Ida Broward Boyd and Crowther Mann Boyd, Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, Inc., and City of Jacksonville.
About VSA Arts of Florida
An educational affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, VSA Arts is an international organization founded by Jean Kennedy Smith, experience in the arts for people with disabilities. The Cummer and VSA Arts have enhanced the lives of thousands of children and adults with disabilities through innovative programming, specially designed exhibit spaces and a nationally recognized arts festival.
About Exceptional Student Education (ESE)
Duval County Public Schools’ Exceptional Student Education (ESE) department provides learning services to approximately 17,000 students. The ESE department’s mission is to enhance the quality of instructional services, educational opportunities and support for students with diverse needs, their families, and schools. ESE faculty consists of trained educators, therapists, paraprofessionals and administrators who offer exceptional students the appropriate assistance they need to be successful.
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The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is committed to engage and inspire through the arts, gardens and education. A permanent collection of more than 5,500 works of art on a riverfront campus offers more than 95,000 annual visitors a truly unique experience on the First Coast. Nationally recognized education programs serve adults and children of all abilities.
Contact:
Amy Chamberlin
Associate Director of Marketing
Phone: 904-899-6034
achamberlin@cummer.org
Cell: 904-859-8121
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