Artists with Disabilities Virtual Gathering
Artists with Disabilities Virtual Gathering is a series of three online events led by artist, performer and Springboard for the Arts artist career consultant Alison Bergblom Johnson (she/her). Each of these sessions will cover one aspect of accessibility in the arts and creative spaces, as well as serving as a gathering for artists with disabilities in Minnesota.
This event is reserved for attendees who identify as artists with disabilities, broadly defined as having cognitive, intellectual, or other developmental disabilities; or mobility, visual, hearing and mental health disabilities; immunocompromised; members of Deaf community; artists living with HIV; or other artists who meet the ADA definition of disability. Caregivers attending to support an artist at this event are welcome.
Closed captioning and ASL interpretation will be provided.
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If you need assistance filling out this form, please contact Andy at (651) 294-0907.
Session 1: Artist with Disabilities Virtual Gathering - Accessing Grants
With Scott Artley, Accessibility Program Director, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and Donna Ray, sculptor
Date: Tuesday, October 19, 2021, 6:00 - 8:30 PM Central Time
The topic of the first session will be around the experiences of artists and arts organizations with both public and private arts grants, and how artists of all abilities can be assured access to Minnesota’s cultural resources.
Session 2: Artist with Disabilities Virtual Gathering - Accessing Mainstream Spaces
Featuring independent curator and arts organizer Esther Callahan and Jenea Rewertz-Targui this is space for artists with disabilities to strategize and connect.
Date: Tuesday, April 19, 2022, 4:30 - 7:00 PM Central Time
The topic of the second session will center the experiences and concerns artists with disabilities when working with mainstream art institutions, including requesting accommodations, arranging supports for collaborators, and impacting Minnesota’s cultural landscape.
Esther Callahan is an independent curator, arts organizer and feminist scholar with roots in Minnesota. Her primary ethos is to amplify and champion the diverse experiences of all artists.
Jenea Rewertz-Targui (she/her) coordinates the Minnesota State Arts Board's grant panel advisory review process and serves as the agency’s interim accessibility coordinator; she has worked for the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, and for VSA Minnesota – the State Organization on Arts and Disability, and for ten years as an educator. She was awarded the Kennedy Center's 2019 LEAD Emerging Leader Award for her work in advancing the field of accessibility and is a co-founder and board member of the Minnesota Access Alliance.
Session 3: Artist with Disabilities Virtual Gathering - Accessing Daily Art Practice
Date: Tuesday, June 14, 2022, 6:00 - 7:30 PM Central Time
In this workshop artists with disabilities discuss their art making routines, share experiences and tips and gather for community building.
Christi Furnas (she/her) is a Minneapolis-based queer cartoonist, illustrator and oil painter living with mental illness. She has exhibited in galleries across Minnesota and her mini-comic, Crazy Like a Fox: Adventures in Schizophrenia has sold locally, nationally and internationally. www.christifurnas.com
Nancy Kingbird (she/her) is an elder member of Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe of Cass Lake, Minnesota. Through her beads and her sewing, she makes work for overall healing from homicide and grief, and to tell a story.
Michael Grace (he/him) is an author and Teaching Apprentice with Cow Tipping Press. His future is his life is not stress out don’t be and in spring and summer will be hot and warm outside, and Michael will spend time with his friends. @michaelgrace15
Hannah Staats (she/her) is a teaching artist with Cow Tipping Press, where she has had the pleasure of teaching creative writing classes with and for intellectually and developmentally disabled writers. In addition to teaching, she has also supported individuals with developmental disabilities as a DSP. cowtippingpress.org/
Online Platform: Zoom Meeting. Meetings are designed to be a collaborative event with all participants being able to turn on their video and audio, and see who else is in attendance. This event can be attended for free using a cell phone or landline number and does not require videoconferencing equipment or an internet connection.
Breakout Rooms: Breakout rooms (smaller discussion groups that are separate from the main Zoom session) may be used during this event. Participation in breakout rooms is optional.
Recording: This session will not be recorded.
Captioning: This event will be captioned.
ASL: ASL interpretation will be provided.
Registration: Free. Advance registration is required for these events, using the form below. If you or anyone you’ve referred to have questions about the signup process or need help filling out the form below, please contact Andy Sturdevant at andy@springboardforthearts.org or call at 651-294-0907.