Arts Ambassador Presentation Site: Minneapolis

A total of 6 metro area youth with disabilities and 25 of their peers, in grade 4, and five teachers at Dowling Urban Environment School participated in a presentation and hands-on activity by VSA Minnesota’s Arts Ambassador Leslye Orr. She is a playwright, performer and teacher with an extensive background in theater. After students read Leslye’s children’s book “The People on the Corner,” which centers on five neighborhood friends who learn how good neighbors can include everyone. Students were encouraged to write/draw their own idea of an inclusive game. During her visit she led students in hands-on imagination games that promoted engagement, inclusivity and diversity. They also had a chance to play a student-created game with the goal of teamwork and including everyone in their group.

Artist-in-Residence Site:  Bridges Transition Program

13735 Round Lake Blvd. Suite 110, Andover (Con. Dist. 6)

Collaborating Teacher: Lisa Vogel

Teaching Artist: Christopher Lutter-Gardella

Art form: Puppet Theater

Project Overview

During the residency, students explored the elements that led to developing and performing an original play using puppets. They developed an understanding of Puppet Theater by designing and building their own puppet character. Students worked collaboratively with peers, staff and the artist through creative theater activities to develop their individual characters. In addition, they learned that puppeteers use puppets to tell stories by creating their own story and dialogue with their puppets.  Students fostered their collaborative and imaginative skills by participating in creative play with their puppets including: improvisation, storytelling, physical and vocal characterizations. Friends and family were invited to see the final performance on the last day of the residency.

Project Highlights

“Students built communication and cooperative skills by working in small groups to construct a small scene. Changes in participants include one of the students who is very quite became more animated while others struggled with nerves.” – Lisa Vogel, Teacher.

“They showed great enthusiasm, as the project progressed-- particularly once their puppets took-on life. Many students showed surprising progress through the course of the 10 days-- They seemed to open-up and show their hidden brilliance! One student didn't show on the day of the performance-- reportedly due to his anxiety around performing. Students were very encouraging and supportive of one another.” – Chris Lutter-Gardella, Artist.

Teaching & Learning Arts Bridge Begins

This is a project to build skills through the Arts 

in students with disabilities and collaborative skills in 

Teaching Artists and Teachers in Special Education settings.

This program is provided under a contract with the 

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

VSA Minnesota's Teaching & Learning Arts Bridge is designed to support collaboration between Host Teachers and Teaching Artists and support Teachers’ efforts to integrate the Arts in the curriculum while engaging students in meaningful, high quality arts learning experiences. Seven sites around the state, which include more than 180 students and 30 teachers, will work with a Teaching Artist and an Assistant during a 10-session artist residency. Host Teachers and Teaching Artists Teams have begun co-planning their residency this month during a professional development in-service led by Perpich Center for Arts Education staff. Stay tuned for the progress of each site below:

Site: Minnesota Valley Education District

801 Davis St., St. Peter, MN 56082

Host Teacher: Kelsey Hutchins, Work Experience Coordinator

Teaching Artist: Juana Arias, Arts Center of Saint Peter

Description: Students will learn about being a commissioned artist, public art, the process and techniques to create and install a tile mural in a public space. These activities will address team appropriate, social interactions, share ideas, resolve conflicts, problem solving, coping strategies and working with tools.

Site: Edgewood Education Center

6601 Xylon Ave N., Brooklyn Park, MN 55428

Host Teacher: Brian Burns, Focus Special Education Teacher

Teaching Artist: Jamie Winter Dawson, Visual Artist

Description: Students will learn about what it looks like to be an artist within the Twin Cities. They will visit professional artist studios and create art using the same materials demonstrated. These activities will address focusing on the process from the beginning to end—setting a goal, project management and how to navigate problems.

Site: Castle Elementary

6675 50th St N, Oakdale, MN 55128

Host Teacher: Susan Rensted, 3rd Grade Teacher

Teaching Artist: Lindsay McCaw, Theater and Visual Artist

Description: Students will learn about the process and techniques to create a painted mural. These activities will address building community, what it means to stand up to bully and how to stand up for each other, taking turns, following directions, and sequencing.

Site: Transition Plus

403 Jackson St, Suite 206, Anoka, MN  55303 

Host Teacher: Terri Breems, Special Education Teacher

Teaching Artist: Anne Krocak, Public Artist

Description: Students will learn how to create a clay tile and the mosaic process or create a concrete sculpture from start to finish.  These activities will address develop coping strategies, exploring and being aware of a leisure activity, and participating in an activity that gives back to the community.  

Site: Willmar High School

2701 30th St. NE, Willmar, MN 56201

Host Teacher: Chad Owens, EBD Teacher

Teaching Artist: Nikki Bettcher-Erickson, Actor, Director, Theater Artist

Description: Students will learn how to create a documentary video that will address these three questions: Where have I been? What can I do? Where am I going? These activities will address transition/work skills, goal setting and social skills.  

Site: Cleveland Elementary

919 Northern Ave, Fergus Falls, MN 56537

Host Teacher: Barb Zempel, Special Education Teacher

Teaching Artist: Carol Anne Hough, Playwright

Description: Students will learn about theater (how to use voice, movement and props) and wetland animals when they rehearse and perform the play “Wetland Adventures.”  These activities will address movement, vocabulary, social skills and trying new and challenging activities.

Site: Ely High School

600 E Harvey Street, Ely, MN 55731

Host Teacher: Amanda Solum, Special Education Teacher

Teaching Artist: Nicole Selmer, Papermaking, Printing, Bookmaking

Description: Students will learn the process of silkscreen printing, tools and ongoing evaluation. These activities will address self-advocacy, sequencing and organization skills.

Artist-in-Residence Site:  Minnesota State Academy for the Blind

400 SE 6th Ave, Faribault (Con. Dist. 2)

Collaborating Teacher: Nicole Zweber

Teaching Artists: Christina Cotruvo,

Art Form: Harp music

Project Overview

Students were introduced to the harp instrument, history of the harp and its musicians of medieval times and 17^th, 19^th centuries. They worked collaboratively with peers, staff and the artist to learn how to play and tune the harp. One group of students assembled their own harp. Students had the opportunity to individually record their own harp music and perform for the school and community on the last day of the residency. Listen to their ensemble of “Ode to Joy” and sample name songs: https://www.dropbox.com/s/bkt7par7uj58yr0/Ode_to_Joy_Name_Song.mp3

Project Highlights

“Each student had a harp buddy to play and understand the harp with, which changed daily. No one had played a harp before.  All were able to do a glissando and pluck a string, many string patterns and most their own song and picking out a familiar one by the end of the residency. Nicole said that it has been so beneficial for Max (student), that it is unusual for him to be in a class not disrupting and kicking and that he asked her for his own harp time.” – Christina Cotruvo, Artist.

“One student who normally has a very difficult time with behaviors had and instant change in his demeanor and appearance on the very first day of the residency with Christina played the harp. He became very calm and relaxed and was extremely cooperative throughout the entire week. When playing with a partner he was on task and he worked really hard when creating music. He even got up during the final presentation to play something. Since the residency had has requested to have time to come during his breaks to play on the harp. It has been a great method of relaxation for him.” – Nicole Zweber, Teacher.

Arts Ambassador Presentation Site: North St. Paul

A total of 45 metro area youth with disabilities, ages 14-21, and 33 teachers at Next Step Transition Program participated in a presentation and hands-on activity by VSA Minnesota’s Arts Ambassador Papa Diop. Papa is an artisan from Senegal, Africa with a mental illness. He shared about his art, his struggle and recovery. Using his African traditions, he will teach participants a short Djembe drumming and dance activity that will contribute to building a sense of community and greater sense of self-expression.

Artists-in-Residence Site:  Southwest High School / Intermedia Arts

3414 West 47th Street, Minneapolis (Con. Dist. 5)

Collaborating Teacher: Katie Lipe

Teaching Artists: Jessie Roelofs; Tessa Gudmestad, assistant, IntermediaArts

Art Form: Media Arts

Project Overview

Students learned the skills necessary to create a short film using the medium of Digital Video.  Students worked in small groups to write, direct, film, act in, and edit an original movie.  Activities included storytelling and writing exercises, exploring technical and artistic process of translating their story into visual images, participate in drama based cooperation exercises, work on character development and acting, learn basic operation of the equipment in order to film scenes and learn how to use I-movie to editing their film. There was a screening of final work created at Intermedia Arts on Saturday, June 2.

Project Highlights

 “I was very pleased to see the students excited and engaged each day. One student would always ask "What's the plan today?" and everyone seemed excited to engage with the process each day. Every student seemed motivated to create the film (no one refused to work or even complained about having to work on the film each day). One student in particular didn't attend the class for the first three sessions, finally attending on the last day of writing. He volunteered to play the lead and actually ended up coming on time - and even early - every day we were shooting. I also saw students who, at the beginning of the process, seemed apathetic or even adversarial about the prospect of creating a film; really engage with writing and shooting, specifically taking on in-depth roles such as directing, writing, and acting.” – Jessie Roelofs, Artist

This program has been made possible in part by the Department of VSA and Accessibility at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Minnesota Department of Education and support funds from residency sites.

Artists-in-Residence Site:  ACHIEVE Program

7600 Boone Ave. N., Suite 72, Brooklyn Park (Con. Dist. 3)

Collaborating Teacher:  Ryan Varley

Teaching Artists: Erin & Nate Moren, Tandem Made

Art form:  Custom design and fabrication

Project Overview

Students worked collaboratively with peers and the artists to design and create custom furniture and sculptural pieces for the future “Sensory Room,” an environment designed to be stimulating, engaging and yet calming for students.

Project Highlights

“Students excelled at working together in collaborative groups.  Between the two classes, students were split into three groups.  Each group did a fantastic job of putting their design ideas together to create three pieces of furniture that are to be shared among many students at the school.  Within each group, students communicated effectively as they worked together and brainstormed ideas in all stages of the project.”  – Erin Moren, Artist.

“VSA Minnesota does an excellent job with giving our students opportunities that they may have never had before or will again.  It is my hope that VSA continues to get the funding it needs to help students with disabilities experience the wonderful opportunities that VSA helps facilitate.  VSA has been an integral part of our program here at ACHIEVE and we want to continue this collaboration for years to come.  Thank you VSA!” – Ryan Varley, Teacher.

This program has been made possible in part by the Department of VSA and Accessibility at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Minnesota Department of Education and support funds from residency sites.