Arts in Education
VSA Alabama offers arts programming in educational settings through a variety of ways, namely Artist-in-Residencies at particular schools or statewide calls for art and writing. Our programs give students with and without disabilities the opportunity to express themselves creatively, to learn new artistic skills while gaining self-confidence, and to experiment with new media.
We offer Artist-in-Residencies at the following locations:
- The Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind (AIDB) – Talladega
VSA Alabama provides an annual 20-week drumming and rhythm program to the Helen Keller School and the Alabama School for the Blind at AIDB, led by VSA Teaching Artist and Master Rhythm Facilitator John Scalici. This rhythmic empowerment program utilizes the art of hand-drumming and rhythm-based activities as a tool for communication and self-expression, while teaching vital life skills such as teamwork, cooperation, collaboration, and respect. In addition, this program integrates elements of science (sound waves and vibration), math (recognizing recurring patterns, note durations, addition/subtraction of beats), and social studies (West African culture manifested in drumming).
- Epic School - Birmingham
Since 2003, VSA Alabama has provided fun arts programming at Epic School’s annual summer academic camp. For the first three years, we offered drumming and rhythm workshops with John Scalici, but in 2006, the we expanded our offerings to include visual arts classes and drama classes in addition to music. VSA Alabama’s 8 week program fosters the children’s imagination by offering a creative outlet from their routines.
- United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham’s Hand-in-Hand Early Learning Center - Birmingham
VSA Alabama currently offers bi-monthly visual arts classes in an inclusive environment to children ages 2 ½ – 5 years enrolled at Hand-in-Hand. Our program’s specific goals are to provide positive creative experiences for the children following Alabama State Guidelines and National Art Education Standards, to create cross-curriculum learning by offering lessons that reinforce weekly teaching themes established by the Hand-in-Hand classroom staff, and to teach students about mark-making and art vocabulary through drawing board time.
- The Bell Center for Early Learning – Homewood
VSA Alabama currently offers bi-monthly visual arts classes in an inclusive environment to young children enrolled at the Bell Center. Our program’s specific goals are to encourage independence through structured art activities, to encourage personal choice and control of art materials, and to build creative self-esteem while following the monthly teaching themes of the staff.
- The Burkett Center – Tarrant
VSA Alabama provides an annual 10 week visual arts and music therapy program to children with multiple disabilities at the Burkett Center, a Jefferson County school located in Tarrant. Through this program, our teaching artists encourage individual decision-making through artistic choices, increase the students’ on task behavior, provide a sensory outlet, and engage the students in creative art-making.
