Art Classes
VSA arts of Massachusetts is here to assist artists with disabilities grow in their art. If there is a demand, we run classes at the VSAM office or partner with other organizations to host art workshops for teens and adults.
For Adults: Putting Creativity to Work (PCTW) is a multi-workshop
series that offers a 'nuts and bolts' look at the strategies, training, education
and skills necessary to jump start and maintain a career in the arts. This
course is ideal for individuals with disabilities who are interested in exploring
or advancing their professional careers in the arts. A free copy of Putting
Creativity to Work, a publication of VSA arts and the Social Security
Administration will be given to each participant.
Class offerings for various ages throughout Massachusetts:
Access Arts: Do you have the skillz for
being an actor, dancer, rapper, musician, poet or visual artist? Are you between
the ages of 13 – 22?
If you have or want the skillz and want to work with other young artists,
come express yourself in ACCESS ARTS!
Boston Center for Adult Ed. 5 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02116;
617 267 4430. www.bcae.org They have everything from ballroom dance to ceramics.
The prices are medium priced (about $70 to $300). MRC counselors may be able
to give you vouchers to take classes for free or you can apply for scholarship
aid directly to the BCAE. Call soon for autumn catalogue. They have a wide
variety of classes, usually at night or on weekends. Not all of their classes
are wheelchair accessible, but they are usually willing to move classes to
accessible classrooms.
Wheelock Family Theatre offers classes for children and also a Two Day Intensive in Clowning & Physical Comedy for teens and adults. The Clowning class is on Saturday December 6 and Sunday, December 7: 9AM-3:30PM. Tuition: $300. Scholarships are available. Contact www.wheelock.edu/wft or call 617-879-2235.
The Citi Performing Arts Center Education Department is located on 270 Tremont
Street in Boston. Contact them at 617-532-1221 or www.citicenter.org. All
programs are free and open to the public. There are many opportunities to
become a performer at the Citi Center. From October through November, there
are master classes for teens to work on the skills necessary to become actors.
Celebrate Neighborhoods (ages 9 to adult) culminates on Saturday, May 16 presenting
local performances that have been developed. The High School Internship (ages
14-19) has fall and spring sessions. First, the interns work on performance
skills, and then they move out into city neighborhoods to participate in the
development of the community performances. (Aspirants will go through an interview
and application process.) The City Spotlights themselves are developed in
city neighborhoods from March 23 through May 16th, when the community theatre
pieces will be performed at the Schubert Theatre in the evening. The Musical
Theatre Internship occurs from July 7, to July 31, 2009.
Out of the Blue Gallery; 106 Prospect St., Cambridge, 02139; 617-354-5287; www.ootb@att.net. Open noon to 8:00PM. This is a gallery for emerging artists and they have many events and some classes. Wednesday evenings, painting and, Thursday evenings, figure drawing for $10 a class. Saturday open poetry reading and Sunday a drum circle. It is accessible to enter, but there are no accessible bathrooms. There is an accessible bathroom in a building nearby.
Cambridge Senior Health Center. 806 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139. 617-349-6060 Computer Classes, Tai Chi, Yoga, Strength Training, Dance Aerobics. Line Dancing and an assortment of exercise programs, Ethnic and cultural Programs which include the Asian Elders, African-American Seniors, Haitian Seniors, Latino Seniors and the Russian Elders, Trips in and around New England, an assortment of arts and crafts classes, Health and Wellness Lectures, Beano, Volunteer opportunities and many special events.
Dot Art, Dorchester Community Center for the Visual Arts; 1775a Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, MA 02124 ; 617.265.3503 www.dotart.org Dot Art provides about 40 low-cost or free art classes. All are welcome. Some classes are for kids, some are for teens and some are for adults. They are enrolling students for ceramics in the fall. Other courses: like painting and drawing, more.
School of the MFA in Boston, Avenue of the Arts, at 621 Huntington Avenue
between Longwood Avenue and Evans Way.617-369-3295. www.sfma.edu
The college attached to the Museum is providing training at a professional
level. There are painting, drawing, figure painting, pottery for adults. The
Museum School is an accredited college with high prices and high standards.
The Museum of Fine Arts itself is open on Wednesday nights from 4:00PM to
9:45PM for free. VSA arts has passes if you want to go for free at other times.
See Donna Folan (617-426-4737). They have ongoing studio classes for adults
in drawing, painting, stained glass, ceramics, metal-working, sculpture, photography
and bread making. Their cost ranges from $250 to $500. www.mfa.org 617-369-3300.
The MFA offers children's and family classes in drawing, painting, sculpture,
printmaking, and Chinese calligraphy among others. Access
Review of MFA
Cambridge Center for Adult Ed, 42 Brattle Street, Box 9113, Cambridge, MA
02238 ; 617-547-6789 registration@ccae;org; www.ccae.org.
Watercolor, Oil Painting, Drawing, Pastel Portrait, Life drawing, Printing,
etc. now Most classes start in September; keep track of their web site. They
have many moderately priced classes; (about $100) you can go to the registration
office at 42 Brattle and apply for a scholarship. (You must have proof of
income.) Two of their buildings have elevators. When you register, discuss
your needs and they will do their best to accommodate you.
Brookline Adult and Community Education. 115 Greenough St, Brookline, MA 02445;
(617) 730-2700; www.brooklineadulted.org ; Has many classes and the prices
are about $100 / course. There are computer courses for beginners and advanced
students. They have a broad spectrum of classes. Most of the classes are in
the Brookline public schools so check for accessibility.
Arlington Center for the Arts-781-648-6220, 41 Foster Street, Arlington,
MA 02474-6813. Arlington Center for the Arts is starting it's winter session
now.
http://www.acarts.org/classes.php
You can download a catalog and /or registration form from this web site.They
offer day and evening classes for the young and the not young.They have immersion
classes for teens during the winter holidays.
Access Review for Arlington Center for the Arts
Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609; 508.799.4406;
www.worcesterart.org ; About $170 for 8 weeks, once a week. Contact Elaine
Cowan: 508.793.4333; Drawing from classical sculpture is offered to adults.
Some of the studio classes are hard to get to and the accessible entrance
is a side entrance but there are accessible bathrooms. educationdesk@worcesterart.org
One course is for teachers: an in-depth analysis of a classic painting. It
yields CEU's. Access
Review for Worcester Art Museum
Saori Worcester Weaving Gallery & Studio www.saoriworcester.com 131 Highland St., Worcester, MA 01609 (508) 757-4646. Saori is improvisational weaving that originated in Japan. Nat Needle and Mihoko run the studio. Saori was designed for anyone, disabled or not, to be able to weave. There are classes for all ages and abilities. Wheelchair accessible. On Cape Cod there is another Saori workshop in Easton.
UMass Amherst Extension Classes. 100 Venture Way, Hadley, MA 01035; 413-545-2414;
www.umassulearn.net provides info on extension courses.
(Some of the classes are online.) It caters to students in college or people
who already have a Bachelor's degree. They cost about $500. There is one drawing
class available for half price to Mass residents. The credit courses are usually
about $900 for 3 credits. Government financial aid is given only to full time
students. info@contined.umass.edu
FALL MUSIC PROGRAMS: Sign up now for fall term music lessons and classes
for all ages and levels at Indian Hill Music School, 36 King Street (Rte.
495/Exit 30), Littleton, MA. Programs for piano, strings, flute, recorder,
guitar, harp, voice, musical theater, chamber music, jazz, early childhood
and more. Various starting days throughout the season. Call (978) 486-9524
or view offerings online at www.indianhillmusic.org. Disability friendly.
Call for individual accommodations. Evanthea Vlahakis, Director of Marketing
& PR, PO Box 1484, Littleton, MA 01460; 978.486.9524 x128 evanthea@indianhillmusic.org
Access
Review of Indian Hill Music School
Holyoke Creative Arts Center. 400 S Elm St, Holyoke, MA 01040; 413-532-0465;
www.holyokecac.org The Center offers many home crafts and fine art classes.
They are on their web site under "brochure." You can sign up for
fall classes already. The prices of the classes range from about $66 to about
$110. They are disability friendly. They work with the Mass Rehab Commission.
Call Kathy McKeene if you have any questions.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design. 621 Huntington Avenue, 2nd Floor, Tower Building; Boston, MA 02115; 617-879-7200; continuing_education@massart.edu. A public, free-standing college of art and design. They have professional baccalaureate and graduate degree programs. Go to their web site for continuing education in the fall. www.massart.edu
Northampton Community Music Center. 139 South St, Northampton, MA 01060;
(413) 585-0001; www.ncmc.net At the center, kids and adults make music together.
Group classes range from $100 to $350 per person.
A scholarship program is offered-wheelchair accessible/call ahead if you need
accommodation or a good teacher match.
The Springfield Museums: 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA 01103, 413-263-6800.
E-mail: museumschool@springfieldmuseums.org. The Museum School at the Springfield
Museums is wheelchair accessible. Courses for children and adults in the arts,
history and sciences are offered year round. For a complete listing of courses
please visit www.springfieldmuseums.org. Access
Review for Springfield Museums.
For Teens: Putting Creativity to Work (PCTW) for Teens is an after-school program that offers high school students who are very serious about making art quality hands-on art instruction in multiple media, studio time and space, art supplies, and equipment. Students receive support in developing a portfolio of their work, and gain a clearer understanding of career possibilities in the arts.
Among the opportunities participating students will have during the course of the program will be visits to local museums, guest visits from artists with and without disabilities to talk about their experiences and their work, and a culminating exhibit of their work. In partnership with Massachusetts College of Art, VSA has also been able to offer PCTW students the opportunity to participate in Mass Art's "Xtreme! Week", an intensive week-long experience in art making, where they can choose to concentrate on drawing or fashion.
