Artist of the Year – Joan Fabian

Sunday, September 16th was a beautiful sunny afternoon in Austin, Texas as a group of artists and VSA Texas supporters gathered to celebrate artists from around Texas who have empowered themselves and their community through their artistic practice. It was our inaugural Haven Allen Artist of the Year awards where we honored three artists for their achievements.

The Haven Allen awards are named in memory of former VSA Texas Board Member Forrest Haven Street-Allen. Haven was an insightful and caring person who had a history of helping others. When she passed away we wanted to honor her dedication, vision, and respect for all through this award. Our first award ceremony this year was a success and I think Haven would be proud to have her name attached to it.

We solicited nomination forms all year long in 2017. The award is open to any artist with a disability over the age of 16 years old in any discipline. Self-nominations are allowed. We received 10 nominations. Interestingly, all were for visual artists and none were self-nominations. Our panel of judges reviewed all of the applications and they chose San Antonio artist Joan Fabian as the very first Haven Allen Artist of the Year. She was notified this past Spring and then awarded this Fall.

Joan has been a long time artist with VSA Texas. She has been in several group shows and was our final solo show at Access Gallery before it closed in 2012. I think she was a natural choice for this award because of her notable achievements through the arts nationwide and worldwide, her shining spirit and giving nature toward helping other artists succeed, and of course, her beautifully constructed and painted images.

The cover of the catalog produced for Joan’s solo show “Culture of Color” held at Access Gallery in May 2012.

As the 2018 Artist of the Year, we are dedicated to promoting Joan in the community, so this blog is my introduction of her to you. Meet Joan Fabian! If you don’t know her, you should! Below is a video of why she was nominated for and given this award:

In the generous VSA Texas fashion, we couldn’t just give one award! We also gave the Spark Award to fused glass artist Jordana Gerlach and the Director’s Commendation Award to Jackson Sutton. And before you ask, NO! You don’t have to have a name that starts with “J” to win this award.

Our 2019 Nomination Form is out now, so start thinking about the winning artists in your life. We want to see nominations for visual artists, writers, musicians, performers, and dancers! To request a nomination form, contact us at 512-454-9912 or info@vsatx.org. The deadline is February 28, 2019.

September Fun with VSA Texas

Hey folks! This is Eric here to tell you about all we have going on over the next few weeks, and we hope you can join us and participate in one or more of these exciting events!

Let's start with this weekend. This Saturday evening, September 15th from 7:00-9:00 PM we have our monthly Lion and Pirate Open Mic for writers, musicians, and other performers that we co-host with the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities at Malvern Books (613 West 29th Street, Austin, TX 78705). It's a really fun community event with a very supportive, open, and encouraging vibe, and it's free! So if you haven't been, I strongly encourage you to attend and perform, read, sing, or share whatever talents you possess, or simply relax and enjoy the entertainment! Not only is it a fun time with performances you are sure to remember, it's also a lovely community of friends who bond over performances and common interests.

Then Sunday, September 16th from 2:00-4:00 PM in the afternoon we will present our first-ever Artist of the Year Awards at the swanky Sterling Event Center (6134 US 290 East Frontage Road, Austin, TX 78752)! This award ceremony was launched to recognize the many fantastic artists with disabilities who create art and live in the state of Texas. We will have delicious hors d'oeuvres, beverages, live music from acoustic musician and troubadour Wayne Napier, and other fun activities, and Ron Lucey, the current Executive Director of the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities, will serve as our emcee! And did I mention it's also free?! I would tell you more about this year's award recipients, but I'm sure the artists themselves and the art they will have on display will do a much better job Sunday. Okay, okay… Here's a preview of the art, but you still need to attend the ceremony to meet the talented artists behind the artwork!

Intricate, layered abstract painting mounted on wood with a myriad of vibrant colors

Painting of a safari scene with lion, tourist, and parrot

Beautiful blue fused glass pendants

The fun will continue next Saturday, September 22nd from 2:00-4:00 PM with the latest installment of our quarterly concert series at Carver Branch Library (1161 Angelina Street, Austin, TX 78702)! This time we are excited to welcome two new comers to the Carver Branch stage: Devin Gutierrez, a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter whose greatest influences are Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Prince, and Chicago; and Sean & Tristan who cover hits of 50s rock 'n' roll legends Chuck Berry, The Penguins, Elvis, Ben E King, Bill Haley, Frank Sinatra, and others. As with all of this month's events, it is free. The doors will open at 1:45 PM, and the show will start at 2:00 PM.

Then, last but not least, Saturday, September 29th from 1:00-3:00 PM our local chapter of Opening Minds, Opening Doors (OMOD) speakers dubbed the ‘Speaking Advocates’ will tackle the timely topic of disability in the media with speeches, lively discussion, and a whole lot to think about! As usual, we will meet in Room 101 of the AGE of Central Texas Building (3710 Cedar Street, Austin, TX 78705). All are welcome! Please just send me an email at eric@vsatx.org if you plan to attend.

So come out, get creative, and celebrate art with us!

Eric Clow
OMOD Project Coordinator
VSA Texas

INTRODUCING the 2017 Inaugural Haven Street-Allen Award Luncheon

This year, we are excited to announce our inaugural luncheon on September 19 at Saengerrunde Hall in downtown Austin, where we will be honoring past board member, Forrest Haven Street-Allen.

At VSA Texas, Haven willingly shared her knowledge and insights with her fellow board members and the staff, and supported the activities offered by VSA Texas with her presence and her financial support. She was instrumental in updating the organization’s personnel policies and led the board through an interactive process to update both the mission and vision statements. She truly had a “spark" and embodied how important it is to give back to the community you live in.

A woman with dark blond layered shoulder length hair wearing pearls around her neck and a blue scoop neck shirt smiles in front of a brick wall and small indoor green plant

Starting in 2018, the Haven Street-Allen Artist of the Year Award will be offered in memory of Street-Allen, who died in January 2015. Haven was an insightful and caring person who had a history of helping others. She was a Board Member of VSA Texas as well as the Austin Dispute Resolution Center, a volunteer mediator for the Resolution Center, and the Director of Human Resources for St. Edward’s University in Austin until her retirement in 2012. The Haven Street-Allen Artist of the Year Award recognizes her dedication, vision and respect for all, and honors her commitment to creating greater access to, and support for, the arts in Texas.

The Haven Street-Allen Artist of the Year Award honors an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to affirming a creative dimension in the arts. Each year, the Artist of the Year Award is given to one artist with a disability in Texas who, through a one-time creative act or a substantial record of achievement, embodies the spirit and vision of VSA Texas.

This individual challenges perceptions of how people contribute by demonstrating artistic excellence or leading the way as a community catalyst for change. In addition to a plaque commemorating artistic achievement, each award also consists of an honorarium of $500, recognition as a featured artist on the VSA Texas website, and an invitation to attend our annual luncheon as the guest of honor to be publicly recognized for individual artistic achievements.

Nominations are open to any artist with a disability over the age of 16 years in any medium. All nominations will be juried by a panel of judges and results will be announced January 31. All nominations must be in by December 31 of the previous year to be considered for the award.

Tickets for the luncheon will be $10 each and go on sale August 19, 2017. Save the date for this exciting event! We are currently seeking sponsors for food and varying monetary levels, so please contact me at janelle@vsatx.org or 512-454-9912 to get involved today!

Hope to see you all there September 19!