Celebrating 100 Blogs in 100 Words and Pictures

As OMOD project coordinator and self-appointed blog manager, I cannot be happier to compose our 100th blog entry! When I first took the reins of our VSA Texas blog in July 2015, we hadn’t published a blog entry in five months and our monthly page views had plummeted; now, just shy of two years later, we publish entries on a weekly basis – barring the weeks when my own perfectionism gets the best of me – and our page views regularly extend into the thousands. Of course, this has little to do with me and everything to do with our dedicated team of bloggers made up of our amazing staff and guest contributors!

In managing our blog, I am constantly reminded that our blog has never been about the statistics or the number of readers we gain. It has always been about telling the story of our organization and hearing from the everyday people behind the incredible work we do. And the 100 photos I culled from these first 100 entries (and spent an embarrassing number of hours editing into ten tiny collages) will illustrate that far more effectively than my words:

The wonderful world of Body Shift, featuring stunning photos by Camille Wheeler and others!

Adventures in OMOD

Remembering the tremendous work of Actual Lives Austin!

Launching youth into the world of media through our Side-by-Side internships and New Media Arts classes

Bringing art and entertainment to children with disabilities through our annual Art in the Park and Art in the Gardens festivals

Expanding our services to Texas Veterans with creative writing classes, public readings, and art exhibits around the state

Providing opportunities for Texas artists with disabilities to share and sell their art. Not only visual art, but CDs, books, greeting cards, even handmade apparel, too!

Our blog has also offered a forum to engage in critical discussions about disability representation in media.

Our Unsung Hero of the Week series has allowed us to acknowledge our dear friends and collaborators who make our work possible and honor those who are no longer with us.

Last but most important, our blog gave the dedicated staff who work in our offices the opportunity to tell their own stories and articulate how their own lives have been impacted by this work. They are the heart of VSA Texas.

Okay, so I know that was more than 100 words, but I just couldn't cut it down any further! I hope you will forgive me, and more importantly, I hope you will continue to read our blog as we add new voices and new stories to the mix!

Library Live!

Hey friends! Eric here, and I'm excited to tell you all about a concert we have organized with Austin Public Library (APL). It is a special edition of Library Live, an APL program that brings free musical performances to the Austin community, and this one will specifically highlight acts that feature musicians with disabilities. The concert will be held tomorrow, Saturday, January 28th, from 2:00-4:00 PM at the Carver Branch (1161 Angelina St., Austin, TX 78702).

This concert idea organically grew from a number of inspirations, mainly from my own experiences as an aspiring musician living with a physical disability and frequently struggling in an industry that is largely inaccessible. Just take a ride through the city of Austin, the live music capital of the world, and count the number of wheelchair-accessible stages. You would be hard-pressed to find more than a handful, and those you would find would be stages designed primarily for other mediums (think school theaters), or they may not be stages at all (bookstores) – certainly not where average Austinites typically gather for live music.

Even if the venue is accessible, shows are often so late that those of us who require attendant care or a full night of sleep to physically function simply cannot attend or perform with the regularity needed to truly progress. And beyond the mere inaccessibility, the music industry is so frequently centered around a singular ideal body image and flashy displays of vocal range and instrument prowess (can you tell I listen to punk rock much?) that someone who plays with extreme physical limitations must work twice or three times as hard to compete.

For these reasons and others, I have long wanted to bring opportunities to musicians with disabilities, not just to benefit myself but others like me, because I have recognized through my work with VSA Texas in addition to my own experience that I'm not the only one who has this dream to share music with my community. So when Andrew Murphy from the APL attended our Lion and Pirate open mic at Malvern Books and mentioned that maybe I could play a song or two at the library, I jumped at the chance to share my own music and also include peers and friends I have gotten to know through our open mic and other VSA Texas programs.

All right, enough about me! Let me tell you about the musicians you can look forward to seeing tomorrow:

Michael Noriega will open the show, and he is a versatile artist who dabbles not only in music but also in film. He participated in our 2015 Side by Side Film Internship, and his recent '60s- and '70s- inspired concept album was featured in our 2016 Holiday Art and Gift Show. You can stream his album and check out some of his film work on Michael Noriega's YouTube channel here.

Michael Noriega playing at our Holiday Art and Gift Show (courtesy of VSA Texas)

Our second act will be Michael Tidmore and the Rollers, a country group with assorted covers from the likes of Glen Campbell, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash as well as originals written by Michael Tidmore you'd be surprised you haven't heard on the radio, songs with classic titles like "I Want to be a Famous Country Singer" and "Torn Between Tennessee and Texas." His Rollers include Josh Tidmore, Matt Bushak, Rudy Sanchez, and Meredith Gaines. I first met Michael during one of our Side by Side Music Internships and have seen him deliver a number of heartfelt, energetic performances at the Lion and the Pirate.

 Meredith Gaines, Michael Tidmore, and I on the air at KOOP radio (courtesy of Austin Artists) 

Lion and Pirate regulars The Old Hats will play third and bring frontman John Meinkowsky's witty songwriting to life with acoustic guitar and ever-present harmonica provided by Southernmost Smoke. They all wear hats, and as their name suggests, they are all over the hill. Expect audience participation!

Then, last but hopefully not least, Dude Choir, my own group of rotating musical characters, will play, and I am extremely happy to once again be playing with the original choir members Ryan Simmons and Felipe Archer! They not only make my music possible; they are the reason I make music. We haven't had the opportunity to play together since April of 2014, so I look forward to this reunion and I hope you will too.

For more information about the show and/or to RSVP (if you're into that sort of thing), you can visit our Library Live Facebook event page here. Otherwise, we'll see you there!

Flyer for Library Live show, January 28th, 2017, 2 PM, at the Carver Branch (courtesy of Austin Public Library)

Michael’s Story

Every day I come to work, I love my job a little more. I could try and explain the magic of VSA Texas to everyone I know, but experiencing it firsthand is the only way to truly grasp what we do here. No other time do I feel more connected to our cause than when I spend time with our artists and their loved ones.

Last weekend, we had our second Meet the Artist Reception for our Annual Holiday Art Show and I had the chance to sit down with Michael Noriega. Michael is a musician with a CD for sale in our show and he provided the musical entertainment for our reception, but he is also an actor, filmmaker and has his own YouTube channel. He heard about VSA Texas last year through friends and the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services.

VSA Texas artist Michael Noriega practices a few chords on his guitar before he performs at our Meet the Artist Reception

“Everybody here is really nice and cool with everybody. I’m meeting a lot of people with disabilities. It’s great to feel part of something. My whole life I felt left out.”

Michael hopes to work for VSA Texas in some capacity as he grows up. He sees his experience with us as life changing and says that it has helped him discover more things he is interested in. One of his favorite experiences with our organization was being chosen as a participant in our Side by Side Film Internship where he worked on a documentary that was filmed in the AGE Building, where VSA Texas’ offices are. The building was built in 1908 and was originally the Confederate Women’s Home and is considered to be one of the most haunted places in Austin.

“My first project with VSA Texas was A Ghostly Encounter on Cedar Street, about the AGE Building being haunted. It was a lot of fun reporting and writing and editing the documentary. And we got paid for it! Which was really cool.”

You can view Michael's documentary "A Ghostly Encounter on Cedar Street" here.

Title shot from A Ghostly Encounter on Cedar Street, the mini documentary Michael worked on for our Side by Side Film Internship in 2015

I also got the opportunity to sit down with Michael’s mother, Lisa. One of the perks of working here is the built-in network of other parents of children on the Autism spectrum I get.  As I spoke with Lisa, I saw so many similarities between our kids and it was like viewing my future. I got to talk to someone who actually really understands my life.

“VSA Texas has given my son Michael a way to express himself. He is actually proud of his disability in a way. He now sees how it can benefit him.”

Lisa Noriega sits out on the AGE Building veranda and discusses her experience raising her son and his journey with VSA Texas

I asked Michael what the best thing was about our organization and his response brought tears to my eyes:

“I’m just so glad it exists. I wish I had created it. It almost feels too good to be true. Everybody here gets a chance to do something and build each other up.”

So, next time you ask me why I love my job so much, think of Michael and his mother and the joy and understanding our programs have brought to their lives. I want to ensure VSA Texas is around to help my son when he is old enough to join our programs.

You can follow Michael Noriega on YouTube or stop by our Holiday Art Show at 3707 Home Lane and pick up his CD Vivid Dream.

Listen, Look, and Learn from Our Youth

We recently finished our Giving Voice program, a partnership with AIGA Austin, which consisted of pairing 8 young adults with disabilities with 8 professional graphic designers. Each pair met for 3 hour-long sessions. The mentors listened to their students to find out what topics were important to them and to understand their take on the world. Together, the teams worked on how they could turn these discussions into visual representations of the topics. Using their professional skills as graphic designers, the mentors were able to help their students turn ideas into images, resulting in 8 posters, with each relating to a social cause.

This past Saturday a team of us hung these posters along with supporting materials at the Laura Bush Community Library. As is typical of physical labor work events that happen on Saturdays, spouses and significant others were dragged along to help! Thanks to Jen Bigheart, PR Supervisor of Westbank Community Libraries, and her wife Betsy, and Kim Hopson of AIGA and her boyfriend Robin, we hung the show in just under 2 hours.

The Opening Reception will be this Saturday, October 1st from 1:00-3:00 PM at the Laura Bush Community Library, 9411 Bee Caves Road, Austin, TX 78733. The event will include a silent auction of the original signed posters. The auction will close at 2:00 PM, and winners will be announced at that time. You will also get a chance to meet the young artists and their mentors. Don’t miss this unique event! But if you do, don't worry – it will be on display through January 6th, 2017, and smaller poster prints will be available for sale online.

The final posters have not been revealed to the public yet! So those of you reading this blog are getting a sneak peek. We look forward to seeing you at the event this weekend! Invite your friends to attend through our Giving Voice Opening Reception Facebook event page here.

Jen directs Robin on the ladder as Kim waits nearby with tape
ready to secure the wires behind the poster designed by Colton.

Robin and Kim secure wires behind the poster designed by Danielle.

Betsy gives a thumbs up from the ladder in front of posters by Madison, Pearl, and Max.

You Are Listening to Radio KVSA Texas!

Hi blog readers! This is April Sullivan here to tell you about our summer fun in Radioland. I have personally been apprenticing on the KOOP 91.7 FM Radio shows Austin Artists and Reflections of Community Outreach on Mondays from 1-2 pm each week. By the end of July I will have taken my test to become a Certified Programmer for KOOP Community Radio Station. I am very excited!

Last month from June 13-24 I used my newly learned skills to teach a Radio Internship to 12 young interns. With lots of help from Eric and volunteers, we worked with our group of interns on topics such as FCC regulations, planning a music show, recording a newscast, writing a PSA and a podcast, and other skills of a radio DJ.

Interns Rachel and Max edit their PSA text with volunteer Zahira.

Intern Thad recording his newscast with volunteer John

One great thing about Austin is that we have lots of friendly community radio stations in this town. We took field trips to KOOP, a volunteer-run community station and KVRX, the UT student-run station. We saw DJs in action, rummaged through walls full of music CDs, and enjoyed a day out using public transportation. Did you know that KOOP and KVRX share the same FM frequency at 91.7 FM? So you can listen to unique programming 24 hours a day on the radio or online at www.koop.org or www.kvrx.org.

Intern Pearl at KVRX Studios

KOOP Executive Director Kim McCarson with Intern Rachel

And here is a little secret… you may see artwork by one of our interns on the next KOOP t-shirt. I don’t want to give anything away yet, but once a final design is announced, you know I will be showing it off. We are always proud of the work our interns do to impact the local community.

After a fun-filled two weeks where our 12 interns put in 40 hours of work learning about and creating radio, we had a final showcase where we played sound recordings of their newscasts, podcasts, and music shows. You can hear our newscast on the VSA Texas SoundCloud page here. As with all of our Side by Side Internships focused on providing techniques in creative industries for transitioning youth with disabilities, we know our interns have learned new skills they will take with them and apply in any career path they choose.

So what is our next Side by Side Internship opportunity? We have a new program called Giving Voice and the application is out now with a deadline of July 22nd. We are looking for 16-22 year olds with disabilities interested in being matched up with a graphic designer for a one-on-one poster design project. See details at http://www.vsatx.org/sidebyside/index.html.

On Air with Radio VSA Texas

Hi blog readers! This is DJ April here to tell you about our exciting new internship opportunity for young adults with developmental disabilities. We have been partnering with KOOP 91.7 Hornsby Austin - Radio for People, Not for Profit to mentor transitioning age youth in the art of radio production. We piloted this project in Fall 2015 with Jorge Reyes, a young man who was finishing his last semester at ACC for Radio/Television/Film and needed an internship to fulfill his requirements to graduate. His semester at VSA Texas included working with Julie Retersdorf, another ACC student, Undercover Greg, a DJ at KOOP Radio, and me. Together Jorge and I attended KOOP volunteer training and apprenticed under Greg on the Reflections of Community Outreach show. With Julie, Jorge did research and recording for a podcast. Julie reflects on her time working with Jorge below:

“The morning that I first met Jorge he was very shy and did not make eye contact. As April described the project I could see Jorge begin to take deep slow big breaths as he ran his fingers through his hair. I could see that he was becoming slightly overwhelmed with the assignment. Instinctually I wanted to pat him on the back and tell him we would make this fun. But, I resisted the physical contact and we moved to our little space in a back room where we worked throughout the semester.

“First, we discussed a DJ name, and that seemed to lighten the stress. After some discussion he chose Star Lord. We spent some time listening to podcasts to explore their purpose, enthusiasm, and formatting of the speaker’s topic. The first podcast was to be about celebrities with Autism. He spent some time researching different actors but really enjoyed writing about Tim Burton and Temple Grandin. We took breaks from the writing and watched YouTube videos from the people he was going to speak about. After watching several trailers from Tim Burton, Jorge commented on how Tim’s creativeness revealed his feelings of being 'different in the world.' During the afternoons Jorge went to the KOOP radio station for recording instructions and practice.

Jorge at a local event recording session

“By the end of our time together, the discouragement and frustrations Jorge had initially experienced in the first weeks, had resolved. He demonstrated confidence in his podcast script choices and enthusiasm in wrapping up his ACC internship by recording the podcast in the radio studio.
I was thrilled for the opportunity I had to work at VSA Texas with Jorge and watch him gain confidence and enthusiasm. After graduation he hopes to go onto another internship in film and broadcasting to finalize plans for a future career. I learned a lot that I might not have ever known had it not been for this fieldwork. I’m hopeful it was a successful pilot program for VSA Texas and other students have a chance for this great experience.”

Jorge finishes his internship with VSA Texas and KOOP Radio.
(L-R: Undercover Greg, Julie Retersdorf, Jorge Reyes, April Sullivan)

Thanks to Julie and Greg for working with Jorge! We think it was a successful pilot program, and we are opening up the opportunity for 12 other young adults ages 15-22 to learn about radio production this summer in a two-week paid internship. See more details and the registration form on our website at http://www.vsatx.org/sidebyside/index.html. The deadline to apply is April 29th! We want to hear your voice on the radio!

Listen to Jorge’s PSA for KOOP Radio below:

The Art of Photography

This week we are hosting our Spring Break Side by Side Photography Internship. This involves a large crew of people including the Intern Supervisor (or chief head counter), me April Sullivan, our instructor, local photographer Jo Ann Santangelo, five dedicated volunteers, Jeff, Robert, Michelle, Mary, and Yannik, three sign language interpreters Shea, Naomi, and Bethany, and twelve young adult interns with developmental disabilities, Berk, Ben, August, Kamand, Stephen, Thaddeus, Ricardo, Natalie, Rachel, Shelby, Kacie, and Lewis.

Together we are studying the world of photography. Jo Ann told us one of her favorite quotes by photographer Dorthea Lange, “The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” We practiced this concept as we took still life, nature, portrait, and animal photographs.

On Monday we learned still life photography. Here is one of Natalie’s still life images. She says, "I held the bird close to the camera when I took this photo. I wanted it to look like the viewer is looking down at the elephant from a birds eye view, literally. I wanted to show that the elephant travels a long way and I wanted the audience to be a part of that."

"Journey" by Natalie

Ricardo really enjoyed the photo shoot we did outside. He says, “My shots came out nice and clear. The scavenger hunt gave me a lot of opportunities. Trees and flowers were aesthetically pleasing. I really want to take more pics of nature to be clearer. I like how this is going.” Here is one of Ricardo’s photos from our scavenger hunt on the second day.

"House of Ages" by Ricardo

We took a field trip on Wednesday to a local urban farm, Hausbar Farms. Here is a group portrait from the farm. We took photos of bunnies, chickens, geese, donkeys, and plants.

Group photo at Hausbar Farms taken by Naomi

We have just a few more days of photographing and editing our images. The hard part is choosing a selection of photos for our portfolios and for display at our final showcase on Saturday, March 19th, from 3:30 – 4:30 pm.

Ben shows Mary the photo he has edited.