'Tis the Season for Friends!

It’s time for another book review by April! This year, among all the great art prints, jewelry, and other great items at our Holiday Art and Gift Show, we have one book for sale. Friends is a children's book written by Theron Parker and illustrated by Daniel Winship, two Deaf artists. In this delightful book, Theron uses minimal text, and Daniel uses expressive artwork to tell the story of two young boys, one Deaf and one hearing.

A sneak peek inside Theron Parker's Friends

This book is great for children of all ages to read for a variety of reasons. The rich illustrations are great for younger children who don't read yet. They can be described to the kids, and families can practice the sign language in the book together. Daniel's drawings of the signs are easy to follow, even for a beginner. Children a little bit older may be able to follow the written words, or look at the gestures to tell an adult what is going on in the book. If you look closely, you see that the little dog has his own visual storyline as the book progresses. These subtle details make the book great for reading multiple times. For reading level kids, they can focus on the words as they are written and signed, and the book can be a great conversation starter about communicating with people who may be different than you, or speak a different language.

The cover of Friends

Friends combines the simple and the complex in this short, but well-written book. I recommend it to anyone looking for a children's book that covers the topics of friendship and diversity. If you are interested in checking out this book, remember that our holiday show is still open for last-minute gift purchases. Next week, we will be here Monday-Wednesday, December 21-23, from 9:30am-5:00pm. So come visit us, bring your friends, and buy a copy of Friends for them!

Sock Monkey Manger, Where Are You?

Back in November 2007 when I started to work for VSA Texas, I would take short walks down the block to check out the neighborhood. One time I stopped at a house on the corner facing the old AGE (Austin Groups for the Elderly) building where I work, and I looked and noticed a sock monkey manger scene. There were wise sock monkeys, wearing caps and capes, paying respects to a little sock monkey baby in a grassy manger. Mary and Joseph were there too, and a sock monkey angel was perched on top with a cap and wings. Lights were glittering all around the house and I went, "Wow, this is the coolest neighborhood!"

So every holiday season I walk a half block down to see what the owners have done for the holidays. It has always been a variation on sock monkeys - a little bizarre at times, but oh so creative. It always makes me smile and laugh.

Sock monkeys gather 'round the manger

But this year I don’t see a manger, just a shrine of sorts with some peoples' pictures on it, a large Spanish style Madonna on another piece of board, and an orange tree in full bloom, loaded with a plethora of oranges, and surrounded by prayer flags. It's very nice, but I miss my sock monkeys and all the lights that used to be down 37th Street.

Prayer flags hang over a garden bed,
and an orange tree stands in the background.

This year's shrine with assortment of photos,
Madonna, and prayer flags

I hope the video below captures a bit of the peacefulness this little house has always provided me on my little walks away from work. Last year I talked with one of the owner’s friends, who was out planting herbs, and told her how much I enjoyed the sock monkey manger, but she didn't tell me they wouldn’t be coming back this year. Where are you, my sock monkeys?

What are your favorite spots for holiday decorations? Share your stories in the comments section below!

It's Been a Great Year

Every day, VSA Texas works creatively to bring inclusive arts to thousands of people with and without disabilities because we see how it changes lives. And your generosity has helped us to inspire, entertain, and improve the lives of so many people, in Austin and across the state.

This year we officially launched our Side by Side internship program and are thrilled with the initial results. Sixteen young adults in Austin worked with four professional filmmakers to produced three short films that were the highlight of our July film festival. You can view them at YouTube.com/VSATEXAS. And another young man helped to successfully launch a radio internship, our first partnership with KOOP Community Radio. We are so excited about what the future holds for this exciting new program.

Jorge Reyes, our first radio intern, works on a PSA
with KOOP programmer Greg Ciotti

We also have some other exciting plans for the new year, and everyone is busy making sure that our programs and services are the very best that they can be. Opening Minds, Opening Doors has expanded to Houston, and our speakers have been invited to more conferences than we can almost handle – a nice challenge to face!

OMOD speakers awaiting the start of their workshop
at the We Are Girls Conference

Body Shift continues to bring the joy of dance to new communities of movers and shakers, and we thank Impact Austin for helping us to hire the staff necessary to make this happen in a big way! 

DanceAbility teacher certification training through Body Shift

There are many other programs I could mention, but just drop by our websites (http://www.vsatx.org and http://www.bodyshift.org) or like our Facebook pages, and you too can be thrilled by what a small group of dedicated individuals can accomplish if they join their hearts and minds together.

I look to the future, challenging myself and my staff to offer unique and collaborative programming that ignites excitement and inspires long-lasting creators and lovers of the arts. Our success depends not only on our hard work and dedication, but also on the generosity of individuals such as you. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation in your name or as a gift in a loved one's name, which not only sustains our work but also creates a lasting legacy for years to come. You can make a donation on our website here: http://www.vsatx.org/donate.html.

Leading the charge,

Celia Hughes