TALLAHASSEE, FL – Secretary of State Glenda E. Hood is pleased to announce the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with VSA arts of Florida, has been awarded a $15,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, VSA arts, and the National Arts and Disability Center at UCLA. Funds from this important federal grant will be used to convene a statewide forum: Empowering Artists with Disabilities to Achieve Success in Careers in the Arts. Four other states, Arizona, New Hampshire, Ohio and Nebraska, have also received grants for the same purpose.

“The Department of State is honored to have been chosen as one of four states to receive this grant to help further develop careers in the arts for persons with disabilities,” said Secretary Hood. “Artists with disabilities face numerous obstacles in establishing careers in the arts and this conference will provide invaluable information and resources for these artists.”

Florida’s program will consist of four regional focus groups to be held in Tallahassee, Ft. Myers, Deland, and a city (TBA) in South Florida. The groups will analyze obstacles and constraints artists with disabilities face when pursuing careers in the arts, and will culminate in a one-day forum to be held in October of 2005 at the

Cummer Museum in Jacksonville. The forum will focus on strategies to reduce and/or eliminate the identified barriers. In addition, the forum will provide professional development opportunities and resources to advance careers in the arts. For information on Florida’s Forum, please contact Chandra Daniels at cdaniels@coedu.usf.edu

The Statewide Forums on Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities began in 2001, and since then 13 states have participated in the program. The statewide forums focus on the educational and vocational needs of people with disabilities pursuing art careers. The goals of the forum include:

• Ensuring the full participation of individuals with disabilities in the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of Forum and other related activities;
• Empowering artists, arts technicians and administrators with disabilities to pursue their careers in the arts;
• Increasing and promoting partnerships with individuals, state and community agencies, and organizations to expand resources and enable solutions to identified problems;
• Forming a network of artists with disabilities and collaborators; and
• Educating policymakers.

The Florida forum, Empowering Artists with Disabilities to Achieve Success in Careers in the Arts, is a unique partnership between the Division of Cultural Affairs and VSA arts of Florida.

The mission of the Division of Cultural Affairs is to guide and facilitate cultural development and services for Florida’s citizens and visitors through public/private partnerships. To learn more about the Division, Florida’s state arts agency, visit www.florida-arts.org or call 850-245-6470.

VSA arts of Florida, founded in 1981, has actively promoted arts, disability awareness and education to over one million people with disabilities and their families throughout the state. Each year VSA arts of Florida works with schools and community groups to offer four main program areas of art and disability exploration: School Based Activities, Professional Development, Cultural Access and Public Awareness. For more information, visit www.VSAFL.org or contact 3500 E. Fletcher Avenue, Suite 234, Tampa, Fl 33613-4730 or call 813-975-6962 or 888-844-ARTS.

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