North Dakota Council on the Arts

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Statewide Conference on Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities
April 7, 2008
Bismarck, ND

Register today! Registration deadline is April 3, 2008!
Registration Form (in MSWord)
Registration Form (in Adobe PDF)

Registration Form in Large Format Print:
Registration Form (in MSWord)
Registration Form (in Adobe PDF)

*Conference Flyer*
*Conference Flyer in Large Format Print*

The National Arts and Disability Center (NADC), in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), is administering a national initiative that provides support and technical assistance to State Arts Agencies to convene a Statewide Forum/Conference on Careers in the Arts for individuals with disabilities. The North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) was one of three states to be awarded a grant in the amount of $17,000. $15,000 was awarded by NADC and the NEA; and an additional $2,000 was provided by Social Security Administration. NDCA, together with Dakota West Arts Council (DWAC, a VSA arts affiliate), and the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities (NDCPD, a University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities), has conducted four regional forums to assess the education and career needs and barriers for artists and arts administrators with disabilities; and will develop and implement strategies to overcome these barriers, and advance the careers of individuals with disabilities.

The feedback gained from the regional forums has enabled us to develop effective strategies for promoting career opportunities for individuals with disabilities. These strategies will be presented at a Statewide Conference in Bismarck on April 7, 2008, at the Kelly Inn Hotel from 9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. (registration opens at 8:45 a.m., continental breakfast served). The key note speaker will be Craig Dunn, Executive Director of VSA arts of Minnesota. See conference agenda below for a list of all speakers and topics. During the conference the North Dakota VSA affiliate, DWAC, will host a VSA Art Venture art show, and a participant art show where all conference attendees will be invited to display sample work (visual artwork, CD's & DVD's); and their will be performances by North Dakota artists James Hodges and Louise Pinkerton.

Who should attend the conference: Individuals with disabilities who are interested in pursuing careers as artists or arts administrators (and family and friends); and anyone currently working as an artist or arts administrator (beginning, emerging and professional artists, arts organizations, arts councils, etc.).

To date, we have conducted three regional forums, one in Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot and Fargo.

Statewide Conference on Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities
Monday, April 7, 2008
Kelly Inn, Bismarck, North Dakota

Agenda (All activities will take place in the Colony Room unless otherwise noted. Agenda subject to change.)

8:45 to 9:45 a.m.	Registration and continental breakfast
9:45 to 10:00 a.m.	Welcome by Amy Schmidt (NDCA), Program Overview by Brent Askvig (NDCPD)
10:00 to 11:00 a.m.	Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Disability Work Incentives, presented by Social Security Administration Public Affairs Specialist, Howard Kossover (Howard will be available to answer questions in the Resource room after his presentation.)
11:00 to 11:30 a.m.	Break (attendees can network with others and visit the Resource Room)
11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.	Art as Business/Marketing Strategies, by Wayne Pruse, a North Dakota artist, UTTC Instructor, and owner of Impact Gallery
12:00 to 1:15 p.m.	Lunch break (lunch will be provided)
12:15 to 12:30 p.m.	Performance by James Hodges
12:45 to 1:00 p.m.	Performance by Louise Pinkerton
1:15 to 2:00 p.m.	Janice Houska’s Story "For the Love of Matthew" and Performance by her son, Matthew Houska (Books and CD's will be available at the conference)
2:00 to 2:30 p.m.	Break (attendees can network with others and visit the Resource Room)
2:30 to 4:00 p.m.	Keynote Speaker, Craig Dunn, VSA arts MN Executive Director Key note presentation will include a brief overview of where MN VSA has been going and next steps; availability of places to network online, ie. web sites, blogs, online resources, etc.; how to ask for special accommodations/support; and additional topics to be determined.)

There will be a VSA ArtVenture, and an attendee art exhibit in the Colony room throughout the conference.

Resource Room (located by the Colony Room) will have the following:

Terry Peterson, Benefits Planner at Rehab Services Inc., along with resources on North Dakota Work Incentives Planning and Assistance
Resources and a Representative from Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Resources and a Representative from the Department of Labor
Resources and a Representative from the VSA art affiliate in North Dakota
Computer set up with internet access – this will be used to register artists on the national VSA registry; brief internet training; and identifying resources, organizations to join, etc.
A free copy of “Putting Creativity to Work: Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities” book
Information regarding assistive technology devices
Information on grants and tips for applying
Resources from national VSA, NDCPD and much more!

Pre-registration is required. Registration fee for the conference is $25 (includes breakfast and lunch). Registration fee and travel assistance may be available to individuals interested in attending, but who are unable due to financial restraints. To register, call Amy Schmidt at (701) 328-7594, or email amschmid@nd.gov. Registration deadline is April 1, 2008! Registration forms are available in both MS Word and Adobe PDF formats: Registration Form (in MSWord); Registration Form (in Adobe PDF). Registration Forms in Large Format Print: Registration Form (in MSWord); Registration Form (in Adobe PDF).

Lodging Information
Rooms are available at the Kelly Inn for Sunday, April 6, 2008. Rooms need to be reserved by April 2, please ask for the North Dakota Council on the Arts room rates ($63/night for 1 person; $68/night for 2 people; $73/night for 2 beds, 2+ people). Call (701) 223-8001 to make your reservations today! If you plan to stay overnight Monday, April 7 as well, please call Amy Schmidt at (701) 328-7594 for arrangements.

If you would like more information on the North Dakota Statewide Forums on Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities, contact Amy Schmidt at (701) 328-7594, via email at amschmid@nd.gov; or Linda Olsrud at (701) 222-6640, via email at linda@dakotawest.org.

Requests for special accommodations, sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Dawn Olson at (800) 233-1737 at least 5 days prior to attendance.

This project is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Social Security Administration, and the National Arts and Disability Center at the University of California Los Angeles.