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VSA arts of Alaska Out North is a progressive multi-arts organization offering a vibrant mix of contemporary visual, performing, literary and media art, and engaging in arts activism, human rights, housing, community development, and life-long education.
Established in 1985 as Out North, VSA arts of Alaska has provided a forum for underrepresented artists, especially artists with disabilities, artists of color, gay/lesbian/bi/trans artists, and social activist artists. Professional artists, community arts practitioners, and other participants in ON programs come from all corners of Alaska and all parts of the globe.
ON received the Governor’s Award for the Arts in recognition of ongoing successes in creating and connecting art with the community to challenge conventional notions of what constitutes contemporary culture, and in maintaining an artist-focused platform for underserved artists, art forms, and audiences.
The Alaska Legislature has commended ON for the leadership role it plays in “promoting the artistic, economic, educational, and cultural development of our communities.”
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The Office
Executive Director: Michael Huelsman
Marketing Director: Schatzie Schaefer
Technical and Operation Manager: Thomas Higgins
Financial Manager: Margaret Brodie
Administration Assistant : Carprice Simmons
Box Office: Brittany Jermalovic
Notable Volunteers: Daniel Sparks, Ellen Maling, Amber Johnson
Program Areas
VSA arts of Alaska
ON is Alaska’s accredited affiliate of VSA arts, an international organization creating a society where people with disabilities learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts. Local and guest artists with disabilities present their work in exhibitions, performances, readings, and the Reel Eyes film program. Access to the arts is provided for people of all ages with disabilities of all kinds, as well as for adolescents who are economically disadvantaged or incarcerated. Students develop artistic talents, literacy skills and self esteem through the creation of original work. Educators, parents, artists and organizations are offered resources to support arts programs that are dynamic and inclusive. The goal of ON’s VSA arts of Alaska program is equal opportunity of expression for all Alaskans.
VISUAL ART
Gallery exhibitions and other visual art presentations are offered at ON. Past artists and collectives include Jet Construction, Two Girls Working, SoNot, Ken Gonzales-Day, Antonio King, Kay Marshall, Debra Burt, Duke Russell, Mariano Gonzales, Kara Thrasher, Laura Bliss-Spaan, Lee Post, K N Goodrich, Angela Ramirez, Meredith Cantor, Ted Herlinger, Mitsuko Ikeno, Lilian Tyrell, Ilya Gherman, Alan Turner, and Jill Posner.
LIVE ART
New performance art, music, dance, puppetry, multimedia work, and readings of poetry and prose have been featured in ON’s program of live performance. ON’s annual Under 30 showcase commissions Alaskans to create and perform all-original work for the stage. Guest artists and ensembles of note who have performed and offered workshops at ON include Pomo Afro Homos, Spalding Gray, Bloolips, Guillermo Gomez-Pena, Karen Finley, Yang Fang Puppet Theater, icu, Rhodessa Jones, Josh Kornbluth, Jose Torres Tama, Neil Marcus, Sara Felder, Tim Miller, Tiye Giraud, Yuriko Doi, Nuyorican Poets, Wendy Houstoun, Universes, Kaotic Good, David Drake, Xsight, Robert Karimi, John Castro, Michelle Elsworth, Lisa Kron and Bridgman/Packer Dance!
MEDIA ART
Works created by local and guest artists in ON’s Media Arts Lab have been shown throughout the US as well as at the British Film Institute and elsewhere through the International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network. Presentations at ON are comprised of touring compilations such as Black Maria Film & Video Festival, Oscar-Nominated Shorts, Short Animations, and Short Documentaries, LUNAFEST, POV/American Documentaries, Manhattan Short Film Festival and our locally-curated Reel Eyes. Special screenings have featured new work by Alaska, US and overseas media makers including Mary Katzke, Kimby Caplan, Peter Sheffer, Jocelyn Taylor, Kelly Wilbur, Rivka Sadarangani, Egle Rakauskaite, and Marek Wasilewski. As of December 2007 ON is now a Anchorage International Film Festival venue.
MUSIC
VSA arts of Alaska has dabbled in international music presenting such groups as Samarabalouf of France and ZUM of England.
RADIO
In February 2008 VSA arts of Alaska @ Out North received word that we were approved by the FCC for a license to operate a Low Power FM station. We will now be able to produce and broadcast local arts programming, as well as offer progressive culture and audio art from around the world. Along with our own programming Out North will be opening up the airtime to other Westside organizations and for community services needs.
HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
ON first became involved in affordable housing in 1998 with a demonstration project involving the acquisition, renovation and sale of a house in Anchorage’s Mountain View neighborhood. Since that time ON has partnered with Artspace USA, as well as with Alaska Railroad Corporation and other agencies to investigate and advise on the development of live-work space for artists, including artists with disabilities and others engaged in creative culture.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
ON undertakes multi-year projects that involve local artists, guest artists, and citizen participation. Projects have included partnerships and exchanges with Appalshop in Kentucky, Silamiut in Greenland, and Queer Zagreb in Croatia. ON’s Understanding Neighbors project, part of the Animating Democracy Initiative of Americans for the Arts, used art and artists to engage communities of faith in dialogue about the place of same-sex couples in Alaska.
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PEOPLE:
ON serves our communities through the work of a professional Staff in partnership with a volunteer Board.
Volunteers provide ON with time and talent to keep the organization going and growing. For volunteer opportunities see the VOLUNTEER page.
Employees work in public and behind-the-scenes functions in a variety of areas. For current employment openings see JOBS.
Artists are central to the existence of ON. Artists interested in having their work featured at ON should visit OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS.
Members show their support for ON by making financial contributions. For details visit DONATE.
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FUNDERS:
ON is a membership-supported organization. In addition to the generous contributions of our members, over the past two decades significant grant support has been provided by:
Alaska Arts & Culture Foundation, Alaska Community Share, Alaska Humanities Forum, Alaska Railroad Corporation, Alaska State Council on the Arts, Americans for the Arts, Anchorage Daily News, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Arts International, ArtsLink, Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Benton Foundation, BP, British-American Trade Partners, British Council, Combined Federal Campaign, Council for International Exchange of Scholars, Cranium Foundation, Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Ford Foundation, GCI, Gill Foundation, Imperial Court of All Alaska, Japan-U.S. Presenter Travel Fund, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Key Bank Foundation, Lila Wallace Readers Digest Fund, Listen Up!, MarkAir, Mid America Arts Alliance, Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, Municipality of Anchorage, National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture, National Bank of Alaska, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Performance Network, Netherlands Theater Institute, Network of Cultural Centers of Color, New England Foundations for the Arts, Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Soros Centre for Contemporary Arts (Vilnius), Toyota USA, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Justice, VSA arts / John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Western States Arts Federation.
Tax-deductible contributions are always welcome. For details see our DONATE page.
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© 2006-2007 VSA arts of Alaska. All Rights Reserved.