Interact Theater wins an Ivey Award
The 2010 Ivey award winners for excellence in Twin Cities theater included Interact Theater, which features creative people with cognitive and physical disabilities. Aaron Gabriel received an IVEY award Sept. 20 for his exceptional music compositions for Interact Theater’s Madame Majesta’s Miracle Medicine Show. The IVEYs, now in their sixth year, were held at the State Theater.
State council luncheon award winners
In Honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the Minnesota State Council on Disability hosts its 2010 Awards Luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 14 at the St. Paul RiverCentre.
This year’s award winners include Minnesota Award: Linda Wolford; Access Award: Target Field Access Advisory Committee; Employer of the Year Awards: Staples, Arden Hills (large), BLIND, Inc. (small); Outstanding Entrepreneur Award: Jan Bailey; Mentorship Award: Andrea Moore; Friend of the Council Award: Sen. Kathy Sheran and a Special Honor Award: Darcy Pohland, posthumously. Pohland was a longtime WCCO-TV reporter who died earlier this year.
The event is hosted by: The Minnesota State Council on Disability in collaboration with PATHWAYS TO EMPLOYMENT, the Department of Employment and Economic Development and the Department of Human Services, UnitedHealth Group and VSA Minnesota. Anyone wanting further information can call 651-361-7800 or 1-800-945-8913
VSA Minnesota bestows honors
The 13th annual Jaehny awards are nominated by the public to recognize outstanding accomplishments by artists, arts organizations, advocates and educators that help create a community where people with disabilities can learn through, participate in and access the arts. Two individuals and two organizations who value the arts are this year’s honorees. Each recipient received an original artwork, this year created by Mark Davison of Minneapolis, called the “Jaehny” in honor of Jaehn Clare, a VSA Minnesota co-founder. The 2010 awards were presented Sept. 13 at Park Square Theatre in St. Paul.
VSA Minnesota is an affiliate of VSA: The International Organization on Arts & Disability, headquartered in Washington, DC. It is a nonprofit agency whose mission is to create a community where people with disabilities can learn through, participate in and access the arts. 2010 recipients where:
• Access Press, Minnesota’s disability and aging community newspaper, is one of the organizations honored by VSA Minnesota. Access Press received the award for Outstanding Organization Alerting People with Disabilities to the Arts—providing monthly coverage of accessible arts performances and artists with disabilities.
• Sharon Pfau, St. Cloud: Most Active and Visible Minnesota Artist with Disabilities—artist active with We-R-Artists, which enables area artists with disabilities to share and sell art.
• Perrin Boyd, Northfield: Outstanding Artist Educator of Students with Disabilities— artist/clown who has worked with schools on many projects involving students with disabilities.
• BOLD-choice Theatre Company, part of Choice Unlimited in Duluth: Outstanding Producing/Performing Group Involving People with Disabilities—directed by Annie Roseen, the theatre has created and toured shows by people with and without disabilities.
