Candice Wagener
A painting by Dan Stace.
The gallery here is not as big as what’s at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art or the Chazen, but the art space and gift shop at VSA Wisconsin on Madison’s north side has a big heart and soul.
VSA (it stands for Very Special Arts) is an international organization founded by Jean Kennedy in 1974. VSA Wisconsin dates back to 1985; it has offices in Madison and Milwaukee, and programs in 25 cities statewide. VSA’s mission is to help create self-confidence and a better quality of life for individuals living with a disability by offering programming across all age and disability categories in five art mediums: visual art, dance, drama, music and creative writing.
Candice Wagener
Kathie Wagner, president of VSA Wisconsin.
“I like to say we use the arts to change lives,” says Kathie Wagner, president of VSA Wisconsin.
The VSA office, located across the parking lot from the Dane County Job Center at the Northgate Shopping Center, opened in January 2011 with dedicated space for a small gallery and gift shop in addition to the offices and classroom spaces. Having a permanent gallery helps recognize the talents of artists with disabilities.
In the gift shop, original artworks in different mediums are for sale ranging anywhere from $3 to $150. Of note are the Boonducks, hand-carved wooden decoy ducks created by D.S.
Sully, an artist working with vision loss due to early-onset macular degeneration. Other art is reproduced on cards and T-shirts.
The gallery space displays artwork created by students in VSA’s classes, hosted on weekday evenings in the same building. At other times, the gallery highlights solo artists or group shows.
Candice Wagener
Robert Hanneman's pattern-like design.
Forty works from Robert Hanneman, a part of VSA for many years, will be featured in the gallery through July. Hanneman’s love of color and pattern, as well as the inspiration he draws from working in a local greenhouse, is evident in his poster-sized drawings. Many of his images have been transferred onto coffee mugs, mouse pads and more.
With every piece sold, 70% goes directly back to the artist.
“We hope that by doing that, it encourages them to continue making their art,” says Wagner, “and allows them to contribute to our creative economy.”
The experience is gratifying for the artists, as many never expected to see their work displayed in a gallery, or for sale to the public, says Wagner. “People with disabilities want to be treated like everybody else,” says Wagner. “They want to be known for what they can do, not for what they can’t do.”
VSA Wisconsin 1709 Aberg Ave., Madison, 608-241-2131, 9 am-4 pm Mon.-Thurs. or by appointment. vsawis.org
