February 4, 2010
FOR RELEASE: February 4, 2010
Contact: Laura Ahola-Young, 612-332-3888,
800-801-3883,
laura@vsaartsmn.org
Alec
Sweazy among Seven artists with disabilities receive VSA
arts grants
Seven Minnesota artists have been awarded
grants of $1,250 each through the VSA arts of Minnesota
Career Advancement Grant Program. The 14th annual
competitive grant, funded by the Jerome Foundation,
recognizes excellence by Minnesota artists with
disabilities. Selected from 53 applicants, the grantees
are:
Bridget
Riversmith
Duluth Visual Art
– painting and animation
Mark
Davison Minneapolis Visual
Art – ceramics, sculpture
Naomi
Cohn St.
Paul Writing- poetry
Alec Sweazy
Minnetonka
Performance - accordion
Loretta Bebeau
Minneapolis Visual
Art – painting, multi-media
Amy Salloway Minneapolis Performance
Christine
Sikorski
Minneapolis
Writing - poetry
The grants were awarded following a jurying
process conducted by individuals with extensive backgrounds
in the written, visual and performing arts. They looked at
samples of the artists’ work, proposed projects, resumes
and artist statements.
“Music is my
passion! I have worked hard to become an accomplished
musician on piano, accordion and voice. I have enjoyed
performing for all kinds of audiences and have won many
awards. Even though there will always be many challenges in
my life, I know that my amazing musical ability will take
me far.” - Alec Sweazy
The youngest of the
grant recipients, Alec is a talented and dedicated
musician. Alec was a recipient of a VSA Arts of Minnesota’s
2009 Young Soloist Award, the February 2005 “Artist of the
Month” for KFAI (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
Disabled
and Proud
Program, and has appeared on 60 Minutes,
Nightline, and 60 Minutes II.
Born with Williams syndrome,
Alec plans to use the grant funds to upgrade to a
professional-grade accordion (photo, left) and to work with
a mentor to improve his performance/stage presence. An
upgraded accordion will offer Alec “limitless combinations
of orchestral and accordion sounds.” The upgrade will also
be lightweight and portable, allowing Alec to prevent
future joint and fatigue problems. He will also experiment
with his own arrangements on the new accordion. He is a
2004 graduate of Musictech College (now McNally Smith
College of Music) in St. Paul.
VSA arts of Minnesota
is a nonprofit organization working to make the arts
accessible to people with all types of disabilities. For
more information about its grants, services and activities
for individuals or arts organizations, call 612-332-3888 or
800-801-3883, Voice/TTY; e-mail
info@vsaartsmn.org; or go to its website:
www.vsaartsmn.org.
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