Presented every two years by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Commonwealth Awards honor individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to our communities, our economy, and the quality of life in Massachusetts. VSA Massachusetts was a proud 1997 Commonwealth Award recipient in the Education category.
The Commonwealth Awards ceremony is also an opportunity for the cultural community to gather and celebrate its unique role in making Massachusetts a wonderful place to live and work, and a destination for visitors from around the world.
The event will feature inspiring performances by the Handel and Haydn Society and other artists from across the Commonwealth. The event takes place Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 1:00pm and is free and open to the public.
Please note that registration for the Commonwealth Awards has closed. To inquire about late registration and our waiting list please send an email to Ann Petruccelli at ann.petruccelli@art.state.ma.us with "Late Registration" in the subject line.
Fixed explores the implications of emerging human enhancement technologies through the experiences of 5 people with disabilities; a scientist, a journalist, a disability justice educator, a bionics engineer, and an exoskeleton test pilot. The film challenges commonly held beliefs about disability and normalcy by exploring technologies that promise to change our bodies and minds. March 1, 2015 7:00 PM, Temple Shir Tikva, Wayland.
This webinar offers tools for individuals who are interested in (or have already been) creating professional level works, but are "stuck" on what must actually happen once the work is finished and needs to find placement in the public market. With modern healthcare creating ever more solutions for individuals with disabilities or chronical illness, these individuals are experiencing better qualities of life. However, these advances have also created a new population where individuals are often too ill to work, but too educated or talented to allow those capabilities to go to waste. Our lead presenter is part of that population and actively seeks ways to help fellow artists make the most of their talents and therefore, their lives.
The Least You Need to Know – With the rise of self-publishing and low cost creator ownership/marketing, there is an excess of advice about what actually needs to be done by an artist for his or her work to be considered professional. We will give the absolute basics that artists need to know copyrighting and distributing work in the literary and visual arts.
What To Do Next – We will answer specific issues brought up by attendees, solving their specific problem so that webinar attendee can take next step in either starting/completing a project or getting work out to public/relevant audiences.
