Art Access/VSA Utah

Art Access/VSA Utah provides equal opportunities to inclusive arts programs for Utahns with disabilities and those with limited access to the arts.

Through its 11 signature programs and two galleries, Art Access is the only arts organization in Utah whose focus is serving individuals with disabilities.

At Art Access, we strongly believe in the power of art to cause change and impact humanity, and the proof is in our participant experiences. For example, programs such as our Integrated Arts in Utah Schools in partnership with the Utah State Office of Education's Special Education Services gives children a voice through the common language that art creates. Adults who experience our Artist Residencies for Adults with Disabilities program in institutions or community social services programs are shown to have improved mood and mental function and better health as a result. Teens participating in our Literary Arts and Teen Artist workshops gain self-esteem and self-awareness, overcome a range of circumstances that have sometimes hindered cognitive, social and emotional development, and have a better chance of staying in school and leading productive lives as adults. Artists with disabilities participating in our Adult Artist Workshops and Partners Mentoring programs learn skills that further their opportunities to gain self-reliance as working artists. Art TREATS (Targeted Rural Education in the Arts Through Sustainability) expands our services to underserved rural communities that have little or no access to the arts and arts education, ensuring that individuals with disabilities are better integrated into their communities. We are both proud and encouraged by the success and outcomes of our long-established programs.

Our philosophy in all aspects of our programming is inclusion, which incorporates persons with no discernible disabilities in activities for persons with disabilities. We are deeply committed to providing opportunities that foster a sense of belonging to people with all types of disabilities, encouraging them to interact and develop relationships with individuals without disabilities. Through education and engagement, Art Access has seen that inclusion helps build stronger connections and a more cohesive community.

Art Access/VSA Utah was founded in 1984 and is a leading affiliate of VSA International, founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where people with disabilities learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts. Art Access serves approximately 20,000 people in Utah.

For more information on our programs, please visit the Art Access /VSA Utah website at www.accessart.org.