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Sunday, December 5, 2004
Tile Sculpture Starts VSA Arts of N.M. on Road to a Community Art Center
By Dan Mayfield
Journal Staff Writer
Sculptor Cassandra Reid always wanted to work with VSA Arts of New Mexico. Several years ago, she applied to work with the group that teaches art classes for people with disabilities, and never heard back.
Then, out of the blue, she got a phone call, she remembers, asking her to submit a design for a new tile sculpture.
VSA had received an Urban Enhancement Trust Fund grant for a new tile sculpture in front of its headquarters on North Fourth Street, and was looking for tile artists like Reid— with significant experience— to design a sculpture that would represent an updated image for VSA, formerly Very Special Arts.
Reid's new sculpture, "Doorways to Imagination," will be officially unveiled on Saturday at VSA's North Fourth Art Center.
It will be a symbol of VSA's ambition to become a community art center. It's the first part of a huge renovation that VSA is planning for the next year at its art center, which includes a new theater, gallery and cafe.
Reid spent two months observing classes and gathering ideas from VSA apprentices, and came up with an Islamic-inspired archway that is near the corner of Fourth Street and Griegos NW.
"I worked with all the apprentices there, and I got to work with all the staff," she said, and the sculpture has a little bit of everybody from VSA in it.
The sculpture has 600 square feet of tile bonded to it, tile that was all handmade and hand-cut from wet clay by VSA apprentices, Reid said.
"It was neat. They were amazingly talented," Reid said. "They're amazing productive. It was hard for me to keep up."
The sculpture is just the first part of a long-term plan VSA has for establishing its permanent home at 4904 Fourth NW.
Open house
Saturday's unveiling also will include an open house for the center and a grand opening of VSA's new Multi-Sensory Studio.
VSA has leased a former shoe store, one suite south of the center, for the new studio that will provide art classes for people who prefer one-on-one classes.
"It's an alternative and a choice that apprentice artists have to attend the studio-arts program," said Susanna Kearny, VSA's marketing director. "It's a creative learning environment for those that want to experience more."
In 2000, VSA Arts of New Mexico moved into an old department store storefront on Fourth Street, and set out to create an arts center, not just a studio.
"The focus of the building is to create an art center for the whole community," said Kearny.
It's now open for community arts classes.
The first step is to create a new gallery space for artists from VSA to show their work.
Theater plans
The next step— which is the most ambitious project VSA has taken on yet— is creating a 160-seat black-box theater at the space.
VSA hopes to begin construction on the N4th Theatre by next fall. The theater will be the home of VSA's two theater and dance troupes, Buen Viaje Dance and Equilibrium Theater.
The gallery in the lobby of the theater will be a showcase for art from VSA apprentices.
The cafe is part of the VSA long-term plan to turn itself into a community gathering place.
Though VSA Arts International was formed nearly 40 years ago, the Albuquerque chapter has existed since 1981.
VSA is funded mostly by a state fee-for-service program, Kearny said, as well as with grants and donations.
The school's longest-running and most-recognized program is its visual-arts program. But, through the years it has developed several performance and theater companies. Both are mixed-ability companies.
Buen Viaje is now celebrating its 20th year of performing.
Those companies are growing in popularity— both for performers and audiences— and are the reason for the new theater, Kearny said.
"It's a combination of years of work and the interest and support of the people here," Kearny said.
If you go
WHAT: Dedication of "Doorways to Imagination"
WHEN: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11
WHERE: North Fourth Art Center, 4904 Fourth NW.
HOW MUCH: Free. Call 345-2872 for more information.