Creative Activities and VSA Washington

If you haven’t yet caught the buzz in the community, Seattle is gearing up to celebrate an historic anniversary in 2012 – the 50th Anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair.  In addition to honoring the 1962 World’s Fair, whose legacy was the beginning of today’s Seattle Center Campus, this 6-month celebration will seek to inspire citizens to envision The Next 50 Years.  Read More

We need your help.

Both Creative Activities and VSA Washington have gone through long transitions, and we are excited to now be moving successfully ahead with expanded and new programming.  ArtSpring! 2010 saw double attendance numbers for both the daytime and evening programming over last year!  If we are to continue being successful, now is the time for you to invest in our work. Read More

I caught a glimpse, yesterday, of an amazing program hiding under a bushel in Bellevue.  Luckily, if plans come to fruition, their light is about to come out shining bright.  I got a chance to spend an hour with James McClain, Administrator/Artistic Director of the Bellevue Youth Theatre (BYT) – and that’s all it took to see what a successful model of an inclusive arts community looks like.  Read More

It has certainly been a challenging and interesting year!  Creative Activities and VSA arts of WA just celebrated the first anniversary of their partnership – and at their November meeting, the Board of Directors reviewed program and organizational accomplishments for the past year and agreed that both organizations have emerged stronger and more able to provide needed services.  Even challenges and adversity presented opportunities for growth and learning – each step along the way adding to the successes we have earned this past year.

Read More

To all of you who braved the wind and rain to join us at Seattle University’s Pigott Auditorium last Friday evening (Oct. 23) for the Including Samuel screening and discussion - Thank You!  And to those of you who also braved the wind and rain – only to find locked doors and no response to knocks and calls – our Sincerest Apologies.  Read More

As noted in a recent Seattle Times’ article (“After disabled-parking outrage, Seattle Center changes plans” 9/12/09), the Seattle Center has addressed theatre patrons’ concerns about the removal of 13 disabled parking spaces as part of the construction of the Theatre Commons project.  As mentioned in a previous blog, CA/VSAAW did send letters to both Seattle Center and City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, supporting a better resolution than the Mercer Parking Garage and offering our assistance, if needed.  We also had an online Letter to the Editor of the Times posted. Read More

Reaction has been strong to a part of the proposed Theatre Commons project here on the Seattle Center Campus.  I was first made aware of the changes it would require to existing handicapped parking spaces serving the north area of Campus, when the article appeared in the Seattle Times.  I am chagrined to admit that I didn’t think to examine the Seattle Center Master Plan for accessibility issues, although we have been working to address some (current) access issues at the Center House and with the Access Transportation service directly.  We have found the Center Staff to be very willing to address our concerns, and I do believe there is a commitment to equal access at Seattle Center. Read More

ArtSpring! 2009 was a wonderfully exciting celebration of inclusive arts – and it almost didn’t happen because of swine flu.  As they say, timing is everything; this year’s event was May 5th and 6th, just at the beginning of this pandemic episode.  As things began to develop, I kept a close eye on the news; I knew it was only a matter of time before it showed up in our state, but I kept hoping it wouldn’t hit our area first.  (How naive, really; we ARE an international travel hub.) Read More