Lehigh Valley Arts Advocate – June 2016‏

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR On Tuesday, June 14, the Lehigh Valley Arts Council and the Disability Friendly Community, in cooperation with the Williams Center for the Arts, present Red, White & Blue, an evening of laughter and fellowship with comedian Josh Blue. The event marks the culmination of the yearlong commemoration through the arts of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Arts & Access has been a remarkable journey-expanding cultural accessibility through community collaboration. Thank you to the many individuals, businesses, and foundations for their time, expertise and financial support. The Lehigh Valley has a rich and diverse arts culture, but too often those experiences were closed to people with disabilities. Thankfully, that has begun to change. During this inaugural year, the attendance and the number of disability-friendly events exceeded goals by 25% –demonstrating both a strong need to expand services and a willingness to participate. Thirty cultural organizations teamed up with social service agencies to present sensory-friendly performances for children with autism; dance classes for Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers; audio-described and open-captioned theatrical performances; lectures; exhibitions; poetry readings; film screenings; and public meetings. (589 people with disabilities attended fifty disability-friendly events, accompanied by 705 family members and friends.) There is really so much to be proud of! The scope of the initiative and the breadth of support speak to the power of the arts to bring people together. And I am pleased to announce that the Arts Council Board of Directors voted at their March meeting to make the program a permanent one, Arts & Access Always. Randall Forte, Executive Director

WORKSHOP ADDED: Last Call for a Free PPA Grant Workshop! Calling all artists, community groups and arts organizations of the Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties! Applications are now being accepted for the Pennsylvania Partners of the Arts(PPA) Project Stream Grant, which awards up to $2,500 to eligible individuals, community groups, and non-profit organizations to conduct arts projects which have a significant public component. The deadline for all applications is June 20, 2016! FINAL GRANT WORKSHOP Wednesday, June 8, 2016 | 4:00 – 5:30 pm Lehigh Valley Arts Council 800 Hamilton Street, Suite 201, Allentown, PA 18101 Registration for the final Project Stream grant writing workshops is recommended but not required. To register, please email the Lehigh Valley Arts Council’s new PPA Coordinator Zach Kleemeyer at PPA@LVArtsCouncil.org.

A NIGHT OF CELEBRATION! Red, White & Blue Tuesday, June 14th will certainly be a night to remember! Our Red, White & Blue event, welcoming comedian Josh Blue to the Lehigh Valley, will celebrate the community and reflect on the successes of Arts & Access. Tickets are now being mailed to those people who have submitted RSVPs for the event. These tickets are necessary for entry! Some things to note for our guests: The event will take place at the Williams Center for the Arts at Lafayette College at 7:00 p.m. (317 Hamilton Street, Easton, PA 18042). If you require any accommodations, please arrive at least 40 minutes before the event (6:20 p.m.) so we may seat you comfortably. Your driver may drop you off in front of the theatre, and a greeter will usher you to your seat. Please bring your tickets; they are necessary for entry! Directions to Lafayette College Campus Map PARKING: Please park in the Markel Parking Deck, Lafayette’s primary parking deck, located behind Markel Hall on North Campus Lane. This parking deck is only a short walk to the Williams Center. Accessible parking will be available along Hamilton & High Streets in front of the Williams Center. If you’ve replied that you require an accessible parking space, this will be reserved for you. We are looking forward to those of you who can join us for this evening of laughter and fellowship!

ARTS ALIVE: A Personality of a Collection The final 2016 Arts Alive event is proving to be most popular, but there are still a few seats available! Join us at the home of art enthusiasts Bruce and Pamela Loch, as they lead a private tour of their fine art collection and share stories about a few favorites. Read about the Lochs’ modern home in Lehigh Valley Style’s featured article, ‘Home is Where the Art Is.’ Date: June 25, 2016 Time: 10:30am – 12:00pm Location: Home of Bruce & Pamela Loch Fees: $15 for Members of the Arts Council; $25 for Nonmembers PURCHASE TICKETS

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES PENNSYLVANIA SINFONIA ORCHESTRA presents: VALLEY VIVALDI SERIES June 12, 2016 at 7:30pm Christ Lutheran Church, Allentown July 10, 2016 at 7:30pm Christ Lutheran Church, Allentown July 31, 2016 at 7:30pm Wesley Church, Bethlehem August 21, 2016 at 7:30pm Wesley Church, Bethlehem PURCHASE TICKETS AT OUR BOX OFFICE TODAY!

Lehigh Valley Arts Council 840 Hamilton Street, Suite 201 ◊ Allentown, PA 18101 610.437.5915 ◊ info@LVArtsCouncil.org www.LVArtsCouncil.org ◊ LVArtsBoxOffice.org

Lehigh Valley Arts Council To Present Comedian Josh Blue At Williams Center For The Arts, Lafayette College, June 14

Josh Blue, the celebrated comedian who uses his own affliction with cerebral palsy as part of his routine, will perform in Easton at 7 p.m. June 14 at Lafayette College, Easton, Pa. The event is sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Arts Council, in cooperation with the Williams Center for the Arts at Lafayette, to celebrate LVAC’s yearlong Arts & Access program, a call for Valley arts organizations to be more inclusive of persons with disabilities.

Blue was the grand prize winner at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival, has appeared on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and is a favorite on the college comedy circuit. He is known for his ability to improvise and encourage his audience to overcome preconceived notions about people who are labeled as “disabled.”

A recent L.V. Research Consortium survey revealed that more than 13 percent of the Valley’s population has a disability and that this population grows by about three percent per year.

“Josh Blue is the ideal ambassador for greater inclusion of the disabled,” says LVAC Executive Director Randall Forte. “We are overwhelmed at the success of the first year of Arts & Access, particularly with the enthusiasm of our participating arts organizations.”

Since June 14 is also Flag Day, the program has been tagged “Red, White and Blue.” Invitations are in the mail to Arts Council members and the clients of Lehigh Valley non-profit agencies serving clients with challenges such as blindness, deafness, autism and other disabilities. A limited number of tickets will also be available to the public, particularly for individuals with disabilities, by calling LVAC at 610-437-5915.

The event marks the culmination of the Arts Council’s celebration of the 25th anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The LVAC program was a response to a request by the L.V. Partnership for a Disability Friendly Community to encourage local arts organizations to reconsider how their offerings can better serve disabled individuals.

For example, the Josh Blue event will be interpreted by an American Sign Language practitioner, will be audio-described, and the hand-out program will be available in Braille and large print versions. LVAC offers arts groups assistance and lends the special equipment needed for audio description.

As a result of Arts & Access, 30 cultural organizations have teamed with social service agencies over the past year to provide greater accommodation at more than 50 disability-friendly events, including sensory-friendly performances for children with autism, movement classes for Parkinson’s patients, audio-described and open-captioned theatrical performances, lectures, exhibitions, poetry readings, film screenings, and public meetings. LVAC reports that as a result of Arts & Access 2015-16, 589 people with disabilities attended those events, accompanied by 705 family members and friends.

For supporting documents and materials, please click here: http://www.lvartscouncil.org/red-white-and-blue/