Disability Mural Project Duluth: All Together Now!

We hope you will join us for "The Disability Mural Project Duluth: All Together Now," a one-day exhibit of over 300 - 12” square wooden tiles individually designed by people whose lives have intersected with disability in the Duluth area. The primary goals of this project are to recognize the important contributions of people with disabilities, to raise awareness of the need to invest in universal design in our public spaces and homes, and promote inclusiveness for all. This event is free and open to the public.

 

When: Wednesday, October 19, 2011 from 2:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Where: The DECC, Lake Superior Ballroom (Cityside Convention Center, 2nd floor), 350 Harbor Drive, Duluth, MN

 
Featured Speakers: 

2:30 pm: Frances Valesco, Director of the Disability Mural Project in Berkeley, CA
2:50 pm: Craig Dunn, Executive Director of VSA Minnesota
3:05 pm: Roberta Cich, Director of AccessNorth - CILNM
3:10 pm: Bridget Riversmith, AAAWD co-founder/Disability Mural Project Duluth coordinator
3:15 pm: City of Duluth Mayor Don Ness

5 - 5:30 pm: Poetry Readings featuring artists from AAAWD

5:30 - 6 pm: Performances featuring artists from CHOICE, unlimited ARTS Program

Accessibility Information:

 

Audio Description of the Disability Mural will be provided from 6 - 8 pm for this event.
 





 

ASL Interpreter services for speakers and performers from 2:30 - 6 pm for this event.

Press Conference with Mayor Ness on October 5 at Duluth City Hall

Duluth Mayor, Area Artists Announce Disability Mural Project Exhibit - First of Its Kind in Midwest

What: The Arrowhead Alliance of Artists With Disabilities (AAAWD) will stage a press conference to announce the upcoming October 19 exhibit at the DECC of the Disability Mural Project Duluth in celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. AAAWD's project partners, including Duluth Mayor Don Ness, will share a brief overview of this local initiative and how it's raising awareness of our community's increasing need for universal design in order to draw upon the strengths and abilities of all its citizens. Mayor Ness will deliver a proclamation for Disability Employment Awareness Month.

When: Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011 - 11:00 a.m. press conference

Where: Mayor's Conference Room (4th floor), City Hall, 411 W 1st St., Duluth - on-street metered parking

Who: Mayor Don Ness; Bridget Riversmith, Co-founder/Leader AAAWD and Coordinator Disability Mural Project Duluth; Roberta Cich, Director AccessNorth Center for Independent Living of Northeastern Minnesota; Sara Junge, Chairperson Duluth Commission on Disabilities; Bob Grytdahl, Human Rights Officer City of Duluth; and Xavier Bell, Director of Community Engagement Community Action Duluth.

Why: Duluth is the first city in the Midwest to participate in the international Disability Mural Project based in Berkeley, CA. We're also poised to become the first city to create our own permanent installation of the Disability Mural beyond Berkeley. Our Duluth project has not only produced over 320 - 12” square mural tiles, but also made visible as many personal stories of people with disabilities in our community. This sampling, though significant, is still quite small. For in the next decade, with returning veterans and nearly as many people in Minnesota turning age 65 as in the previous four decades combined, disability rates are expected to increase rapidly. This is why we must invest in universal design now, and the Disability Mural Project Duluth is a clarion call for this mutually beneficial innovation.

Opportunity to participate: If you created a tile for the Disability Mural Project, please RSVP if you'd like to participate in this press conference. Contact us at aaawdmail (at) gmail (dot) com by Monday, Oct. 3 to be included! Mural artists will be present holding their tiles in a silent tableau during the press conference, and, if they wish, can field questions from the media.

Over 300 New Mural Tiles Created Since Our Workshops Began on May 31, 2011!

AAAWD recently wrapped up phase one of our project! We facilitated 24 Mural tile workshops in 3 cities (Duluth, Cloquet, Two Harbors) in collaboration with 19 area partners including high schools, UMD, businesses, agencies and community groups (see blog side panel for complete list).

Thanks to everyone who participated in creating over 300 tiles for the upcoming October 19 exhibit of the Disability Mural Project Duluth at the DECC. Hope to see you all there!

Tile Workshop on July 27 at UDAC's Art Junction (for clients only)

AAAWD is facilitating a second free Disability Mural Project Duluth Tile Workshop for participants of the Art Junction program at UDAC (see details below). Thanks to Art Junction for inviting us back to hold another workshop!

Who: Participants of Art Junction (not open to the public)
When: Wednesday, July 27 from 10 am -2 pm
What: Painting and collaging 12" sq. masonite tiles
Where: UDAC, Art Junction studio, 500 E. 10th St., Duluth

Find more information about Art Junction here: http://udac.org/services/artjunction.htm

Free Public Tile Workshop August 9 at Peace Church

AAAWD is facilitating Disability Mural Project Duluth Tile Workshops for the public at Peace Church UCC  in Duluth (see details below). These workshops are free and open to the public. Thanks to Peace Church UCC and Assoc. Pastor, Paul Van Antwerp for sponsoring and helping us organize this event!


Sign up for the workshop, or ask questions by emailing us at: aaawdmail@gmail.com, or call Peace Church @ (218) 724-3637.


When: Saturday, August 9 from 4 - 8 pm
What: painting and collaging on 12" sq. masonite tiles
Where: Peace Church UCC (click for map), 1111 North 11th Ave E in Duluth
Bus info: 2 blocks off both DTA routes 11 & 12.
Parking: On and off-street available.
Accessibility: Peace Church is wheelchair-accessible. Please attend fragrance free.


Important things to bring with you:

* Please bring or wear protective clothing, as some materials will stain clothing.

* If you'd like to make a collage: please bring xerox or laser print copies (not inkjet prints - they fade) of family photos, snapshots of your favorite things, and your own
original drawings or poems. Note: be sure to make copies of any items you wish to keep. Anything applied to the tiles becomes part of the Mural project and is non-returnable.

More information about Peace Church UCC is available here:
http://www.peaceucc.org/

Free Public Tile Workshop Aug. 4 and 11 at Lincoln Park Community Senior Center

AAAWD is facilitating Disability Mural Project Duluth Tile Workshops for the public at Lincoln Park Community Senior Center in Duluth (see details below). These workshops are free and open to the public.  Thanks to CHOICE, unlimited for sponsoring and helping us organize this event!
   
Sign up for these workshops, or ask questions by emailing us at: aaawdmail@gmail.com, or call CHOICE, unlimited @ (218) 724-5869.

When: Thursday, August 4 and 11 from 9:30 am - Noon
What: painting and collaging on 12" sq. masonite tiles
Where: Lincoln Park Community Senior Center (click for map), 2014 W 3rd St, Duluth
Bus info: 1 block from DTA routes 1, 2, 3 & 5.
Parking: off-street in lot, and on-street available.
Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible. Please attend fragrance free.

Important things to bring with you:

* Please bring or wear protective clothing, as some materials will stain clothing.

* If you'd like to make a collage: please bring xerox or laser print copies (not inkjet prints - they fade) of family photos, snapshots of your favorite things, and your own original drawings or poems. Note: be sure to make copies of any items you wish to keep. Anything applied to the tiles becomes part of the Mural project and is non-returnable.


More information about CHOICE, unlimited is available here:
http://www.choiceunlimited.org/

Pineapple Arts Center launches fundraiser for the Disability Mural Project Duluth!

Here's the text from their official flyer about this fundraiser:

'"Help one another, for we are all in the Same Boat.'

- Chinese Proverb

Pineapple Art Center and Supply has teamed up with the Arrowhead Alliance of Artists with Disabilities and the Disability Mural Project of Duluth to raise awareness and celebrate the achievements of the lives of people with disabilities.

Pineapple Art has started a fundraiser and is asking for your help. We are selling small paper boats to assist in raising funds for more art supplies for the A.A.A.W.D. and the Disability Mural Project of Duluth’s free community-wide tile workshops. These will then be used to create a tile for the project with the above Chinese Proverb on it.

The Disability Mural Project of Duluth is a mosaic of stories honoring the diversity and achievements of people with disabilities and will culminate in an exhibit at the D.E.C.C. on October 19, 2011 in observance of National Disability Awareness Month.

If you, or anyone you know, are affected by a disability and would like to participate in a mural tile workshop, Pineapple Art Center and Supply will be hosting a workshop open to the public on Saturday August 6th and Saturday August 13th from 1:00pm – 5:00pm. Please join us and either paint or decoupage your own tile to be displayed. For more information visit: http://disabilitymuralduluth.blogspot.com or find the Disability Mural Project Duluth or A.A.W.D. on Facebook."


More information about Pineapple Arts Center is available here: http://www.facebook.com/pineappleart.duluth

Letter of Support from the Minnesota Disability Law Center

Click on image above to view larger size.

Free Public Tile Workshop August 6 and 13 at Pineapple Arts Center

AAAWD is facilitating Disability Mural Project Duluth Tile Workshops for the public at Pineapple Arts Center (see details below). These workshops are free and open to the public.

Sign up for these workshops, or ask questions by emailing us at: aaawdmail@gmail.com, or call Pineapple Arts Center @ (218) 722-2919.


When: Saturday, August 6 and 13 from 1 - 5 pm
What: painting and collaging on 12" sq. masonite tiles
Where: Pineapple Arts Center, 124 W. First St. in Downtown Duluth
Bus info: 1 block from all DTA routes running along Superior St.
Parking: on-street (metered) and public ramp (2nd Ave East between 1st & Superior) available.
Accessibility: Onsite restroom not wheelchair-accessible (restaurant restrooms nearby). Please attend fragrance free.
Have questions? Email us at: aaawdmail@gmail.com, or call Pineapple Arts @ (218) 722-2919.

Important things to bring with you:

* Please bring or wear protective clothing, as some materials will stain clothing.

* If you'd like to make a collage: please bring xerox or laser print copies (not inkjet prints - they fade) of family photos, snapshots of your favorite things, and your own original drawings or poems. Note: be sure to make copies of any items you wish to keep. Anything applied to the tiles becomes part of the Mural project and is non-returnable.

More information about Pineapple Arts Center is available here: http://www.facebook.com/pineappleart.duluth

Tile Workshop on July 22 for PDC (by invitation only)

AAAWD is facilitating a free Mural Tile Workshop for local community group, People with Disabilities for Change (see details below).

Who: by invitation only (not open to the public)
When: Friday, July 22 from 11 am - 1:30 pm
What: Painting and collaging 12" sq. masonite tiles
Where: Miller Dwan, Meeting Rooms 1,2,3; 502 E 2nd St, Duluth
Bus info: near DTA Rt. 6, 7, 10H, 11, 12, 13, 13U, and 13W
Parking: On and off-street (ramp entrances on East Second and East First Streets) available.
Accessibility: Miller Dwan is wheelchair-accessible.

Find more information about PDC here: http://pdc-northland.org/

Tile Workshop on July 18 at Harmony Club (for clients only)

AAAWD is facilitating a second free Disability Mural Project Duluth Tile Workshop for members of Harmony Club in Duluth (see details below).

Who: Harmony Club members (not open to the public)
When: Monday, July 18 from 2 - 4 pm
What: Painting and collaging 12" sq. masonite tiles
Where: Harmony Club Art Room, 1730 E. Superior St., Duluth

Find more information about HDC's programs here: http://www.humandevelopmentcenter.org/programs/

Tile Workshop on July 17 for CHUM Church at Peace Church UCC - Open to the Public

AAAWD is facilitating a Disability Mural Project Duluth Tile Workshop for CHUM Church at Peace Church UCC in Duluth (see details below). This workshop is free and open to the public.

When: Sunday, July 17 from 3 - 3:45 pm
What: Collaging on 12" sq. masonite tiles
Where: Peace Church, 1111 North 11th Ave E, Duluth, MN
Bus info: 2 blocks off both DTA routes 11 & 12.
Parking: On and off-street available.
Accessibility: Peace Church is wheelchair-accessible. Please attend fragrance free.
Have questions? Email us at: aaawdmail@gmail.com.

Important things to bring with you:

* Please bring or wear protective clothing, as some materials will stain clothing.

* Please bring xerox or laser print copies (not inkjet prints -
they fade) of family photos, snapshots of your favorite things, and your own
original drawings or poems for use in making a collage. Note: be sure to make copies of any items you wish to keep. Anything applied to the tiles becomes part of the Mural project and is non-returnable.

More information about CHUM Church is available here: http://www.chumduluth.org/chumchurchinclusiveministr.htm

More information about Peace Church UCC is available here: http://www.peaceucc.org/

Tile Workshop on July 20 at HDC's Two Harbors Drop-In Center (for clients only)

AAAWD is facilitating a free Disability Mural Project Duluth Tile Workshop for clients of the HDC Drop-In Center in Two Harbors (see details below).

Who: Clients of HDC's Two Harbors Drop-In Center (not open to the public)
When: Wednesday, July 20 from 2 - 4 pm
What: Painting and collaging 12" sq. masonite tiles
Where: HDC Drop-In Center, 111 Waterfront Dr., Two Harbors, MN

Find more information about HDC's programs here: http://www.humandevelopmentcenter.org/programs/

Tile Workshop on July 12 at HDC's Cloquet Outreach Center (for clients only)

AAAWD is facilitating a free Disability Mural Project Duluth Tile Workshop for clients of the HDC Outreach Center in Cloquet (see details below).

Who: Clients of the HDC Outreach Center in Cloquet (not open to the public)
When: Tuesday, July 12 from 1:30 - 3:30 pm
What: Painting and collaging 12" sq. masonite tiles
Where: HDC Outreach Center, 24 10th St. in Cloquet, MN

Find more information about HDC's programs here: http://www.humandevelopmentcenter.org/programs/

Tile Workshop on July 6 at UDAC's Art Junction (for clients only)

AAAWD is facilitating a free Disability Mural Project Duluth Tile Workshop for participants of the Art Junction program at UDAC (see details below).

Who: Participants of Art Junction (not open to the public)
When: Wednesday, July 6 from 10 am -2 pm
What: Painting and collaging 12" sq. masonite tiles
Where: UDAC, Art Junction studio, 500 E. 10th St., Duluth

Find more information about Art Junction here: http://udac.org/services/artjunction.htm

Letter of Support from CHOICE, unlimited

Click on image above to view larger size.

Disability Mural Project Duluth on PBS

AAAWD and the Disability Mural Project Duluth were featured June 9 on PBS Eight's The PlayList! Thanks to Karen Sunderman and Steve Ash who wrapped up our interview at AAAWD's June 7 Mural tile workshop at the Duluth Art Institute's Lincoln Building.

Find out more about the PlayList program here: http://www.wdse.org/shows/playlist/

Tile Workshop on June 13 at Access North

AAAWD is hosting a Disability Mural Project Duluth Tile Workshop at Access North. Workshop is free, but space is limited. RSVP: (218) 625-1400.

When: Monday, June 13 from 2-4 pm
What: Painting and collaging 12" sq. masonite tiles
Where: Access North, 118 E. Superior St., Duluth
Bus info: Contact the DTA for route changes due to construction on East Superior St.
Parking: Fond-Du-Luth Casino ramp.
Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible/Fragrance-free.

Visit Access North online: http://accessnorth.net/

Tile Workshop on June 13 for Harmony Club

AAAWD is hosting a Disability Mural Project Duluth Tile Workshop for the Human Development Center's Harmony Club program (see details below).

When: Monday, June 13 from 2-4 pm
What: Painting and collaging 12" sq. masonite tiles
Where: Harmony Club, Art Room, 1730 E. Superior St., Duluth
Bus info: on DTA routes 6 & 7.
Parking: On and off-street available.
Accessibility: The first and second floors are wheelchair-accessible.

More information about Harmony Club is available here: http://www.humandevelopmentcenter.org/programs/adult.aspx

Letter of Support and Disability Mural History by Frances Valesco

Click on image above to view larger size.

Letter of Support from Access North - Center for Independent Living of Northeastern Minnesota

Click on image above to view larger size.

Tile Workshop on June 1st for Arc Northland at Ordean Building

AAAWD is hosting a Disability Mural Project Duluth Tile Workshop for Arc Northland's People First Group (see details below).

When: Wednesday, June 1 from 5:30-7:30 pm
What: Painting and collaging 12" sq. masonite tiles
Where: Ordean Building, Superior St. Conference Room, 424 W Superior St., Duluth
Bus info: on all DTA routes.
Parking: On-street available.
Accessibility: Ordean Building is wheelchair-accessible.

Find more information about Arc Northland here: http://www.arcnorthland.org/index.htm

Tile Workshop for NAMI May 31 at Miller Dwan

AAAWD is hosting a Disability Mural Project Duluth Tile Workshop at NAMI's May meeting (see below). Workshop is free of charge. Questions? Email: aaawdmail@gmail.com.

When: Tuesday, May 31 from 7-9 pm
What: Painting and collaging 12" sq. masonite tiles
Where: Miller Dwan Building, Meeting Rooms 1,2,3, 502 E 2nd St, Duluth
Bus info: near DTA Rt. 6, 7, 10H, 11, 12, 13, 13U, and 13W
Parking: On and off-street (ramp entrances on East Second and East First Streets) available.
Accessibility: Miller Dwan is wheelchair-accessible.


Find out more about NAMI here: http://www.nami.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=302

Tile Workshops in June at the Duluth Art Institute's Lincoln Building

AAAWD is hosting two Disability Mural Project Duluth Tile Workshops in June at the Duluth Art Institute's Lincoln Building (see details below). Workshops are free of charge. Questions? Email us at aaawdmail (at) gmail (dot) com.

When: Tuesday, June 7th from 2-4:30 pm, AND Tuesday June 14th from 2-4:30 pm
What: Painting and collaging 12" sq. masonite tiles
Where: 2229 W. 2nd St.
Bus info: near DTA Rt. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 9
Parking: On and off-street available
Accessibility: 1st and 2nd floors wheelchair-accessible. Attend fragrance-free.

Letter of Support from People with Disabilities for Change (PDC)

Click on image above to view larger size.

Letter of Support from the Duluth Commission on Disabilities

Click on image above to view larger size.

Letter of Support from Mayor Don Ness and the City of Duluth

Click on image above to view larger size.

Watch a short video about the Disability Mural

The Goal of the Disability Mural

According to founder and curator, Frances Valesco, "The Disability Mural is a unique expression of disability, the first community artwork created by people with disabilities. Individual 12" square tiles are painted or collaged to express the artist's experience with disability. The artists are people living with disabilities as well as individuals who do not have a disability but who have experienced disability through family or friends.

The goal of the Mural is to express the range of experiences and emotions of people touched by disability. The Mural has been compared to the Names Project Quilt; however, where the Quilt is a community expression of loss and grief, the Mural is a celebration of the lives and contributions of people with disabilities."

Welcome to the Disability Mural Project - Duluth!

Hello, my name is Bridget Riversmith. I'm the co-founder/leader of AAAWD. This project might not have come about if I hadn't gone to Hungary in the winter of 2005. That's where I met and became friends with Frances Valesco at an artist residency in Budapest. Frances is an accomplished artist and teaches at City College of San Francisco, the San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco State University, and UC Berkeley.

When I got home from Hungary, I received a package in the mail from Frances. It was a kit for the Disability Mural: a 12" x  12" masonite tile, a description of the project, instructions, and a list of words or themes that I could choose from to help describe my story of disability. My finished tile #880 "Up, Up and Away" (see image below). The kit also had a form to fill out, and the final question box read, "Yes! I want to host Mural tile-making workshops for my organization, my company, or my friends!" I filled in the box with a decisive "X".

When we met, Frances had been working on the Disability Mural project for 5 years. The Mural began in March 2000 as a 200 square-foot work, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Eleven years and well over a thousand tiles later, the Mural has been installed in its permanent home, the brand new universally-designed Ed Roberts Campus at the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) - Ashby Station in Berkeley, CA. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Campus and the unveiling of the Disability Mural is scheduled for April 9, 2011.

Tile #880 has been installed there among the many, and AAAWD and I would like to help people in Duluth add their stories to the Mural in Berkeley, too. We would also like to find a permanent home in Duluth so that some of the stories can remain and be appreciated here in our own community. We hope you will want to get involved in this project and add your story to this expanding mosaic!

Thank you, Frances!

"Up, Up, and Away (Disability Mural Tile #880)" © Bridget Riversmith 2010.