Center

The Public

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:21:54 -0600

Although Interact Center is the only nationally known organization of its kind, it is not well known in the Twin Cities, where it resides in downtown Minneapolis. The Center itself, is hard to find. When I was walking down the street trying to find it on my first day, I could not find it even when I was only a block away, I knew the address but there were no visible signs to the main entrance. (There is a sign closer to the exhibition space on the other side of the building.) I also thought it was strange that I asked two people on the street who worked next door, where it was and they did not know. I do not think this is on purpose on the part of Interact, but it does raise some potential issues about the public knowing what the organization is and what they do.
For the most part, the people who attend the events are family, although they do send out brochures for the exhibitions, most of the general public does not know about the event.

The artists do have a chance to exhibit their works outside of the Interact Center. There are currently two places in the Twin Cities where their works are being showcased: The Hennepin County Family Justice Center and CES Fitness. The artists are also encouraged to submit their art in competitions outside Interact.

The paintings in the Interact Center that are held in the exhibition space range in prices from $50 to $200 usually. When a painting is sold, a portion of the profit goes to the artist. The paintings can either be purchased at Interact or online at Shutterfly.com where prints of the works can also be ordered. (http://insideoutgallery.shutterfly.com/)

The main challenges that the Artists at Interact Center face are gaining the public's awareness of their artwork to be able to sell it. I think that this organization provides a great little niche in the community and if the public knew more about their work, they would be supportive and buy their pieces. The future prospects in expanding its activities are limitless. The Performing artists could travel and show their work if other cities contracted them and artists can showcase their work in other venues as well but it is up to the outside art world and public to realize their potential and view their work.

The Teachers

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:09:01 -0600

The teachers are professional artists who work and help the artists at Interact. It seems to be a mix of people with different backgrounds, some were professional artists who now teach, some have degrees in psychology, others in family social sciences, others in Art or Theatre, and others specialize in physical therapy. There is a hierarchy of the teachers: the ones with the most training and/or teaching experience are the main teachers. My informant is a professional artist who works full time at the Interact Center but she does not actually have a specific classroom to teach in. On Mondays, when I go to Interact, I help her in the smaller, upstairs, Visual Arts classroom. She is only there on Mondays though, when the other employee, who is a Certified Art Teacher, is off of work. Throughout the rest of the week, she is downstairs helping out, almost like a volunteer would. On Mondays though, she is free to decide what the artists should work on and help them learn new skills. She is also free to decide which artists are allowed to work in the upstairs room. Most of these artists that she chooses are usually only in the room downstairs, so it gives the artists a chance to learn new skills and work with different people. Then throughout the rest of the week, the artists work on different projects downstairs.

Performing Arts

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:34:40 -0600

Professional actors and musicians with formal theater training staff the Performing Arts program at Interact. They act as teachers and peers, working with the company to collectively write and produce two original performances a year. As in other professional theaters, actors are paid for rehearsal time and performances.

Interact brings in guest artists for movement classes, technique and improvisation. The company often seeks opportunities to collaborate with actors, dancers and vocalists from the local theater community; including actors Tod Peterson and Xavier Rice, director Warren C. Bowles, and playwright Kevin Kling.

Visual Arts

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:21:04 -0600

At the Interact Center, they exhibit usually around 6 shows a year. This was the last major exhibition. The artists were challenged to paint and draw what they saw in Wing Young Huie's paintings. The paintings by the Interact artists were then hung along with Huie original works. Wing Young Huie is a local artist who lives in the Seward neighborhood.

The following information is from the exhibit announcement:

Wing Young Huie Exhibit

20 Interact artists created over 60 pieces of artwork based on Wing Young
Huie's photographs, reception this Friday, 6 - 9.

*Interact's Inside Out Gallery at the Colonial Warehouse presents two spectacular events
for the holiday season*

*RE/vision*
*Interact Responds to Wing Young Huie*

*Opening Reception Friday, December 5th, 6-9pm

The Inside Out Gallery is thrilled to share our newest collaborative
exhibit, RE/Vision: Interact Responds to Wing Young Huie. In this show,
Interact Center artists respond to the award winning photography of Wing
Young Huie, and exhibit their work alongside his. This collection of deeply
personal individual pieces creates a connection to a larger community, which
is at the core of Huie's work.

Wing Young Huie is a prominent local photographer who has received
international attention for his many projects that document the changing
cultural landscape of his home state Minnesota. His work shows ethnically
diverse and economically challenged inner city neighborhoods and is
profound, honest, deeply moving and often humorous and joyful.

(Art announcement informations taken from: http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls-seward/messages/topic/5h96t9Lh2NVfyFeClCByF3)

The current exhibition is "6x6" 6 mini collections by 6 Interact Artists which opened on February 23, 2009.

The next exhibition opens on Friday, April 26, 2009 and is titled: "Visions and Seers". Interact artists investigate the portrait as a way to celebrate self and otherness. This intriguing collection explores both direct representation and how far an artist can stretch boundaries.

Here are some other works by some of the artists that I have worked with:

Interact Center Overview

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:05:25 -0600

The Interact Center was established in 1992 to provide a space for artists with disabilities to showcase and develop their talent. At first, they only focused on Performing Arts and since then, have also included a Visual Arts department. Today, they are the only organization in the nation that provides professional services for Artists who are disabled. The disabilities of the artists range from mental to behavioral to physical.

"Interact’s three overarching goals are:

—To provide artists with disabilities skills and opportunities for creative expression, artistic growth, professional performance and exhibition opportunities, and opportunities to earn income from their work.

—To challenge existing stereotypes that assume people with disabilities are not capable.

—To challenge the arts community to recognize and include the unique talents and vision of people who have long been marginalized.

Interact Founder/Artistic Director Jeanne Calvit has a long history in both theater and social services. Her committed advocacy for artists with disabilities has led to heightened public awareness that many people with disabilities are creative and talented, but that their creativity often is ignored or discouraged. Many of these people depend on assistance from local social service programs, but those programs are geared toward placing people with disabilities in minimal-skill, low-paying positions that may not challenge them.

At Interact, over 90 artists earn income through theater performances and sales of artwork in the organization’s public gallery, The Inside Out Gallery, the first gallery in the Twin Cities to feature Outsider art. Interact is now a vital participant in the Twin Cities arts community.

Regional and national performances and exhibitions by Interact artists enable the public to see work that is raw, honest and explores visions and voices that would otherwise not be seen or heard. Furthermore, Interact effectively demonstrates a progressive model for integrating artistic and social service systems in ways that build on people’s strengths, rather than focusing on their limitations."

(http://www.interactcenter.com/about_us/mission.html)

When I first became involved with Interact Center, it was a long application process. I went to talk to the Volunteer Coordinator and had to fill out an application. Then, she had to run a background check on me and once that came out alright, I had to take a tour and meet some of the other employees first before being allowed to start at the Center. So, it took me several weeks to actual get into my field of research before I could work with my informant and observe this art world.