Arts Access Program: Arts Are For ALL

Greetings! This is Stephanie White from the Arts Access Program in the Caine College of the Arts at Utah State University. I’m excited to introduce our program to you and give you more information on what we have to offer. Our mantra? Arts for ALL. We offer art opportunities to students of all abilities. Specifically focused in the schools, we bring in guest artists and facilitate experiences in dance, drama, music, and visual arts.

We are so grateful for the generosity of the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Foundation, which set up an endowment with the Caine College in 2012. Because of this endowment, we are able to offer so much to students of all ages and abilities, free of charge.

Do you want your child or students to participate in Arts Access? Contact us! Let us know where your children attend school and what is needed. We will do our best to accommodate you. We are here to support schools with a life skills class or a specific group of students who can benefit from our programs.

We also offer resources, tips and video training for educators.

Here are just a few of the things we’ve been able to do because of the Sorenson family:

Guest artists in Residence. Raymond Veon, the Arts Access founding director, brings in artists who specialize in working with students with disabilities. They will stay in Utah for one to two weeks and visit schools to create drama, compose music, or build visual structures. They are masters in their field!

Performances or assemblies. We provide field trips for students to see plays or bring in musicians to perform in the schools.

Funding for other programs. We have assisted Opera by Children to work with Sound Beginnings. We’ve acquired instruments, art supplies, assistive tools for visual arts. We’ve helped other programs bring in artists for professional development or special performances. Where there is a need, we try our best to help.

Videos that offer tips and art ideas to teachers/facilitators. Raymond and Andy Lorimer (an amazing film maker!) have created a series of videos to assist others in realizing what an amazing tool the arts can become in the classroom and beyond. They give tips, offer insight, establish why the arts are so important. Please explore our YouTube Channel.

Research, conferences, and more grants. We have written grants and received funding for our programs as well as presented our findings in conferences across the United States. Raymond has worked on creating alternative assessment methods to provide ways of seeing student growth beyond what traditional tests show.

Established a Family Arts Camp. This was our first year in offering an arts camp for the entire family. It was a huge success! Using the word ‘camp’ loosely, we meet on the University campus, have the option to stay in dorms, and enjoy the art facilities available at Utah State to give the entire family an immersion into the arts.

We would love your ideas and thoughts on what we can do to continue to support the students, parents, and schools in bringing arts to all. Reach out to us!