Art Spark Texas

Makers Hour
2021-04-29 19:00 - 20:00, 2021-05-27 19:00 - 20:00, 2021-06-24 19:00 - 20:00, 2021-07-29 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Join Art Spark staffers and artists, April and Susan, for Makers Hour, a monthly creative gathering, taking place the last Thursday of each month: 7-8:00 PM CT. All types of makers are welcome! Bring your choice of media, or your latest creative project to share. We’ll hang out, do a creative prompt or two, or try a new art method, and share our work.
Please join from your computer, tablet, or smartphone at https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/291846373
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (646) 749-3335
Access Code: 291-846-373
New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
Questions? Email susan@artsparktx.org.

Virtual Open Mic - The Lion & Pirate
2021-05-01 19:00 - 20:30
The Lion & Pirate in 2021 inclusive, open mic for writers, performers and acoustic musicians invites you to join us Saturday, May 01, 2021 at 7pm. Sponsored by Art Spark Texas and the Pen 2 Paper Creative Writing Contest. Organizers also include Malvern Books and the Coalition of Texans Disabilities.
Performers
click here to sign-up by midnight on April 30.
As always, we’re open to work in any genre: music, spoken word, improv, skits, storytelling, dance, poems or prose… Anything you can perform! There will be 10 sign up slots. We ask that you sign up ahead of time. Any sign-ups after 10 will be held on a backup list .
RSVP, invite friends, and stay tuned for event updates on our Facebook Page. You can tune in just to connect with your community and give us those “clap” reactions.
How to Join the Open Mic
Here is the link to join the Virtually Lion & Pirate Open Mic as a Performer or Guest.
Save this Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85323118334
Meeting ID: 853 2311 8334
Password: [REDACTED]
For more details and visit our Lion and Pirate Facebook page.
Questions? mail Ms. Boye or call 512-454-9912
if you need more information or help signing up.
This event will include live captioning. Please contact Art Spark in advance to request other accommodations.
Thank you for donating and supporting Art Spark Texas Speaking Advocates Program and the Pen 2 Paper Creative Writing Contest.

Virtual Dance Workshop: Spring Intensive Series
2021-05-02 13:00 - 15:30
Vertigo Power of Balance is offering five (5) movement and enrichment sessions starting on April 10th and ending on May 2nd. Class happens from 1 to 3.30pm CT.
In this series, our goal is expanding the knowledge and understanding in the field of integrated dance.
We will look for the technique that will support the refinement of improvisation, the development of physical qualities, listening and self-awareness that will resonate with the joy of development. An opportunity for diverse multidisciplinary observation.

Class meets on April 10th, April 11th, April 18th, April 25th and May 2nd from 1-3.30pm CT virtually on zoom.
Meeting Zoom Link
Cost: $75
Registration and Payment Link

Open to all ability and experience levels.
If you have any access needs, please email silva@artsparktx.org by April 5th.
About Vertigo Power of Balance
Vertigo Power of Balance was established in 2000 and is directed by Hai Cohen and Tali Wertheim who are also going to be facilitating the workshop.
Power of Balance center operates from the Vertigo Eco-Art Village home of the acclaimed Vertigo Dance Company offering comprehensive integrated dance activities that include annual programs, classes, workshops and performances in Israel and abroad.

Virtual Class: Be Present
2021-05-02 15:00 - 16:00, 2021-05-09 15:00 - 16:00, 2021-05-16 15:00 - 16:00
An Art and Mindfulness Series
Art Sparks Texas is inviting you to join “Be Present”, an Art and Mindfulness series each Sunday @3pm, Feb 21 – March 28 and April 11 – May 16.
Register through Eventbrite to receive the class Zoom link to attend.
Music, Poetry, and Movement
Register for Session 1: Feb 21 – Mar 28, 2021
Movement with Nancy Bain.
March 21 and 28.
This movement workshop will focus on relaxation, posture and explore Ideokinesis, a method of visualization that can lead to improvements in physical awareness and overall well-being. The class will follow an educational, rather than therapeutic, model and will aid participants in developing their power of thinking, intuition, and kinetic awareness rather than relying on the power of the teacher. Join us for a connecting experience. Join us via Zoom.
Classes do not meet on April 4, 2021
Visual Art and Mindfulness
Register for Session 2: Apr 11 – May 16, 2020
Flutter Book with Jerry Slayton
In this 6 week workshop, each participant will learn how to bind and design their own Flutter Book. A Flutter Book uses an accordion style method of folding and can be read like a regular book, but also displayed as a sculptural piece. Each project in the workshop will explore themes of winter through mindfulness exercises, inspirational poems, and creating visual art. Our book will hold each week’s artwork and serve as a record of our written and visual growth from April—May 2021. Join us via Zoom.

These classes are a fun and engaging way to expand your artistic skills, try new art forms, and learn more about mindfulness practice. This virtual class series has two sessions, the first explores music, poetry and movement, and the second session investigates bookmaking and visual Art.

Community Conversations
2021-05-12 19:00 - 20:00, 2021-07-14 19:00 - 20:00
Art Spark Texas introduced our virtual arts roundtable series “Community Conversations” in Spring of 2020, as a way of staying connected and continuing our mission during this time of the pandemic. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month from 7-8pm CST, and invite visual artists, musicians, dancers, actors, writers, disability advocates and others to engage with the Art Spark community.
Join the conversation! All are welcome.
A link to the virtual event will be posted here several days beforehand and join our newsletter to get the information via email.

Community Conversations: Nathan Brown
2021-05-26 19:00 - 20:00
Songwriting Series
We are bringing back our popular songwriting workshop series! Each session will feature a different professional songwriter to share tools of the trade and facilitate a writing activity to help you get those creative juices flowing.
We encourage musicians and songwriters of all skill levels to attend! If you are an absolute beginner who aspires to write lyrics or melodies, you will learn some tools and activities to help you get started. Or if you already have a few songs in your repertoire, you’ll gain some new prompts and a space to do more writing, receive constructive feedback, and meet other creatives.
Meeting Link
Meeting ID: 952 1905 7440
Passcode: [REDACTED]
The meeting link will be posted a week before the event. For updates, sign up for our Community Conversations email list here. Email eric@artsparktx.org if you have any questions. Please let us know one week in advance if you need any accommodations.
We are excited for Nathan Brown to facilitate our May 2021 workshop!
Nathan Brown
About Nathan Brown
Nathan Brown is an author, songwriter, and award-winning poet living in Wimberley, Texas. He holds a PhD in English and Journalism from the University of Oklahoma where he’s taught for over 20 years. He served as Poet Laureate for the State of Oklahoma in 2013/14, and now travels full-time performing readings, concerts, workshops and speaking on creativity, poetry, and songwriting.
Nathan has published over 20 books. Most recent are his new collection of poems, In the Days of Our Unrest, the second in a series now known as the Pandemic Poems Project, that deals with the year of Covid-19, and a new travel memoir Just Another Honeymoon in France: A Vagabond at Large. Karma Crisis: New and Selected Poems, was a finalist for the Paterson Poetry Prize and the Oklahoma Book Award. His earlier book, Two Tables Over, won the 2009 Oklahoma Book Award. His album of all-original songs, The Streets of San Miguel, was released this last year.
He’s taught memoir, poetry, songwriting, and performance workshops from Tuscany and Ireland to the Sisters Folk Festival in Oregon, the Taos Poetry Festival, the Woody Guthrie Festival, Laity Lodge, the Everwood Farmstead Foundation in Wisconsin, as well as for Blue Rock Artist Ranch near Austin, Texas.
And his online live video series The Fire Pit Sessions—inspired by the Pandemic Poems Project—has had over 35,000 views. At over 100 episodes now, in which Nathan reads a few poems from the book series and performs a song at the end, now has an established following of loyal viewers.
Naomi Shihab Nye said about Nathan’s book, My Salvaged Heart: “Brave new world! The sizzle of couplings and uncouplings – attraction and romance, ineffable magnetism, mysterious as ever – but doused with a savory dose of Nathan Brown humor, a tilted long-ranging eye that sees the next bend in the road even when he’s standing right here, firmly planted.”

Call for Art: Distinguished Artist Veterans Exhibition
2021-06-05
Call for Art Deadline: August 31, 2021.
Art Spark Texas invites all Veterans and current and prior service members living in Texas to submit artwork to the twelfth annual Distinguished Artist Veterans exhibit. There is no fee to submit artwork to this call for entries and artwork in all 2-D and 3-D media are eligible. The exhibit will be on display at the Hive by the Bee Cave Arts Foundation.
Download Entry Form (.docx)
The exhibition will run from October 8—December 3, 2021.
The opening reception will be held on Friday, October 8th from 6 to 8 pm. A free visual art workshop for all participating artists is also being planned.
Questions? Contact April @ artsparktx.org
1000 Yard Stare, a painting by Ricardo Robles
See the 2020 virtual exhibit of the Distinguished Artist Veterans Exhibition (11th Annual): bit.ly/31NY3gM

Call for Art: IOD 2022 Calendar
2021-06-05, 2021-07-31
Call for Art Deadline: June 25, 2021.
UNH Institute on Disability’s (IOD) 2022 Calendar

Artists are invited to submit artwork to be considered for the UNH Institute on Disability’s (IOD) 2022 Calendar. For the past 22 years, they have produced beautiful, full-color calendars featuring 13 original works of art coupled with inspirational quotes. This is a wonderful opportunity to share your talent on a global scale.
Submission Form
Page from 2021 IOD Calendar featuring art by Texas Artist Brandon Lack

Call for Art: Artist Market - Dallas
2021-06-05, 2021-06-07, 2021-07-05, 2021-08-02
Call for Art Deadline: October 11, 2021.
Abilities Expo Dallas Artist Market 2021
Abilities Expo has invited Art Spark Texas to host the Artist Market at their event in Dallas. We have been a part of this event for over 10 years in Houston, and are excited to be able to bring the opportunity to our Dallas area artists. We invite artists with disabilities living in the Dallas area to submit a booth proposal for the Artist Market at Abilities Expo 2021 in Dallas, TX.
There is a $25 booth fee due upon acceptance.
Splitting a booth with someone is allowed. 2D and 3D works in all media as well as crafts, literary arts, and CDs of music are eligible. Participants will be chosen by Art Spark Texas based on quality of work, the need to display diverse media, and ability of artist to be present and professional at this full weekend event.
More info about the event can be found at Abilities Expo Dallas
Download Entry Form (.pdf)
Questions? Contact April @ artsparktx.org.
Artist Dee Cay at her booth at Abilities Expo

Virtual Open Mic - The Lion & Pirate
2021-06-06 13:00 - 14:30
The Lion & Pirate in 2021 inclusive, open mic for writers, performers, and acoustic musicians invites you to join us Sunday, June 6, 2021 at 1pm. Sponsored by Art Spark Texas and the Pen 2 Paper Creative Writing Contest. Organizers also include Malvern Books and the Coalition of Texans Disabilities.
Performers
click here to sign-up by noon June 5.
As always, we’re open to work in any genre: music, spoken word, improv, skits, storytelling, dance, poems or prose… Anything you can perform! There will be 10 sign up slots. We ask that you sign up ahead of time. Any sign-ups after 10 will be held on a backup list .
Stay tuned to our Facebook Page for event updates and invite your friends too. You can tune in just to connect with your community and give us those “clap” reactions.
How to Join the Open Mic
Here is the link to join the Virtually Lion & Pirate Open Mic as a Performer or Guest.
Save this Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85323118334
Meeting ID: 853 2311 8334
Password: [REDACTED]
Questions? Please email Ms Boye: boye@artsparktx.org.
Thank you for donating and supporting Art Spark Texas Speaking Advocates Program and the Pen 2 Paper Creative Writing Contest.

Texas Stories: Art Tour 2021
2021-06-09 13:00 - 14:00, 2021-06-16 13:00 - 14:00, 2021-06-23 13:00 - 14:00, 2021-06-30 13:00 - 14:00, 2021-07-07 13:00 - 14:00, 2021-07-14 13:00 - 14:00
This summer take a Virtual Art Tour across the great state of Texas. In our Texas Stories series we learn about artists and art events right here in our home state, many of them in Austin. Each class will explore a new person or place and expose you to a new way of thinking about art. Our lesson videos will lead you through an art activity, then each week we will meetup, via Zoom, to share what we have made.
Register for Texas Stories: Art Tour 2021
Weekly Class Topics
June 9: Cathedral of Junk
June 16: Houston Art Car Experience
June 23: Texas Sandfest
June 30: Casa Neverlandia
July 7: Cinco Punto Press
July 14: Dance Waterloo
Let’s tour together!
Meeting Link
Questions? Contact Jerry Slayton at classroom@artsparktx.org

Community Conversations: Susie Angel
2021-06-23 19:00 - 20:00
Art Spark Texas introduced our virtual arts roundtable series “Community Conversations” in Spring of 2020, as a way of staying connected and continuing our mission during this time of the pandemic. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month from 7-8pm CST, and invite visual artists, musicians, dancers, actors, writers, disability advocates and others to engage with the Art Spark community.

Learn more about our June artist of the month Susie Angel on our blog.
See our Facebook event for more information about this month’s Community Conversation.

Join the conversation! All are welcome.
Meeting Link via Zoom
Meeting ID: 984 2050 5609
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join our newsletter to get the information via email.

Virtual Open Mic: The Lion & Pirate
2021-07-03 19:00 - 20:30, 2021-08-01 13:00 - 14:30
The Lion & Pirate, inclusive open mic for writers, performers, and acoustic musicians invites you to join us the first weekend of the month. Sponsored by Art Spark Texas and the Pen 2 Paper Creative Writing Contest. Organizers also include Malvern Books and the Coalition of Texans Disabilities.
Join us on Zoom:
Meeting Link (for guests and performers)
Meeting ID: 853 2311 8334
Passcode: [REDACTED]
As always, we’re open to work in any genre: music, spoken word, improv, skits, storytelling, dance, poems or prose… Anything you can perform! There will be 10 sign up slots. We ask that you sign up ahead of time. Any sign-ups after 10 will be held on a backup list.
Stay tuned to our Facebook Page for event updates and invite your friends too. You can tune in just to connect with your community and give us those “clap” reactions.
The Lion & Pirate Open Mic performers sign-up by noon the day before the open mic:

Saturday, 3 July 2021; 7-8:30pm CDT. Performer sign-up form (July)
Sunday, 1 August 2021; 1:00-2:30pm CDT. Performer Sign-up form (Aug)
Saturday, 4 September 2021; 7:00-8:30pm CDT. Performer sign-up form (Sep)
Sunday, 3 October 2021; 1:00-2:30pm CDT. Performer sign-up form (Oct)

Questions? Please email Ms Boye: boye@artsparktx.org.
Thank you for donating and supporting Art Spark Texas Speaking Advocates Program and the Pen 2 Paper Creative Writing Contest.

Speaking Advocates Happy Hour
2021-07-20 17:00 - 18:00
Leave your inhibitions at the door, because it is the Speaking Advocates Happy Hour!
A fun, virtual space for folks to hang out, chat, play games, and more. Each month we welcome different bartenders to help us unwind with light conversation and social activities.
This is a closed group open to Speaking Advocates and OMOD participants. Members of all disabled communities welcome. Contact Ms. Boye and let us know a little about yourself.

Third Tuesdays of each month (mark your calendars and you won’t be late).
5 to 6 PM Central time

Want to be a future bartender?
Drop in and introduce yourself!
For Link to the Happy Hour visit OMOD FB Group or email Ms. Boye: boye@artsparktx.org.
