YET ANOTHER EVOLUTION OF THE VISUAL CONNECTIONS PROJECT

Over the years the Visual Connections Project has gone through a number of changes and transformations. The newest incarnation of the Visual Connections Project is in the form of a new book project that will explore creativity and the creative process in its many forms.
This is not my first attempt at doing this as I started working on a book project called MIX & SHIFT a couple of years ago but never got stuff on the page.So over the next two years I will be working to get this book published.

Not Going to Happen

Since the last post, a lot has happened. I have decided not to pursue a for profit venture after all. I have also accepted a new position with the Canadian Mental Health Association Halifax Dartmouth Branch as the Recreation / Community Access Coach for the new Getting Through the Door program. For now I am going to keep this blog up and running.  

MAJOR CHANGES COMING TO THE VCP

It has been a long time there have been any posts on this blogsite. After some five months,there are major changes coming to the Visual Connections Project. Within the next few weeks the Visual Connections Project will be registered as a for profit company and no longer affiliated with Veith Street Gallery Studio Association in any way.

Uncertain Future

Due to the recent funding cuts, the future of the Visual Connection Project is uncertain. If I can secure more permanent employment through my recent searches, then the VCP will be dissolved. As I previously mentioned there is also a chance that I will try to find another non-profit organization to host the project. Given the recent funding cuts, however I am not sure this will work. If the VCP is dissolved this blog site will also be deleted as well. A decision will be made by March 28th.

Worst News

I have just learned that Veith Street Gallery Studio Association will not even receive a cessation grant from the United Way of Halifax. Unfortunately this may mean the end of the road for Veith Street Galley.

SAD NEWS

Unfortunately Veith Street Gallery Studio Association received bad news from its primary funder, the United Way of Halifax, that neither the proposed VSG programs nor the Education and Outreach Programs (Visual Connections Project) fit their new funding criteria. As a result of this, funding has been cut and the organization is awaiting word on a cessation grant that may allow the gallery programs to remain in operation, but not the Education and Outreach programs (Visual Connections Project).

This means that my position with Veith Street Gallery Studio Association as the Education and Outreach Curator will end on March 28th. I am not sure what will happen to the Visual Connections Project, as I am pursuing other employment opportunities. It may show up as a program in another non –profit organization or it may just fade away.

For me the past five and half years with Veith Street Gallery Studio Association has been both challenging and rewarding. I feel I have grown as an educator and artist. I will miss the artist of Creative Spirit East and working with the other community service providers in HRM.

Changes

In our last post we said that after a review of the programs and services we would begin to implement  a number of changes. The first of these changes is the elimination of the professional development programs. Even though we said that we would not change these programs, we felt that these programs should be offered through another service in Halifax.

The second major change in programming is the expansion and renaming of the Creative Start Open Studio Program. The new name for the program will be the Visual Connections Open Studio program, which will be expanded from a ten week program to thirty week long program. This newly expanded program will also have an employment component, in which program participants will also do a work placement within the visual cultural industry. Of course this expansion will only happen if the funding come through.