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The Kennedy Center's Office of VSA & Accessibility was thrilled to bring the 2016 LEAD® Conference to Pittsburgh, PA July 31 - August 6, 2016 in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, and The Andy Warhol Museum. Please visit our website for information about the 2017 conference in Austin, Texas!ABOUT
Every year the Kennedy Center's Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD®) conference brings together professionals, both experienced and new, who are working to make cultural arts programs and facilities accessible to people with disabilities of all ages. Join us to meet and mingle with peers, learn about the latest technological advances, get the straight talk on legal issues, and strategize about how to reach, welcome, and engage patrons and visitors of all abilities.
- Basic to Advanced: No matter what level of experience you have, there's always something to learn. The building blocks will give newcomers the tools and information they need to develop a successful accessibility program while the discussion groups and advanced track address accessibility for the most experienced.
- Facilities to Programs: Sessions and discussions will cover all aspects of accessibility from the built environment to programs and communication.
- Legal Obligations & Customer Service: Learn about relevant laws and regulations and explore accessibility from the customer service and business case perspectives.
- Networking: Engage in conversations with colleagues who are enthusiastic about accessibility and eager to share their insights and learn from others.
Please join us to continue the dynamic dialogue to share exciting ideas and explore new and innovative ways to welcome everyone through the doors of our organizations.
LEAD 2016 PARTNERS
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
The Trust has overseen one of Pittsburgh’s most historic transformations: turning a seedy red-light district into a magnet destination for arts lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit arts organization whose mission is the cultural and economic revitalization of a 14-block arts and entertainment/residential neighborhood called the Cultural District. The District is one of the country’s largest land masses “curated” by a single nonprofit arts organization. A major catalytic force in the city, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a unique model of how public-private partnerships can reinvent a city with authenticity, innovation and creativity. Using the arts as an economic catalyst, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has holistically created a world-renowned Cultural District that is revitalizing the city, improving the regional economy and enhancing Pittsburgh’s quality of life. Thanks to the support of foundations, corporations, government agencies and thousands of private citizens, the Cultural Trust stands as a national model of urban redevelopment through the arts. For more information, visit TrustArts.org.
Children's Museum Pittsburgh
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is a place that delights and inspires children, where they can take off on fantastic flights of imagination daily, and return to earth to splash in a river, hammer a nail and ink a silkscreen. With 80,000 square feet of space the Museum welcomes over 275,000 visitors annually and provides tons of fun and loads of “real stuff” experiences for play and learning. Permanent hands-on, interactive exhibit areas at the Museum include The Studio, Theater, Waterplay, Attic, Nursery, Backyard and MAKESHOP®. The Museum’s award-winning, three-story, center building is screened by a shimmering wind Sculpture and connects two historic structures (Allegheny Post Office Building & the Buhl Building). In 2006 the Museum became a certified green building and was honored by the American Institute for Architects and the National Historic Preservation Trust. In 2011 the Museum was named as one of the nation’s ten top children’s museums by Parents magazine. For further information, call 412-322-5058 or visit pittsburghkids.org.
The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council (GPAC)
GPAC is the leading voice for arts and culture for the Greater Pittsburgh region, driving the political, financial, and professional support for the sector. As the region’s arts advocacy and service organization, GPAC offers expert programs, resources and research that strengthen and ensure a thriving creative sector. GPAC is a membership organization comprised of over 300 diverse non-profits and artist members across several counties. GPAC supports its members and the creative community at large through grant funding, workshops, professional development, tools and technical assistance, pro bono legal/professional consulting, and a range of advocacy initiatives. Partnering with state and federal organizations on policy, GPAC positions the arts as an important part of community revitalization, education, tourism, business and economic development. We strive to define and serve the greater good as a guiding principle.
The Andy Warhol Museum
Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the place of Andy Warhol’s birth, The Andy Warhol Museum holds the largest collection of Warhol’s artworks and archival materials and is one of the most comprehensive single-artist museums in the world. The Warhol is one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. Established 120 years ago by Andrew Carnegie, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh is a collection of four distinctive museums: Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Science Center, and The Andy Warhol Museum. The museums reach more than 1.3 million people a year through exhibitions, educational programs, outreach activities, and special events. Additional information about The Warhol is available at warhol.org.