April 3-13, 2018 

Click here for the schedule for this year’s Arts Experience Festival!

Mission  The Arts Experience is a partnership of Hobart and William Smith Colleges and the Collaborative of NY, Inc. The festival is an opportunity for participants, including people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, the college community, and the general public to explore various means of expression through the arts.

      Vision  The Arts Experience will cultivate and embrace the spirit of inclusion               through participation in the arts, artistic performance and celebration.

This, just in from Annie Ventura at Arc of Seneca Cayuga.  It’s a party and some high-end head gear…

Public Launch Party for a new line of high-end winter headwear by the Arc of Seneca Cayuga happens on February 16th from 5:00-8:00 pm at the Vine at del Lago Resort and Casino. The new line, called Arctic Gear will be distributed nationally. The launch will be driven by a cutting-edge, multi-media campaign, including celebrity endorsements, which will feature the slogan “Redefine what it means to purchase”. Arc Executive Director, Allen Connely, stressed that 100% of the profits from the sale of Arctic Gear will be used to support programs for individuals with developmental and other intellectual disabilities, including autism.”

Every article purchased will make a real and positive difference to the community and over 60% of those who create these high quality products are individuals who have developmental disabilities. Arctic Gear will be made exclusively of 100% American materials; even the wool comes from American sheep and all manufacturing takes place in the Seneca–Cayuga Community. Arc Marketing Manager, Denise Osborne, is confident “that there is a large market for quality American made products whose purchase will provide significant social benefits by sustaining important programs in underserved areas.”

The launching of Arctic Gear is part of a $915,000 expansion of the Arc’s Finger Lakes Textile operation, which includes sites in both Auburn and Waterloo. The total workforce for both sites is almost 100 and they currently produce over 1.2 million pieces of headwear each year. Currently the majority of these pieces are purchased by the United States Armed Forces, but the costumer base is continually growing and will grow even faster with the introduction of the Artic Gear line. Arc will also be setting up its own digital fabric cutting installation by purchasing a computerized state-of-the art system from Eastman Corporation in Buffalo. Once in place, the system will substantially reduce the costs of producing Artic Gear, allowing it to be a successful competitor in the national market place.

The additional revenue created by Artic Gear will be used to compensate for continual cuts in government funding and allow Arc to continue expanding its mission to provide vital services in Cayuga and Seneca Counties to over 1,200 individuals with developmental disabilities and a support network for over 3,600 of their family members.

The Artic Gear Launch Party is free of charge and all are welcome to join in the celebration of the announcement. RSVPs are encouraged.

Arc of Seneca Cayuga will be honoring the first two individuals to be memorialized on the ‘Carlo Frappolli Distinguished Service Honorees’ wall.  Donna Augustine, Speech Pathologist at Arc for 27 years and lifelong advocate for children and for people with developmental disabilities, and Rob Gould, former staff, tireless self-advocate, member of the Waterloo Volunteer Fire Department and community volunteer, will be honored on Wednesday, April 26th at 3:30 pm at 1083 Waterloo-Geneva Road in Waterloo. Both Donna and Rob passed away unexpectedly in July 2016. All are welcome to attend the ceremony, which will be followed by a reception, where people can share their memories.

The ‘Distinguished Service Honorees Wall’ was established in honor of Carlo Frappolli, who with his wife, Laura, and other local parents met to eventually establish a NYSARC, Inc. Chapter in Seneca County in 1976. Prior to that, the Frappolli’s young son, Joey, born with developmental disabilities, had to travel out of the area in order to receive any services. vernors for several years.

Executive Director Donna Saskowski sent along a new logo, new mission and vision statements and a list of values of the newly merged Arc’s of Genesee and Orleans counties. And they’ve got a new name: Arc of Genesee Orleans.  What better time than during Developmental Disabilities Awareness month to bring our attention to the merger and to the rich history of Arc programs and services in Orleans and Genesee counties. The Arc is part of a long and wide legacy. Across the country, Arc’s celebrate its pioneering families who first gathered in 1948 to be the first to reverse the oppressive attitudes, policies and environment that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities lived under. Today, the Arc of Genesee Orleans joins a host of Arc’s throughout the country that promote and practice inclusionary approaches, person centered planning and high quality supports. Check out the Arc of Genesee Orleans’ new motivational framework –

• MISSION – Be a partner for people with disabilities, and a gateway to opportunities for each person to experience their desired potential.
• VISION – Life-long relationships, enriched by inclusion.
• VALUES – Diversity, Respect, Integrity, Visionary, Equality, Empowerment, Excellence (DRIVE³)

The two year merging process has invigorated their work.  Now more than ever, the Arc of Genesee Orleans is focused on the best approaches in partnering with the individuals they support and opening up a host of opportunities for the more than 1,200 individuals with developmental or other intellectual disabilities and their families residing in and around Genesee and Orleans counties in upstate New York.  We are rooting for everyone at the Arc of Genesee Orleans in 2017 and beyond!

The 8th Annual Arts Experience Festival Gala Art Exhibit

Calling all artists! Artwork submissions are sought for the ARTS Experience Gala finale on Thursday, April 6th, 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. on the campus of Hobart & William Smith Colleges (HWS) in Geneva, NY. The gala features music, dancing, an art exhibit, refreshments, and is free, wheelchair accessible and open to the public. The festival leadership team encourages submissions from all artists, both emerging and established, in the greater central NY region and beyond, and specifically seeks art from individuals who are :

• Affiliated/supported by Arc members of the the Collaborative of the Finger Lakes, Inc. and all other Arc’s.
• Affiliated with/supported by Non-Arc agencies
• Associated with Community Based Organizations
• Attending Public or Private Schools
• HWS Colleges students, staff and faculty
  • Click here for Full Document and Art Label Forms

Questions? Visit www.hws.edu/festival for info.

#bFair2DirectCare:  The movement to increase pay for direct care workers throughout the Arc’s in NYS and other provider agencies sent a strong message to Albany. Central NY provider agencies including Arc members of the Collaborative of the Finger Lakes gathered at the Arc of Monroe to protest the lack of budget support at the state level to make living wages a reality for DSP’s. Learn more, here, on   WROC 8 Rochester.    Links below lead to news coverage throughout NYS:

• Albany Times Union
• Albany Times Union Editorial
• Brooklyn Reporter
  • Brooklyn Daily Eagle
  • Buffalo News (LTE)
  • Capitol Pressroom
  • Gloversville Leader-Herald (LTE)
  • NY Daily News
  • Niagara Gazette
  • Oneonta Daily Star
  • Staten Island Advance  and Again
  • WKBW 7 Buffalo
  • WWNY 7 Watertown
  • Westchester Journal News Editorial

Our partners in the Annual Arts Experience festival, Hobart & Wm Smith Colleges, has released this years RFP.  Read on to learn more…

Are you, or someone you know, interested in facilitating an arts workshop, giving a performance, showing a film, sharing your art, or giving a presentation during the festival? Please share your talent, expertise and creativity! The festival aims to showcase talents and provide opportunities for participants to explore visual arts, dance, performance, music, video, fiber arts, digital storytelling, creative writing, photography, and/or other forms of creative expression in an inclusive environment. All festival activities are free, accessible, and open to all.

The 8th Annual Arts Experience: A Festival Celebrating Inclusion & the Arts encourages involvement from all Collaborative Arc chapters, artists, schools, community groups, disability services organizations, youth programs, HWS students, staff, and faculty,  and the public. More information about previous festivals available at http://www.hws.edu/festival/.

The theme of this year’s festival is Planting Seeds. Where possible, we encourage proposals for arts workshops, films, presentations, performances, displays, and the gala finale’s art exhibit to include various interpretations and representations around this theme, but welcome all ideas and proposals, even if not linked to the theme.

Please share information about the festival and the festival’s theme with artists, program participants and coordinators, art instructors, faculty, students, teachers, school and organization personnel, family members, caregivers, and anyone that may be interested in becoming involved with the festival. We welcome proposals from everyone.

Click here for the complete proposal form: 2017-arts-fest-rfp

Opportunity in Elmira, NY

The Arc of Chemung is seeking an experienced Executive Director who can build on its successful track record which includes a commitment to a person-centered culture. Established by family members in 1953, The Arc is a well-respected nonprofit agency that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families in Chemung County in Central New York. The agency provides quality supports for individual growth by providing opportunities for increased independence and participation in the community. The Arc of Chemung supports more than 800 individuals annually, with an operating budget of $24 million, primarily from government funding sources.  The Arc offers four types of supports: family, residential, vocational, & developmental health. Click here for a full description.

Application Process – Contact the Arc for details.

The Arc of Chemung County is an equal opportunity employer.

One of our members, the Arc of Seneca Cayuga, is preparing for a change in its leadership. Seneca Cayuga has posted the following job description, inviting qualified candidates to apply for the position of executive director.  Read on for details:

Arc of Seneca Cayuga seeks a dynamic Executive Director to lead and provide executive management to our organization supporting and assisting over 1,100 individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. This is an exciting opportunity to provide strong leadership and vision to an agency with approximately 600 employees and a $25 million operating budget. Arc of Seneca Cayuga has 18 locations in a two-county region.

The Executive Director will be an outstanding leader and change agent with proven skills to build upon Arc of Seneca Cayuga’s successful track record. S/he will work alongside a deeply committed staff and an engaged and dedicated Board of Directors to ensure the agency’s sustainability in a significantly changing policy and funding environment and will possess the leadership skills to guide the agency toward sustainability and growth. Strong skills in working with governmental and regulatory organizations is required.

Specific expertise sought includes strategic thinking and implementation, change leadership, collaboration and teamwork, operational excellence, financial and business acumen, a track record of revenue diversification toward financial resilience, service delivery excellence to the intellectually and developmentally disabled population, and community engagement and marketing expertise.

A Master’s or other advanced degree in a relevant field strongly preferred with a minimum of 10 years of organizational leadership experience required. Health and human services experience preferred.

Please submit resume, letter of interest and salary requirements to: executivedirector@arcsencay.org.
Arc of Seneca Cayuga is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.