Hosted by local artist Tom Cassidy at the 15th Annual Women's Art Festival.

Segment One: The West Bank School of Music was founded in 1970 by a University of Minnesota music student who felt that there should be a place where people could go to learn to play jazz, blues and folk. The school, located in an old boarding house in Minneapolis' West Bank neighborhood, has been an important part of that community for the past 37 years. During this time, thousands of people have attended classes, taken private lessons and gathered there to play music together. Access to Art correspondent Laura Stopyro checked out several of the activities taking place there and talked to some of the people involved.

Segment Two: The Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program (MAEP) is a curatorial department of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts whose mission is to show the work of local contemporary artists in their galleries within the museum. One unique feature of the program is that it is run by a panel of 7 Minnesota artists who are elected by a larger community of local artists. Access to Art correspondent Hamil Griffin-Cassidy attended the opening for a MAEP show by Ta-coumba Aiken and talked to the artist and some of the people involved with the program. Laura Stopyro edited this piece.

Also - at the Women's Art Festival, Access to Art Host Tom Cassidy talks to the festival's organizer Naomi Siegal about the day's event.

Segment Three: IFP Minnesota serves local filmmakers and photographers by offering classes, providing low-cost equipment rentals, project consultations and grant opportunities. Their McKnight Fellowships for screenwriters and filmmakers are great opportunities for Minnesota artists to secure $25,000 in funding for their projects. Access to Art correspondent John Akre visited IFP and talked with the 2007 McKnight award recipients.

Also - at the Women's Art Festival, Access to Art Host Tom Cassidy talks to exhibiting artist Shawn Glidden.

Segment Four: Interact Center for Performing and Visual Arts gives people with disabilities the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with professional artists to create challenging and illuminating works of art. Interact's Performing Arts program recently collaborated with the Tutti Ensemble from Adelaide, Australia, to put on a production of Between the Worlds, a musical in the tradition of West Side Story, where two young people from rival gangs, the Crips and the Norms, fall in love and face the consequences. Access to Art correspondent Beth Peloff attended a rehearsal and a performance of Between the Worlds and put together this piece.

Also - at the Women's Art Festival, Access to Art Host Tom Cassidy talks to exhibiting artist Sharon Parker.