CELEBRATING INCLUSIVITY. The Heyde Center is holding the first annual Big Read Program in the Chippewa Valley. 

Celebrate the new year with the Chippewa Falls Public Library and the Heyde Center as they commence their NEA Big Read Program in January. The event series’ metaphorical ribbon will be cut on Jan. 25 with two presentations (1pm and 6:30pm) by local author, public speaker, and veteran Pey Carter at the Heyde Center, 3 S. High St. 

The Big Read Program aims to connect people through a shared reading experience. One of 62 communities participating nationwide this year, Chippewa Falls will focus on celebrating artists with disabilities.

The series’ first presentation, “Heroes of All Kinds: Exploring Inclusion in Literature,” inspired by Rebekah Taussig’s book, Sitting Pretty, will be an interactive and reflective presentation on disabilities and inclusion on Jan. 25. 

Big Read events will run from January through June. Available to enjoy before the events kick off, “I Paint My Dreams,” an exhibit by Jeremy Sicile-Kira, an artist with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), will be on display Jan. 10- Feb. 7. “Color is evident in everything to me,” he told NBC News. There will be a virtual artist reception at the Heyde Center at 1pm on Jan. 18, 2024.

Another event, titled “Writing the Disability Experience,” is an open-to-the-public panel discussion hosted by Dr. Katherine Schneider and the UW-Eau Claire Foundation in celebration of the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, on Feb. 27 at the Chippewa Falls Public Library. 

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After the first of the year, we plan on putting out a call for local disabled creators to be able to share their artistic talents and their unique voices with their community at the Heyde Center.

debra johnson

executive director of the heyde center

Don’t miss the “March Movie Screenings”! Four movies that focus on individuals with different disabilities will be shown at the Chippewa Falls Public Library throughout March. Anticipated titles are Little People, Becoming Helen Keller, Camila’s Awakening, and Forget Us Not. 

On Apr. 17 from 1-2pm, the Sign Song Dancers from the Wisconsin School for the Deaf will head to the Heyde Center to perform choreography and sign American Sign Language to music. On May 8 from 2-5pm, the Heyde Center will host a Virtual Dementia Tour, partnering with the Chippewa County Aging and Disability Resource Center. Participants will experience what someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s may on a daily basis. While there is no cost, but registration is required and space is limited. To register, call the Chippewa County ADRC at (715) 726-7777. 

Heyde Center Executive Director Debra Johnson feels an important takeaway from this program is a more inclusive future. “It is even more apparent to me how without some of these accessibility services available, going out to participate in live arts events can be difficult and off-putting to people with disabilities,” she said. “After the first of the year, we plan on putting out a call for local disabled creators to be able to share their artistic talents and their unique voices with their community at the Heyde Center. The overall percentage of people with disabilities in Wisconsin is 11.7% or 689,130 people – a large number of people who could have better access to the arts.”

To keep up with these events and more, check out the Heyde Center’s website or their Facebook page as well as the Chippewa Falls Public Library’s website or Facebook page.