Membership
Join our creative community of more than 20,000 art educators, college professors, researchers, administrators, and museum educators.
Join NAEA Renew MembershipNews
GENERAL NEWS & EVENTS | NEWS ARCHIVE
| .................................................................................................... | |||
|
What does the Convention theme Art Education and Social Justice mean? The Official Schedule is available online! |
|||
| .................................................................................................... | |||
|
PLEASE NOTE: NAEA has upgraded its online system. Some links and features may be in the transitioning process and temporarily unavailable, including Digication e-Portfolios. An update will be posted once the transition has been completed. Thank you for your patience as we continue to enhance member services! |
|
||
|
February 2010
Supported by a Grant from the National Art Education Foundation
January 2010
Gloablization, Art, & Education
December 2009
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|||
Read "
MONTHLY MENTOR: 
View the 
February
2-5-10
The Journal of Educational Controversy is pleased to announce that the winter 2010 issue on “Art, Social Imagination and Democratic Education” is now online. This issue is dedicated to the life and work of Maxine Greene. They would like to draw readers’ attention to an innovation that they introduced in this issue. In place of one of the printed articles, they are providing the reader a slideshow of a child’s artistic drawings, with the author’s voice describing to the readers the significance of what they are viewing in the child’s work. The author traces the motifs found consistently in the child’s drawing over the course of several years so the reader/viewer can gain insight into the child’s imaginative communities, values, and dreams. They invite readers to contribute formal refereed responses to our Rejoinder Section or more spontaneous responses on our journal’s blog.
National Endowment for the Arts Logo Design Contest. How would you represent the phrase “art works” in a single image? The phrase has three meanings: “art works” are the plays, paintings, dances, films and the other works of art that are the creation of artists; “art works” describes the effect of art on audiences and viewers, art works to transport, transform, inspire, and challenge us; and “art works’ is a reminder that arts workers are real workers with real jobs who are part of this country’s real economy. This is a fantastic opportunity to apply your creative talents to NEA's vision. The deadline for submissions is February 26th.
2-4-10
The Brass Ring Awards 24. The Brass Ring Awards competition is designed to motivate and reward students for excellence in art and design. Cash prizes are awarded and students may submit work in any of 40 different categories. This year marks the 24th year for the Brass Ring Awards, which attracted 949 entries in 2008 from 22 universities and 17 high schools. The awards presentation will be Sat., April 3rd at 3:00p.m. in Judd Theater. Call for Entries--Open submissions: February 1, 2010
Last day to submit: February 15, 2010. Enter online with $9 entry fees. Eligibility: All undergraduate students and high school students with artwork in the following areas: art direction, graphic design, illustration, photography, game art, interior design and fine art. Separate categories will be judged for high school and college students. Awards: Best of show, gold, silver, bronze and merit awards in each category based on the judge's scoring. All winners will be shown online.
"Cross Country Creatures" is an exciting project underway and the NAEA Middle Level National Division Director is looking for some more participants. 2nd graders in Georgia drew creatures (8.5x11") and wrote a short story about them. Now her Oregon middle school students will receive black and white copies of these to interpret. She would like 50 high school students (hopefully one school) to interpret and 50 college level students to do the same. When complete you will need to have digital images of your students' work to send for an electronic gallery. Additionally, you may want to host a display of your originals along with prints of the others (could even be the other 3 levels together with the story on one 8.5x11" sheet of paper). Let her know if you are interested in participating in or want more information about this multi-level, cross country collaboration. Contact: Linda Kieling kielingl@wlwv.k12.or.us.
2-3-10
HAITI HOUSES - tiny houses that make a BIG difference! This project was created by Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan, two art teachers who work at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, FL, as a way for their students to make a difference in the lives of others. If your students made "Haiti Houses" (http://www.haitihouses.org), they would like to track how much money you donated to Haiti relief. Please go to their site and click on the "making a difference" link on the homepage and fill in some basic information for them. They plan to post the "power of art" in dollar amounts. As of this morning (February 3rd), the project raised $24,603 (from schools that reported in). If you report and then raise more money, they will also have a way to update as well. They will be posting participating schools and photos (if you send them) next week. Some people have asked if there's a deadline - absolutely not! The people of Haiti will be needing our help for a long long time. Perhaps this could become some sort of annual event at your school.
2-2-10
ARTS CANVAS: THE VIEW FROM THE FIELD by Randy Cohen, Vice President of Local Arts Advancement, Americans for the Arts. Americans for the Arts released its new National Arts Index. The report represents a major milestone for arts in America. Never before has there been a single and annually produced measure of the health and vitality of the arts in America. The National Arts Index is an annual measure that uses 76 equal-weighted, national-level indicators of arts activity—making it one of the largest data sets about the arts industries ever assembled. This new report covers an 11-year period, from 1998 to 2008. The 2008 National Arts Index score is 98.4—down 4.2 points from its 2007 score of 102.6. A score of 105.5 would return the Index to its highest point, measured in 1999. While the arts industries in the United States have become increasingly creative and the number of working artists and arts organizations is growing, audience demand has failed to keep pace—causing the National Arts Index to drop to its lowest level in the 11 years we’ve tracked. To read more of Randy's post, please visit Americans for the Arts' ARTSBlog.
Teaching with Contemporary Art: Through the Artist's Lens, Sunday, February 28, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Art21 is co-presenting a professional development workshop for educators with the Museum of Modern Art. This workshop, which explores the ways contemporary artists are shaping the future, describing the present, and examining the past, introduces educators to a variety of strategies for engaging students with contemporary art. Drawing inspiration from Art21 Artist William Kentridge and his upcoming exhibition William Kentridge: Five Themes (February 24-May 17, 2010), educators will investigate how the artist suggests that the act of looking can serve as a "broad-based metaphor for how we understand the world." Participants will study works of art in the MoMA's galleries and use Art21's multimedia resources to form dynamic connections between key ideas and the work of contemporary artists. Through discussion and activities, educators will collaborate to identify ways to incorporate contemporary art into the curriculum. Emphasizing inquiry-based learning, thematic approaches to teaching, and lesson planning around big ideas, the session will focus on the multiple ways artists offer new perspectives about the world around us. Please join us! This workshop is open to teachers of any subject and grade level, but it is most suitable for the art classroom. The $50 fee includes all instruction, Art21 and MoMA resources, and lunch. To register visit MoMA's Web site and download the registration form
New Report from Washington State Arts Commission - K-12 Arts Education: Every Student, Every School, Every Year. The Washington State Arts Commission released a new publication, K-12 Arts Education: Every Student, Every School, Every Year, that is essential reading for anyone who is interested in the state of K-12 arts education in Washington State. Though the arts are recognized as a core academic subject in Washington State and across the nation, the level of K–12 arts education in our schools is often inadequate. Less time and attention are given to the arts compared to other core subjects; support and resources for teaching the arts varies widely from district to district and from school to school. The Every Student booklet is based on a survey to K-12 principals conducted during the 2008-2009 school year. For more information about how ArtsEd Washington is advancing arts education for all students, visit www.ArtsEdWashington.org
Grant Opportunity: Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Grant, U.S. Department of Education. The program supports the enhancement, expansion, documentation, evaluation, and dissemination of innovative, cohesive models that demonstrate effectiveness in:
• Integrating into and strengthening arts in the core elementary and middle school curricula;
• Strengthening arts instruction in those grades; and
• Improving students' academic performance, including their skills in creating, performing, and responding to the arts.
The FY 2010 application for the Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Grant program is now available. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 16, 2010; Notice of Intent To Apply: February 16, 2010. The electronic copy of the application package is a guide only. Applications must be submitted electronically through the e-GRANTS system at http://e-grants.ed.gov/.
VSA arts of Indiana Awarded 2010 NEA Access to Artistic Excellence Grant. VSAI has been awarded $15,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts’ Access to Artistic Excellence program to support and continue VSAI Community Arts Classes. For more info on VSAI Community Classes, please click here.
For more info on this grant and other Indiana grants, please click here. For a listing of grants by state, click here.
2-1-10
You are invited to "InAEA 2010 February meeting" on Wednesday, February 3, 11 AM
to Noon, EST. The International Art Education Association (InAEA) is an non- profit organization located in the virtual world of Second Life and on the web at http://www.inaea.org/. The goal of InAEA is to build bridges among art educators around the world and to promote the importance of art education. The agenda includes: 1. Announcements; 2. Dr. Karen Keifer-Boyd will lead the discussion: Exploring identity construction in Second Life; and 3. Field trip. The fieldtrip leader sends the landmark so we all transport to the same place. InAEA Meeting Location | You can also find InAEA on FaceBook. E-mail Sandrine Han at inaeaorg@gmail.com or send IM to Kristy Handrick in Second Life for assistance, questions, and ideas.
7th ANNUAL SAN DIEGO BAY WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL OPENS ARTIST CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR OFFICIAL FESTIVAL PAINTING. SoCal's largest wine and food festival is scheduled for November 17-21, and has announced its Featured Artist call for entries. Each year, one artist is chosen as the Festival's Featured Artist, with the winning entry used as the basis in creating the overall look and feel of the event's marketing collateral and official Festival poster. The Featured artist receives: 1. His/her artwork featured on all marketing collateral associated with the event: postcards, brochures, festival program, Web site, festival posters, advertisements, etc.; 2. Feature as a celebrity appearing at the Festival's Grand Tasting Event with a bio and photograph on the Web site and in the program, and a link to artist's website; 3. One 10x10 exhibit space with tent at the Festival's Grand Event in which to display and sell his/her artwork ($995 value); 4. Feature as the celebrity artist in an electronic broadcast to over 15,000 food and wine enthusiasts, and industry trade; and 5. Full-page black and white ad in the Festival program ($900 value). Submit in writing your intent to be considered as the Official Artist of the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival to Michelle Metter at metter@fastforwardevents.com no later than February 15, 2010.
Florida students choose arts over gym class under waiver program. Florida students choose arts over gym class under waiver program. Some 15,000 middle-school students in Central Florida have submitted waivers to opt out of physical-education classes under a policy adopted by the state this past fall. Students who skip gym take other electives such as music and art--which have been shown to improve their performance on state tests. (Orlando Sentinel, 1/31)
Ovation TV Launching Arts Education Initiative. Curriculum in tandem with Cable in the Classroom and NYC Dept. of Education. Ovation TV, along with Cable in the Classroom and the NYC Dept. of Education's Office of Arts & Special Projects is launching a national arts education initiative. The network has engaged NYC art teachers in developing lessons and selecting programming clips from Ovation TV documentaries. (Broadcasting & Cable, 1/27/10)
At Sacramento retreat, wondering how to make the arts matter. "Earlier this month I attended a two-day "Visioning Retreat” in Sacramento convened by California Arts Advocates, a group that represents the interests of the arts and lobbies state lawmakers on matters that affect culture in California. The main goal was to figure out how to revitalize public interest and government support for the arts at a difficult time. Participants were encouraged to meet with their state representatives and urge them to vote for a pending bill, AB 700, which would help replenish the budget of the California Arts Council, a grant-giving body that has seen its mandate devastated in recent years by successive cutbacks. (The Orange Country Register, 1/26/10)
Experts doubt smooth or timely rewrite of No Child Left Behind. Experts say a revision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act will be difficult to complete this year because of political differences among lawmakers and competing legislative priorities. The last revision of the law, in 2001, which resulted in its renaming as No Child Left Behind, took an entire year even with a strong bipartisan consensus that is no longer in place. "One can only wish them well, but reworking this monstrously complex statute is apt to prove almost as challenging as health care," one former education official wrote. (The New York Times, 1/28)
CONTEMPLATING THE VOID: INTERVENTIONS IN THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM-An Anniversary Benefit Exhibition, February 12–April 28, 2010. More Than 200 Artists, Architects, and Designers Invited to Imagine Dream Interventions in the Guggenheim Museum as Finale to 50th Anniversary Year.
Potters Council 2011 Exhibition: The Shoulders We Stand On. The Potters Council is pleased to announce its second juried exhibition to be held in conjunction with NCECA 2011 in Tampa, Florida. Your inspiration might lie in the simple forms of an anonymous Ancient potter. Perhaps you've been seduced from afar by the work of legendary potters. A teacher may have given you a unique point of view, personal guidance or new set of skills. Your work for this particular exhibition may have a visual link to a
particular culture or artist. It might find its connection on a more philosophical level. It must however show both a clear source of inspiration and a truly original new direction. Call for Entries: Begins May 1st. Deadline for receipt of entries: SEPTEMBER 1st, 2010.
January
1-29-10
NAEA continues to participate in a series of Stakeholder Meetings convened by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Following President Obama’s State of the Union address, Secretary Duncan sent the following letter to Education Stakeholders. Also, read Comments from R. Barry Shauck, NAEA President, from the Arts Education Stakeholders’ Forum held on January 20th, 2010, on the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
Obama calls for more school funding. President to seek up to $4B in new education spending, even as other programs are likely to see a spending freeze. (eSchool News, 1/28)
Administration pushes to rework No Child Left Behind law. The Obama administration launched an effort Wednesday to rewrite the No Child Left Behind law, with a proposed increase in federal spending, a pledge to make the Bush-era school reform program more flexible and an appeal to Republicans for bipartisan cooperation. (The Washington Post, 1/28)
Obama to seek up to $4B in new education spending. President Barack Obama said Wednesday his administration will work with Congress to expand school improvements across the country, saying the success of children cannot depend on where they live. (The Seattle Times, 1/27)
Administration pushes to rework No Child Left Behind law. The Obama administration launched an effort Wednesday to rewrite the No Child Left Behind law, with a proposed increase in federal spending, a pledge to make the Bush-era school reform program more flexible and an appeal to Republicans for bipartisan cooperation. (The Washington Post, 1/28)
States Vie to Stand Out in Race to Top Proposals. As peer reviewers for the U.S. Department of Education begin to comb through the thousands of pages of applications for $4 billion in federal Race to the Top Fund grants, they’ll be under pressure to determine which are most worthy of funding: those that promise the most, or those with the best chance of delivering. (Education Week, 1/27)
1-28-10
ConceptArt.org announced that it has teamed up with the award winning Illustration Academy, and its Visual Literacy Program to offer a new alternative to standard art and design colleges, starting with a five-week introductory course series in February 2010 from The Art Department (TAD). They have assembled an innovative art education program, combining real world and online learning with hands-on workshops led by industry icons. In efforts to make art education more accessible, a stunning two million dollar international scholarship program will also be available to students based on talent and financial need. Designed as the web’s first community site to learn art online and provide exposure for its members to gain industry attention, ConceptArt.org has reached out to millions of artists around the world through their innovative art and design symposiums and online, live-streaming classes. Its members, learning within the community and discovered by companies like Marvel, Massive Black, and Epic Games, have gone on to impact the world of art and entertainment.
Understanding Social Service and Community Needs in an Urban Community Arts Center. In the Winter 2010 issue of CultureWork, Reed Davaz McGowan addresses issues of meeting, and understanding, diverse community needs as an executive director for an urban community arts center. What are the challenges, and rewards, working with youth in a program that promotes civic engagement through the arts? How are these challenges and rewards heightened working with a cultural community that is very different from the cultural community with which an arts administrator is familiar? From her own experiences implementing programming for the North Philadelphia Latino community, McGowan addresses these questions through stories of fostering youth-adult partnership and youth-led decision-making.
Interactive Artist Magazine is clebrting its one year anniversary. To help commemorate the special occasion, they have a stellar line up of new articles and video lessons. The new issue will be available Feb. 20th.
1-27-10
The Power of Art 2010-Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities. The Power of Art is a national competition which celebrates excellence in art education and innovative teaching methods. The one day workshop is for art teachers who work with students with learning disabilities. 32 art teachers will be selected from the applications received. Sponsored by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation at The Lab School of Washington, the program will present ways art can be used to teach academic skills for students with learning disabilities. Applicants must teach art to K-12 students in a U.S. public/private school where some or all of the students have learning disabilities. Participants will receive: a one day workshop at The Lab School of Washington in Washington, DC; breakfast, lunch, and a special evening reception; & free art supplies from leading manufacturers for use in the participant's classroom. Limited funds are available for travel. Workshop Date: April 30, 2010 | Deadline For Applications: March 1, 2010 | Download Application
Obama to announce $4 billion in new federal education spending. President Barack Obama is expected to announce $4 billion in new federal spending for education as part of his State of the Union address tonight. Included in that amount is a $1.35 billion expansion of the Race to the Top grant program and $1 billion to revise No Child Left Behind -- all part of a 6.2% increase in the Department of Education's budget to help fund K-12 school reform. The budget proposal will include expenditures to "improve outcomes for students at every point along the educational pipeline," a senior White House official said. (CNN, 1/27)
1-26-10
Jan. 25-29: No Name-Calling Week (NNCW) 2010. NNCW hosts the annual Creative Expression Contest (CEC), an opportunity for students to submit original artwork that conveys their experiences and feelings about name-calling, and their ideas for putting a stop to bullying in their schools and communities. There will also be an exhibit of Creative Expression Contest entries at the Department of Education in Washington, DC! The exhibit will feature the 2009 contest winners, runners-up and honorable mentions, and will be held January 25 & 26, Mon.–Fri., 9am–5pm, The Lyndon Baines Johnson Education Building, West End Lobby at 400 Maryland Ave. S.W.
The Smithsonian Associates (SA) present Denis Dutton: Our Love of Beauty Comes Naturally 
, Tuesday, February 16th, 6:45 pm, S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive, SW, Washington, DC. Mr. Dutton is a professor at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, as well as the founder and editor of the popular website Arts & Letters Daily. He will be discussing his theories about art and evolution in conjunction with his new book, The Art Instinct. This link provides additional information about the program. SA would like to extend their member price of $15 to any NAEA members who are interested in attending. To register, NAEA members may use one of the following methods:
1. Call the registration line at 202-633-3030 and identify yourselves as members of NAEA.
2. Purchase tickets online. When you click the “Buy Tickets” button, a log-in screen will appear. On that screen, there will be a space for a promotional code. Enter code 182276 to get the member price for the program.
You are Invited Artists’ Reception: “But Ain’t We Got Fun”. feat. Tucker Bolton, Marcus R. Hartse, Vida Landa, & Mark Browning, Wed., Jan. 27, 6 to 8 pm, Gallery 126 and the Impromptu Gallery, DAWSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Glendive, MT.
District of Columbia's Mayor's Art Awards: Call for Nominations. The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities invites you to submit nominations for the 25th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards. The Mayor's Arts Awards are the most prestigious honors conferred by the city on individual artists, organizations and patrons of the arts. Join Mayor Adrian M. Fenty as he hosts the awards!
Children Create the Playground of Their Dreams. Seattle students design commanding castles and slithery slides, then watch their sketches come alive. Twenty-four students were picked as school ambassadors and invited to share their ideas in a design workshop that would inform their school's plans.
Model Projects: Maker Faire Inspires Learning and Creativity. This event on do-it-yourself projects offers ample fodder for classroom STEM activities. It's a rare occasion that draws 500 students and their teachers across school district lines to attend one giant educational workshop. It's even rarer that the field trip presents them with scores of hands-on projects that reinforce the everyday lessons being taught in the classroom.
All But 10 States Throw Hats Into Race to Top Ring. Stiff competition is expected for the $4 billion in federal economic-stimulus grants aimed at spurring state-level education reform. (Education Week,1/19)
Art Institute of GA offers scholarship opportunities to creative high school seniors. For high school seniors interested in pursuing a creative education, The Art Institute of Atlanta is offering its annual Poster Design Competition, which awards up to a full-tuition scholarship to study at one of the participating Art Institutes.
1-25-10
January 25-29, 2010 is "No Name Calling Week".
Thousands of schools across the country begin participation today in the seventh annual event, a week of educational activities designed to end name-calling and bullying of all kinds. NAEA is proud to be a Partner.
Experts Weigh In on 'Race to Top' Testing Rules
Experts enlisted to help the U.S. Department of Education shape its $350 million Race to the Top assessment competition urged the agency last week to make sure that states seeking the money share a clear vision of the testing systems they aim to design, are fully committed to the lengthy project, and carefully delineate responsibilities for getting the job done. (Education Week, 1/20)
Obama seeks $1.35 billion increase in Race to the Top funding. President Barack Obama plans to ask Congress to expand the $4.35 billion Race to the Top program by $1.35 billion, saying the grant competition has prompted education reforms nationwide. The funding would allow for a third round of grants in which districts, not just states, would apply, and education officials said they hope to indefinitely fund the grants. "We certainly see this as a key reform and a key investment that we would want to keep funding," an official said. (The Washington Post, 1/19)
All But 10 States Throw Hats Into Race to Top Ring. Stiff competition is expected for the $4 billion in federal economic-stimulus grants aimed at spurring state-level education reform.
The SPORE Project. This May 2010, turn your trash into art and take part of the largest art installation in the world! Thousands and thousands and thousands of paper bag mushrooms will be planted around the world! Show your support for art education and creativity!
1-21-10
The Nationals Arts Index, a new survey by Americans for the Arts, paints a troubling picture for arts organizations. While the number of arts organizations increased rapidly over a recent 10-year span, the percentage of people attending arts events declined, a new national survey by the nonprofit group Americans for the Arts reported Wednesday. (The Washington Post, 1/21)
Art21 Educators 2010–2011. Art21 Educators is an intensive, year-long professional development initiative designed to cultivate and support K-12 art educators interested in bringing contemporary art, artists, and themes into their classrooms. Join a national group of educators to explore, discuss, design, and document curriculum around the art of our time. This program provides a unique professional development opportunity for educators to: spend an intensive year working with Art21 and a network of peers which kicks off with a 6-day institute in New York City; share innovative ideas, resources, and strategies with educators from across the country; and use video and other media to document and reflect on your teaching practice. Complete applications must be received no later than Monday, February 26, 2010. HEAR TESTIMONIALS FROM CURRENT ART21 EDUCATORS.
Duncan Carves Deep Mark on Policy in First Year . One year after his confirmation, the education secretary's record offers a template for the agency's future policy direction. (Education Week, 1/19)
Endangered Species Day is a celebration of our nation’s wildlife and wild places.
Started in 2006 by the United States Congress, Endangered Species Day is an opportunity to learn about endangered species. The art contest is an integral part of the fifth annual national Endangered Species Day, May 21, 2010. The contest’s winner will be honored with a special trophy designed by a gifted young artist and will also be recognized at a reception in Washington, D.C. in May, 2010.
Winners will be chosen in four categories: K-Grade 2, Grades 3-6, Grades 7-9, Grades 10-12. From these, one national winner will be selected in 2010. The deadline for submissions is March 26, 2010. Entries should be sent to: Ogden Museum of Southern Art, University of New Orleans, 925 Camp St., New Orleans, La. 70130. More info
THE MARIE WALSH SHARPE ART FOUNDATION - 2010 SUMMER SEMINAR PROGRAM—June 6-June 19; June 20 – July 3; or July 4 - July 17. The Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation Summer Seminar, is a scholarship program (full tuition, room and board and all seminar related expenses, excluding transportation), available nationally to artistically gifted high school juniors (2009-10) in public and private schools. The Summer Seminar, held on the campus of The Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO, is designed as an art institute offering an intensive visual art studio program for the students. Three, two-week seminars will be held this summer. Brochure/applications will be mailed by the Foundation to all public and private high schools in early January. The application deadline is Wednesday, April 7th, 2010.
1-20-10
Study Released on the Arts in the Public Schools of Franklin County, MA For the last decade, the arts in Franklin County Schools have increasingly been sacrificed ... what teachers and parents can do...
States take varied approaches to Race to the Top as deadline nears. The first deadline to apply for federal Race to the Top funds is Tuesday, and states are taking different approaches in competing for the funding. California lawmakers have approved the use of student test scores to evaluate teachers and authorized other reforms, while Texas Gov. Rick Perry has taken his state out of the running, saying the program would tie the state to costly national standards without providing enough funding to make needed changes. (The Washington Post, 1/17)
Obama to Seek $1.35 Billion Race to Top Expansion. President Barack Obama will seek $1.35 billion in next year’s budget to expand the Race to the Top competition, paving the way for the popular economic-stimulus grant program to become a permanent part of the administration’s education arsenal. (Education Week, 1/19)
FORWARD 2010 FORUM BRINGS TOGETHER EDUCATION DECISION MAKERS TO DISCUSS INNOVATION IN EDUCATION, February 4-5, 2010, Charlotte, N.C. “It is no secret that education is facing both tremendous hurdles as well as opportunities right now. Topics covered include:
• The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
• The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
• Teacher accountability
• Common Core Standards
• Statewide data systems
• Turning around low-performing schools
Forward 2010 will include attendees from across the country and from all levels of educational leadership, e.g., education researchers, policy makers, foundation program managers, reform agencies, charters, school board members, superintendents, special program directors, and assessment and evaluation directors.
Americans for the Arts today announced the release of the National Arts Index at a press conference held at the National Press Club and kicking-off its 50th anniversary year. The National Arts Index is the first study designed to measure the health and vitality of the arts industries in the United States. The National Arts Index is composed of 76 national-level research indicators produced by the federal government and private research organizations. The 2009 National Arts Index report, as well as one-pagers for all 76 indicators is available for download at http://www.AmericansForTheArts.org/go/ArtsIndex.
NIU Art Café @ Second Life invites you to the upcoming events—SL Art Educator Series. These events are free. Register in advance by sending an email to art.cafe.sl@gmail.com. In the email, indicate the event # you would like to attend. The instructions and specific SLurls for the events will be sent to you:
- #1 January 22 (Friday) @ 8pm CST. Mary Stokrocki & Sandra Andrews will present "Empowering the Disenfranchised Through Art: Explorations in Building Sites and Futures in Second Life". This ongoing, participatory action research project began with three sets of variously disempowered participants as co-researchers, and each participant has an equal voice. We will provide a transitions program in which people can build a virtual home while going through a curriculum that includes sustainability and planning for a new life, including a virtual business.
- #2 February 19 (Friday) @ 8pm CST. Karen Keifer-Boyd will present "Body<self-referential organization>Landmark: Limit-case Movements in Art Education". Working with the poststructural culture theories of Brian Massumi (2002) and Elizabeth Ellsworth (2005, 2007, 2009), this presentation concerns movement, affect, and sensation in the self-referential organization of the body and landmark in Second Life in search of "limit-cases" as art education.
- #3 March 19 (Friday) @ 8pm CST. Stephen Carpenter will present “Real World Reflections on Virtual World Instruction: (Re)Thinking Distance Education, Pedagogy, and Visual Culture”. This reflexive presentation will offer insights about how Second Life has been used over the past three years as a pedagogical space for graduate students in curriculum and instruction to envision and (re)think theoretical, practical, and constructed aspects of distance education, pedagogy, and visual culture.
- #4 May 14 (Friday) @ 8pm CST. Lilly Lu will present “Exploring SL Art: A Virtual Field Trip”. As a contemporary art medium, SL allows artists to create not only static and animated but also interactive 3D art with which viewers can interact. The presenter will take participants on a virtual field trip to explore and experience different SL art exhibits and spaces.
1-19-10
New Greene Grants Awarded. "Where the arts and social action intersect." The foundation directs its primary attention to the intersections among various modes of social action and engagements with the arts.
2009 Greene Grants awarded to:
Barnard College's Storytelling Project: 40 Years Later Now Can We Talk? Developing curriculum to teach about race, racism, and social justice—using storytelling and the arts. "40 Years Later Now Can We Talk?" is a documentary film about white and African-American former Mississippi high school students (class of 1969) who re-convene to share their memories of that time; and describe their experiences of discrimination and racism. The film is currently in production and scheduled for release Fall 2010.
Boston Arts Academy Foundation: The Hardest Questions Aren't on the Test: Lessons from an Innovative Urban School—Book Tour. The Boston Arts Academy for performing and visual arts is one of Boston's "pilot" public high schools. The school prepares a diverse community of aspiring artist-scholars to be successful in their college or professional careers, and to be engaged members of a democratic society.
Make the Road NY: Word on the Street. A leading grass-roots organization providing adult literacy, legal services, health access, youth development, and college access programs to low-income and immigrant New York city communities. Word on the Street is Make The Road's media initiative—with a youth-produced bilingual newspaper, and media projects ranging from audio slideshows to short documentaries. These youth-produced films explore issues such as police accountability, housing and gentrification, and justice in the education system. Their work will be shared with community groups, schools, and elected officials.
Fine-Arts Techniques Linked With Academics. An Arizona-based fine-arts program that teaches subjects in non-traditional ways has quantifiable proof that their method of teaching helps children learn. (AP, 1/11)
New Philadelphia Arts High School Gets High Marks. "With its academic focus, arts bent, and emphasis on technology and other 21st-century skills, Rush Arts is the kind of place district officials envisioned when they announced plans in 2002 to dramatically alter the high school landscape. Though some argue that too many of the city's new high school options are selective, leaving fewer resources for the district's failing large neighborhood high schools, those who have been able to take advantage of schools like Rush Arts have been wowed... (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/12)
New Reports: Arts Education Promotes Emotional Intelligence. "Arts education, which tends to be something of an afterthought in many American school districts, is facing an even tougher time than usual. Twin threats—budget cuts necessitated by dwindling tax revenues and the push to focus on math and reading skills as measured on standardized tests—have left music and art classes in a particularly vulnerable state. One notes students whose education is dominated by rote learning will not be prepared for 'the jobs of tomorrow,' while the other explores the value of the arts in helping kids understand their emotions." (Miller-McCune Online Magazine, 1/7)
The Recession's Lasting Impact on Museums. "The Great Recession has been tough on museums, especially American ones. Layoffs, furloughs, and hiring freezes have become common. Endowments shrank by up to a third during the worst of the market swoon—the larger the institution, the steeper the losses. Endowments are now creeping back, but confidence isn’t." (The Art Newspaper, 1/10)
Americans for the Arts Conference Scholarship - Deadline is January 22. Americans for the Arts is pleased to offer a limited number of scholarships to arts leaders across the country to assist them in participating in the 2010 Americans for the Arts Half-Century Summit. The purpose of these scholarships is to provide assistance for arts professionals to attend the Summit, network with peers, and share strategies for success. Applicants must be professional members of Americans for the Arts. Scholarship applications are due by January 22, 2010, at 5:30 p.m. (EST). Learn more about scholarship eligibility and download the application by visiting the Half-Century Summit website.
Crosscurrents of American Art, July 12–17 and July 26–31, 2010. Application deadline: March 15, 2010. The National Gallery of Art invites K-12 teachers to apply for a six-day seminar that explores American art of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Individual sessions integrate art, social history, language arts, and learning theory through examination of the collections of the National Gallery. View Application Form
ACTIVITY: FACES & PLACES (Shockwave required). NGAkids Faces & Places is a two-part interactive exploration of American folk art. Using pictorial elements inspired by the Gallery's extensive collection of naive paintings donated by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, youngsters can construct panoramic landscapes and create portraits featuring a lively cast of characters. Traditional folk music and surprising animations enliven the online compositions. This Art Zone activity is suitable for all ages.
More Guideposts for 'Race to the Top' Assessment Contest. The experts convened by the Education Department raised a long list of surprisingly fascinating questions. And that list offers a window into the dilemmas the department faces as it prepares to launch the $350 million competition for consortia of states to design common tests pegged to common academic standards. (Education Week blogs, 1/14)
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Announces 2010 Grantees. The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) is pleased to announce its FY 2010 grantees. In total, the Commission will distribute $7.25 million. This includes support to 18 organizations who received funding through our American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. From the nine special events, artist resource partnerships, public art project, and 16 grant programs, 515 grants were issued to support artists and organizations in the District. See who is on the list.
1-15-10
2010 Heinz Ketchup Creativity™ Contest. Students from schools across the US in grades K-12 are invited to show their creativity for a chance to have their artwork appear on millions of Heinz® Ketchup packets! Now in its fourth year, the Heinz Ketchup Creativity™ Contest offers young artists the chance of winning national recognition and exciting rewards for themselves and their schools.
For the first time in Ketchup Creativity history, one of the top 12 winners will be chosen as the grand prize winner and his or her artwork will appear on approximately 2.5 million Heinz® Ketchup bottles, in addition to the single-serve packets. To top it off, that student will receive a $5,700 cash prize for the distinction as Heinz's first Ketchup Creativity bottle artist and grand prize winner.
• The top three entries in each grade (K-12) will be showcased online for America to vote for their favorites. From the 12 winners, Heinz will choose an overall winner to be awarded the grand prize.
• Twelve winners each will receive a $1,000 cash prize for their creative achievement. Their schools will receive a $1,000 award for art supplies, $1,000 worth of Heinz® Ketchup, and a poster of the winner’s art. In addition, the grand prize winner will receive a $5,700 cash prize.
Deadline for submissions is February 26, 2010. Visit www.KetchupCreativity.com for more information, including contest kits and lesson plans.
You are invited to help launch the Decade of Design Education at the inaugural meeting of The International Design Education Alliance for Schools (IDEAS), Tuesday, April 13, 2010 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, Washington, D.C. The focus of the meeting will be on design education as part of regular instruction by qualified teachers for PREK-12 students. Participants will include educators, designers, and representatives from business who support design education, to include PRE-K-12 Educators; Museum educators; Educators in Architecture and/or Design enrichment programs, University teacher-preparation programs, design organizations and others. Please contact the meeting coordinators for more information: Martin Rayala, Ph.D., Rayala@Kutztown.edu and Robin Vande Zande, Ph.D., rvandeza@kent.edu. Registration for people attending in person is $49 to cover materials, continental breakfast, lunch and other amenities. Provide your name, affiliation, address, email, phone, etc. with your check for $49 made out to BEIG/DIG c/o Rick Knivsland and send it to: Rick Knivsland, Art and Design, Price Laboratory School, 19th and Campus, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613.
2010 SARGENT ART BRIGHTER WORLD ONLINE ART CONTEST. Sargent Art invites you to participate in a nationwide K-12 online art contest. Submit digital photographs of your student artwork online. Photographs of drawings, paintings, or collage made using watercolor, tempera paint, acrylic paint, liquid watercolor, crayons, colored pencils, markers, oil pastels, chalk pastels, chalk, glue or glitter glue. 3 CATEGORIES: Elementary (K-5), Middle (6-8), and High (9-12). PRIZES: Top overall winner will win a trip to New York Art Museums along with one parent and the art teacher. Top elementary, middle, and high school winner will each receive a winner's certficate and art certificate and art supplies for the winner and art teacher. DEADLINE: APRIL 30, 2010. EMAIL: bhakti.oza@sargent.com.
1-13-10
School infuses arts, technology into curriculum. A Philadelphia high school offers a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum with an arts focus and is part of a nearly decade-long push to increase school choice in the district. The Arts Academy at Rush High School infuses art into core subjects -- while also emphasizing technology and 21st-century skills -- and is drawing students from throughout the district. The academy serves 300 ninth- and 10th-graders and plans to add a class each year. (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/12)
Students take recycling project into art classroom. Students at a New York state middle school are stepping up efforts to make a positive impact on their environment by composting, recycling and using recycled materials in their art classroom. "Teachers are incorporating recycling into their lesson and curriculum planning," said the school's art teacher and head of the cafeteria recycling project. "Best of all, the students get it -- they are really into it!" (The Times Herald-Record, 1/13)
The 2010 AAM Muse Awards. Recognizing outstanding achievement in museum media, the AAM Media and Technology Committee announces the 21st annual Muse Awards competition with a NEW Student category. Categories of media include audio and video tours, interactive kiosks, multimedia installations, websites and 'web 2.0' formats. See the categories and criteria page for more information. Only online applications from museums and producers will be accepted from Dec. 1, 2009 to Jan. 31, 2010. The cost is $30 per entry.
1-12-10
MENC: The National Association for Music Education has begun a search for a new Executive Director. A job description and details of the search process can be found on the MENC web site at http://www.menc.org/execsearch.
1-11-10
Educators await Obama's mark on No Child Left Behind. Eight years after President George W. Bush signed the bill that branded an era of school reform, the education world is wondering when President Obama will seek to rewrite the No Child Left Behind law. Obama officials, who for months have been on a "listening and learning" tour, are expected to propose a framework for the successor to a law that is two years overdue for reauthorization. (Washington Post, 1/9/10)
Art Educators: You are invited to participate in an online survey about the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education art classes and curricular approaches to art education. If you would like to share your input, please go to: http://tinyurl.com/ygtzd6h
Registration is now open for the AEP Spring 2010 National Forum, "States of Change: New Leadership in Arts and Education." The Spring 2010 National Forum will be focusing on new leadership not just at the federal level, but also in how it relates to arts and education leaders of the next generation, and the new ideas and concepts that will help bring us to the next stage in making the arts a real and cohesive part of every child’s education. Registration is $195, and ends March 15, 2010. For information, details and updates on the Forum, please go to: http://aep-arts.org/forums/dc2010.html.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Social Justice will be the theme of the September 2010 issue of the Journal of Art Education. What does social justice means for art educators? Reflecting the 2010 conference theme and the ongoing conversations of our art education community, the September 2010 issue invites multiple views and perspectives on art education practices shaped by social and equity issues and concerns. This double issue is shaped by a vision of the journal as a transformative vehicle that can further the education of our membership not to accomplish conformity, but to engage in what Paulo Freire called “the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world." For questions or inquiries, contact the editor, Flávia Bastos via email: flavia.bastos@uc.edu.
The Phoenix Elementary School District Fine Arts Department Presents: "LIVE Action Painting: A Tribute to Jackson Pollock". The students of the Phoenix Elementary School’s Fine Arts will be giving a
presentation in honor of Jackson Pollock Month that will include the live creation of several works of art with a silent auction following. Refreshments will be provided along with live music. Where: Kenilworth School Auditorium, 1210 N. 5th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85003 (5th Ave. and Culver (by I-10)) When: February 5, 2010 at 7:00 pm
1-8-10
Students learn business of art through fundraising project. Fifth-grade art students from a Pennsylvania school district have created and are selling note cards as a fundraiser for a public library facing reduced hours because of budget cuts. The project is introducing the students to the business of art -- teaching them about production and distribution -- in addition to the creative side. "I wanted them to understand that they can use their talent as artists to help others," one teacher said. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1/7)
1-7-10
States race to meet federal Race to the Top deadlines. Expect to hear a lot in the next two weeks about states racing to qualify for the first round of federal Race to the Top grants, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (eSchoolNews, 1/7)
1-6-10
The U.S. Department of Education Invites You to A Ribbon-cutting Ceremony and Reception Featuring Works of Art by Student Winners in The 2009 PTA Reflections Program “WOW!”, Friday, January 15, 2010, 11 a.m., U.S. Department of Education, LBJ Education Building Auditorium, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202. To attend the event, please RSVP to Marilyn Joyner at 202-401-1669 or marilyn.joyner@ed.gov no later than Monday, January 11, 2010. The exhibit will be open to the public through February 19, 2010. Please contact Marilyn Joyner to visit.
Save the Date -- ESEA Reauthorization Meeting for Arts Stakeholders. An opportunity to provide recommendations on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act relating to arts education. Where: U.S. Department of Education; 400 Maryland Avenue, SW - Barnard Auditorium, Washington, D.C. 20202 | When: January 20, 2010; 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. | Presiding: Carmel Martin, Assistant Secretary, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development; James E. Shelton, Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Innovation and Improvement; Scott D. Pearson, Associate Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Innovation and Improvement; Emma Vadehra, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development. To receive more information in early January, send an e-mail to: eseaartsstakeholders@ed.gov.
San Diego Unified and UC Irvine Help Children Learn English through the Arts. A partnership between the University of California, Irvine, and the San Diego Unified School District has begun using arts lessons to boost the language skills of K-2 English learners in 15 schools located in San Diego's least affluent neighborhoods. Instead of asking children to sit quietly at desks, filling out worksheets, teachers co-teach 27 arts lessons (9 in theater, 9 in dance, 9 visual art) with teaching artists in their own classrooms. This boosts the amount of verbal interaction--a key factor in learning a new language--between adults and young English learners.
Art21 and 92YTribeca present "Culture Wars: A Night of Trivia with Art21", a trivia event inspired by contemporary art and the culture of our time. In the spirit of Art21's mission to increase knowledge of contemporary art and in combination with the social traditions of game night and happy hour, this multimedia event invites you to test your knowledge of current art, film, music and online cultural phenomena. It takes place on Thursday, January 28, 2010, 6:30 p.m., at the 92YTribeca in New York City.
Art21 Educators is an intensive, year-long professional development initiative designed to cultivate and support K-12 art educators interested in bringing contemporary art, artists, and themes into their classrooms. The 2010-2011 cycle of Art21 Educators will accept applications from K-12 art and media teachers from across the United States. Emphasis will be placed on creating a group of participants who reflect diverse urban, rural, and suburban communities and student populations. The application process will open in early 2010, with an announcement to be included in a forthcoming email newsletter.
Art teachers set to ‘show their stuff’ at Heider, West Salem, Wisconsin. The West Salem School District’s four art instructors believe it’s important for students to see them not only teaching art but doing art, including NAEA member, Danielle Tsukano.
Arne Duncan’s History Lesson to the American Federation of Teachers (AFT): Elevating the Teaching Profession?
1-5-10
Arts Integration Schools: What, Why, and How, At the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, April 7-10, 2010
This conference shares a decade of Kennedy Center’s experience in 20 Washington, D.C. area schools aimed at building a school- wide philosophy for and practice of arts integration. The program, Changing Education Through the Arts (CETA), is a school reform effort realized through ongoing, in-depth professional learning for teachers.
WHAT and WHY
• Examine a definition and rationale for arts integration
• Explore the key features of the Kennedy Center’s school-based arts integration program
• Visit a Kennedy Center CETA school to see arts integration in practice
HOW
• Examine and apply a process for creating an arts integration school
• Participate in guided team planning
• Enjoy an evening with the arts: attend Terrence McNally’s Master Class, the Tony-award winning play which depicts opera diva Maria Callas as she reflect on the glories, triumphs, and tragedies of her own life and career.
Full Attendance Option (April 7-10): $350 per team member (includes conference, 200-page resource binder, meals, and a Master Class)
Partial Attendance Option (April 7-8): $225 per person (includes conference and meals)
Information: http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/ceta/conference.html
1-4-10
Students motivated by teacher's use of art, music in the classroom. A Mississippi elementary-school teacher uses art and music to motivate students and help them learn. Tilden Young painted characters from "Finding Nemo" and "SpongeBob SquarePants" on his classroom walls. He said the murals give his students a "sense of pride and creativity." He also posted the phrase, "Don't be amazed, be amazing," above his desk for his students and uses music to engage his students in classroom lessons. His students recite multiplication tables and vocabulary words to the beat of hip-hop songs. The Vicksburg Post (Miss.)
Utah teachers create Web site to share student art. Two Utah art teachers in different schools use iMac computers and videoconferencing capabilities to share teaching duties. The award-winning teachers also have collaborated on the Web site, theartmachineonline.org, where students can post their own art and view the work of their peers. "The idea of the machine is, you put in the raw materials, the kids' ideas, effort, and out comes more creativity, imagination and original ideas, as well as kids who are not afraid to take risks or try new things," one teacher said. Standard-Examiner (Ogden, Utah) (12/23)
Dept. of Ed.: Race to the Top applications could take 681 hours. It should take states roughly 681 hours to complete applications for federal Race to the Top funds, according to estimates released by the Department of Education, which added 39 hours to its original estimate of 642 to account for more complicated contest rules. Many state education officials who have been working for months on the grant proposals -- due Jan. 19 -- say the estimate is low. "We just know our effort is immense and time-consuming," one Florida education official said. The New York Times (free registration) (12/27)
December
12-23-09
From Americans for the Arts - ARTS WATCH SPOTLIGHT, 12-16-09:
CULTURE AND COMMUNITIES
France: President Sarkozy Pledges Over $1 Billion to Digitize French Works
The New York Times, 12/15/09
"President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged nearly $1.1 billion on [December 14] toward the computer scanning of French literary works, audiovisual archives, and historical documents, an announcement that underscored his government’s desire to maintain control over France’s cultural heritage in an era of digitization. The French National Library announced in August that it was engaged in discussions with Google over the digitization of its collections, part of a global effort by Google to digitize the world’s literary works. This provoked an uproar among French officials and the publishing community there, and the discussions were suspended."
http://bit.ly/7bBM7W
Georgia: Atlanta's Olympic Park District Adding Three New Museums by 2015
The Associated Press, 12/14/09
"New York City has Times Square. New Orleans is known for the French Quarter, and in San Francisco, camera-toting tourists flock to Fisherman's Wharf. Now, city leaders in Atlanta hope to add Centennial Olympic Park—and the growing roster of museums dotting it—to the list of popular urban tourism corridors. The downtown district, once home to rundown buildings and dark streets, was transformed in the mid-1990s into the town square for the 1996 Olympic Games. Now the 21-acre park is bordered by the world's largest aquarium, the international headquarters for CNN, the World of Coca-Cola, a children's museum, and the National Museum of Patriotism. In the next five years, three new museums will open around the park—the Center for Civil and Human Rights, the National Health Museum, and the National College Football Hall of Fame (which is moving from its current location in South Bend, IN)."
http://bit.ly/4JEFzg
ARTS EDUCATION AND THE CREATIVE WORKFORCE
Texas: Austin Film Director, Judge, and Politician Write Supportive Arts Education Column
Austin American-Statesman, 12/14/09
Film director Richard Linklater, retired judge Scott McCown, and Travis County Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt wrote a commentary published in a local Austin newspaper promoting arts education in local schools. The following is an excerpt: "As parents who see firsthand the effects of a down economy on our schools, we applaud Superintendent Meria Carstarphen and the school board for striving to get the best return on our education dollars. However, we are mindful that, as the focus on math and science intensifies, there is a parallel tendency to view other subjects as nonessential. Instruction in music, theater, the visual arts, dance, and other disciplines are relegated to the back burner of academic priorities. Tight budget cycles often find them first on the chopping block. So as the Austin school district faces a projected budget shortfall, it is critical to understand that every dollar spent on fine arts education is a dollar well-invested."
http://bit.ly/80bMGg
Alaska: Arts Advocacy Group Raises Funds for Art Scholarships
Juneau Empire, 12/13/09
"An arts advocacy group has teamed up with a Sitka-based chocolate company to sell candy bars to fund art scholarships for Juneau's graduating seniors. SmART Bars—available at Alaskan & Proud, Juneau Arts & Culture Center, and from Arts for Kids board members—are a fundraiser for two annual $500 senior visual arts scholarships offered to Juneau-Douglas and Thunder Mountain high school seniors. The fundraiser started two years ago by Arts for Kids, a nonprofit instrumental in starting the district-wide elementary school art program, in partnership with Theobroma Chocolate Co., in Sitka. Linda Frame, instructional services coordinator for the Juneau School District and six-year Arts for Kids Board member, said the project started when the nonprofit noticed there was no one in town who gave out visual art scholarships."
http://bit.ly/4C1VkZ
Tennessee: Local Arts Agency Creates Elementary School Arts Initiative
Chattarati.com, 12/9/09
"[Last week], Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga launched Imagine, an education initiative aiming to expose every Hamilton County public elementary student to the arts through activities presented by local organizations. This week, 3,600 second grade students from 47 elementary schools are participating in the inaugural event—the Chattanooga Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker. Imagine is an effort to foster regular experiences with the arts for every public school student no matter the school, explains Rodney Van Valkenburg, Director of Communications and Arts Education at Allied Arts...Imagine is the product of a strategic planning process for Allied Arts' educational programs. As part of the process, the organization surveyed experiences in local schools and found that art activities varied significantly from school to school despite proximity, location, and demographics."
http://bit.ly/5gMmIH
PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN THE ARTS
Connecticut: Hartford Uses Federal Stimulus Funding to Help Local Artists
The Hartford Courant, 12/15/09
"In the Great Depression, the federal government paid artists to paint murals in post offices and photographers to document the country's hardship. The city of Hartford is taking a page from history, using $600,000 in federal stimulus money for urban development to pay artists or arts nonprofits in 2010. As part of the stimulus package, cities received 50 percent more community development grants than in a typical year. David Panagore, Hartford's development services director, said city officials came up with the idea of using the supplemental money to support the arts. Many cities use the money to build curbs or sidewalks, or help poor residents repair their homes."
http://bit.ly/53tCs9
Michigan: Ann Arbor City Council Temporarily Cuts Public Art Funding in Half
The Ann Arbor Chronicle, 12/11/09
"One day after the Ann Arbor City Council voted to temporarily cut in half a program that funds public art projects, the commission that oversees that funding strategized over how to respond. They hope to rally others in the community to attend a public hearing at the December 21 city council meeting, when council members will take a final vote on the three-year funding cut. Several [people] expressed concern that some council members didn’t seem to understand how the city’s Percent for Art program works. Since it was formed in 2007, the program has set aside one percent of any city-funded capital improvement project, to be used for public art. The proposal initially approved by council on [December 10] would cut that funding to a half percent."
http://bit.ly/7blZTM
PHILANTHROPIC GIVING AND THE ARTS
Illinois: Arts Institute of Chicago Offers 'Adopt a Dot' Fundraiser for Seurat Work
ArtDaily.org, 12/13/09
"This year one of the Art Institute of Chicago's most beloved paintings, Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, is 125 years old. [Patrons can] help celebrate by adopting one of the dots that compose this masterpiece. When you adopt a dot, you will receive a commemorative button pin in one of six colors chosen from the painting as well as a card describing the location of your dot. In addition, your adoption will support the museum's conservation and curatorial departments that work tirelessly to keep the museum's entire collection dazzling and fresh for many future generations. Adoption fees are $10 for one dot, $25 for three dots, and $50 for all six colors."
http://bit.ly/5i1Rvj
THE ARTS IN RECESSION
Recession Exposed Weaknesses in Overstretched Museum Plans
The New York Times, 12/12/09
"Within months of its opening in 1997, Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao had given the language a new term and the world a new way of looking at culture. The 'Bilbao effect,' many came to believe, was the answer to what ailed cities everywhere—it was a way to lure tourists and economic development—and a potential boon to cultural institutions. Municipal governments and arts groups were soon pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into larger, flashier exhibition spaces and performance halls. Now the economic downturn has reined in a lot of these big dreams and has also led to questions about whether ambitious building projects from Buffalo to Berkeley ever made sense to begin with. Some are arguing that arts administrators and their patrons succumbed to an irrational exuberance that rivaled the stock market’s in the boom years. Organizations were 'blinded by the excitement of what it would be like to have this great new facility,' said D. Carroll Joynes, a senior fellow at the University of Chicago’s Cultural Policy Center."
http://bit.ly/6chY2t
ARTS CANVAS: THE VIEW FROM THE FIELD http://blog.artsusa.org/
by Mitch Menchaca, Director of Local Arts Agency Services, Americans for the Arts
Trying to explain to some family and friends about what I do in the arts is a challenge. In my last role at the Arizona Commission on the Arts I had friends say, “Oh, I have driven past your building. What do you do in there, paint?” I finally had to create a statement and definition about my work that would help convey what I did at the state arts agency. When I accepted my current position at Americans for the Arts the question shifted to “what is a local arts agency?” Surprisingly, I have even been asked by both artists and other arts managers.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Americans for the Arts Seeks Arts & Economic Prosperity IV Study Participants
Are you interested in participating in Americans for the Arts' fourth national economic impact study of nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences—Arts & Economic Prosperity IV? Americans for the Arts is seeking at least 200 communities representing all 50 states for the next study, which will commence in 2010. Through the results, your community’s elected officials and business leaders will recognize the direct, tangible impact that the arts and culture have on your local economy. Be sure to include a portion of the affordable participation fee in your 2010 budget! For more information on Arts & Economic Prosperity studies, contact Senior Director of Research Services Ben Davidson at bdavidson@artsusa.org.
UK University Offering Ph.D. Studentships & Research Awards
The School of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester, UK, is advertising six Ph.D. scholarships and awards for full- and part-time students to begin in the 2010–2011 academic year. There are two AHRC Studentships, four Museum Studies Studentships, and two Museum Studies Research Awards available. There are also a number of Graduate Teaching Assistantships. More information and details on how to apply are available at www.le.ac.uk/ms/research/PhDStudentships.html. The University of Leicester's School of Museum Studies has the highest proportion of world-leading research in any subject in any UK university, and in 2009 the University was awarded the Times Higher Education University of the Year Award.
12-22-09
New Jobs Bill Offers $23 Billion for Education. Cash-strapped school districts hoping to avert layoffs could get a boost from legislation approved by the U.S. House of Representatives Dec. 16 that is intended to provide a jolt to the sluggish economy, in part by creating a $23 billion “education jobs fund.” (Education Week, 12/17/09)
GUGGENHEIM ANNOUNCES 2010–11 SCHEDULE OF EXHIBITIONS:
- KANDINSKY-Through January 13, 2010
- GABRIELE MÜNTER AND VASILY KANDINSKY, 1902–14: A LIFE IN PHOTOGRAPHS-Through January 13, 2010
- PAIRED, GOLD: FELIX GONZALEZ-TORRES AND RONI HORN-Through January 6, 2010INTERVALS: KITTY KRAUS-Through January 6, 2010
- THE DEUTSCHE BANK SERIES AT THE GUGGENHEIM - ANISH KAPOOR: MEMORY-Through March 28, 2010
- PARIS AND THE AVANT-GARDE: MODERN MASTERS FROM THE GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION-January 23–May 12, 2010
- TINO SEHGAL-January 29–March 10, 2010
- CONTEMPLATING THE VOID: INTERVENTIONS IN THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM-AN ANNIVERSARY BENEFIT EVENT-February 12–April 28, 2010
- HAUNTED: CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEO/PERFORMANCE-March 26–September 6, 2010
- THE DEUTSCHE BANK SERIES AT THE GUGGENHEIM-JULIE MEHRETU: GREY AREA-May–October 2010
- CHAOS AND CLASSICISM: ART IN FRANCE, ITALY, AND GERMANY, 1918–1936-October 1, 2010–January 9, 2011THE HUGO BOSS PRIZE 2010-Summer 2011
- THE THANNHAUSER COLLECTION-Ongoing Exhibition
NORTHWEST EVALUATION ASSOCIATION (NWEA) HOSTS ANNUAL WINTER FORUM, February 4-5, 2010, Charlotte, NC. Stakeholders Invited to Discuss, Debate and Inform the Education Agenda at Forward>2010. The two-day Winter Forum will bring together education policy makers, researchers and practitioners to share ideas and discuss the future of education. Rather than a conference composed of presentations, Forward>2010 is where policy gets vetted, conversations take unexpected and enlightening turns, and open discussions about the future of education will engage participants. Richard Riley, former Governor of South Carolina and United States Secretary of Education under President Bill Clinton, will be the keynote speaker.
The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Miami, FL, presents Women’s Work / Men’s Work: Labor and Gender in America, an exhibition that explores how the sexual division of labor in America has been represented in art, propaganda, and advertising. The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, is on view in The Wolfsonian Teaching Gallery at The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University from January 20 through April 25, 2010. THE WOLFSONIAN–FIU WILL TURN THE MUSEUM INSIDE OUT WITH NEW DIGITAL DISPLAYS ON EXTERIOR WALLS. Knight Foundation Grant to Support ‘The Art of Illumination’
Center for Inspired Teaching, a DC based nonprofit organization offers a 15-month state approved teacher certification program that recruits, selects, prepares and supports exceptional individuals who wish to serve the children of the District of Columbia as teachers. The Inspired Teacher Certification Program is rooted in the belief that teachers can be change-makers in their classrooms, schools and society as a whole. Inspired Teaching Fellows are prepared in one of three areas:
- Early Childhood (PreK-3rd grade)
- Elementary (1st-6th grade)
- English Language Arts (7th-12th grade)
12-16-09
Congress OKs Budget With Increase for Education. Congress last week approved a fiscal year 2010 spending measure that would provide level funding for key education programs, even as lawmakers and the Obama administration weighed the prospect of a jobs package that could include new education aid for cash-strapped states and localities. (Education Week, 12/15/09)
Education Stakes High in 2010 State Elections. Regardless of how voters cast their ballots in the 2010 elections, the nation will witness a sea change in state leadership—and, potentially, big changes in the direction of education policymaking.
Over the Top: Six Tips for Winning 'Race to the Top' Money (Education Week, 12/14/09)
List of Race to the Top Contenders Continues to Grow (Education Week Blog's, 12/15/09)
12-10-09
SEADAE and CCSSO Support Data Collection for All Core Subjects, Including the Arts. Congratulations to our SEADAE colleagues for their success in securing the important endorsement of CCSSO regarding plans for statewide data collections initiatives. NAEA has been very active in this effort, which requires ongoing communication to and with a variety of key stakeholders involved with the development of Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS). NAEA has been including the need for including the arts in data collection strategies as part of its feedback to the U.S. Department of Education regarding the Race To The Top and Investing in Innovation initiatives.
12-9-09
The Coming Up Taller Awards recognize and reward excellence in after-school and out-of-school arts and humanities programs for underserved children and youth. Award recipients receive $10,000 each, an individualized plaque, and an invitation to attend the annual Coming Up Taller Leadership Enhancement Conference. We encourage programs initiated by museums, libraries, performing arts organizations, universities, colleges, arts centers, community service organizations, schools, businesses, and eligible government entities to consider participating. The 2010 AWARDS Nomination Application Deadline is Friday, January 29, 2010. Click here for Nomination Application For more information, visit http://www.pcah.gov/
Moore College of Art & Design Hosts: Celebrating Creativity: Philadelphia Youth in Arts Exhibition. Moore’s annual citywide art contest and exhibition will showcase the artistic talent of Philadelphia’s young people. Art teachers from Philadelphia schools submit exemplary examples of student work for this special presentation. When: December 9, 2009 - January 22, 2010 * Reception: December 10, 1 – 2 pm, Widener Memorial Foundation Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Free & open to the public. For more information, call 215-965-4027.
12-8-09
CAPITAL CULTURE: Obama Drops Cautious Arts Policy. Funding For Arts, Cultural Programs Spikes In Obama's First Year. In his first year, President Barack Obama has marshaled the largest infusion of cultural funding in decades - despite a few stumbles. Though still far less than arts advocates contend is needed, they have high hopes this president could transform cultural policy, funding and arts education for years to come.
From Remarks by the President at Reception for Kennedy Center Honorees, 12/6/2009. "In times of war and sacrifice, the arts -- and these artists —- remind us to sing and to laugh and to live. In times of plenty, they challenge our conscience and implore us to remember the least among us. In moments of division or doubt, they compel us to see the common values that we share; the ideals to which we aspire, even if we sometimes fall short. In days of hardship, they renew our hope that brighter days are still ahead. So let's never forget that art strengthens America. And that's why we're making sure that America strengthens its arts. It's why we're reenergizing the National Endowment of the Arts. That's why we're helping to sustain jobs in arts communities across the country. It's why we're supporting arts education in our schools, and why Michelle and I have hosted students here at the White House to experience the best of American poetry and music."
At the Crossroads: A Community Arts and Development Convening, March 25-27, 2010. The Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute at the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission (RAC) presents a conference that will cultivate innovative strategies in community cultural development. This conference brings together a cross-section of artists, community partners and leaders in a platform for critical dialogue about arts and community development. Consisting of presentations of new scholarship, workshops, and discussions, the Convening connects and engages people working in diverse practices, inspiring new ideas and creative collaborations in communities. CALL for papers, presentations, dialogues, and workshops from exemplary practitioners and great thinkers in arts based community development: Deadline for submission: December 21, 2009.
New SRI International Publication: Achieving Balance in Districtwide Arts Assessment Systems. California Alliance for Arts Education and California County Superintendents Educational Services Association are pleased to announce the publication Achieving Balance in Districtwide Arts Assessment Systems, authored by SRI International. The report reviews issues in district-wide arts education assessment systems. This report suggests that large scale assessment systems do have the potential to drive instruction in the arts, and that such systems are a vital mechanism toward achieving visibility among education leaders and policy makers outside the school district as well as improving program quality in arts education within the educational setting.
Announcing the 2010 AAM Muse Awards. Recognizing outstanding achievement in museum media, the AAM Media & Technology Committee announces the 21th annual Muse Awards competition. The 2010 Muse Awards competition received nearly 250 applications from a wide variety of museums in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Entries included audio, cell phone and interactive handheld tours, interactive kiosks and multimedia installations, podcasts, blogs, games, websites, online collection and image databases, videos and e-mail marketing campaigns. Online applications from museums and producers on the AAM Media and Technology website will be accepted from Dec. 1, 2009, to Jan. 31, 2010. The cost is $30 per entry. If you have any questions, please e-mail musechair@mediaandtechnology.org.
NOVEMBER
11-20-09
The Arts Education Partnership (AEP) is calling for student artists in the DC, Virginia and Maryland area, ages 13-25, to submit artwork for the program cover for our Spring 2010 Forum, "States of Change: New Leadership in Arts and Education." The deadline for contest entries is January 22, 2010. The winner will have his/her artwork printed on the program cover and receive a $100 cash prize. Don’t miss this opportunity to have your work displayed to a broad audience of arts educators and arts professionals! Use the links below to access contest guidelines and submission form. Please contact Teka Phan at tekap@ccsso.org with any questions. Cover Art Contest Guidelines and Submission Form Cover Art Contest Guidelines and Submission Form AEP is also now accepting proposals for Small Group Session presentations for the Spring National Forum in Washington, DC, April 9-10, 2010. You can download the RFP. Proposals due January 5, 2010.
11-19-09
Why teach the arts? Art inspires learning. Math and science may boost economic competitiveness, but art completes our education. When American presidents talk about education, they inevitably stress the need to focus on math and science. In a technological world, they say, math and science ultimately equate with economic competitiveness. This line of thinking may be smart politics, but it makes education merely the means to an economic end.
November 19 – December 1, 2009
The Art of Student Teaching Show
Reception Sunday, November 22; 1 – 3 pm
Widener Memorial Foundation Gallery, Moore College of Art & Design
Philadelphia, PA
Student artwork will be featured from 13 schools
11-12-09
New 21st-century skills guide available. Updated MILE Guide measures schools' policies and practices regarding 21st-century skills -- and offers advice on implementation. "The 21st Century MILE Guide specifically outlines goals that will assist educators and stakeholders at every level in constructing a common vision of how to move forward with this critical initiative,..."Accelerating technological advances, a rapidly changing knowledge base, an interconnected workforce, and an increasingly global society have all combined to make the integration of 21st-century skills into rigorous courses essential for every student's success. We believe that [P21] and its member states will assist in guiding us in our systemic and forward-thinking educational improvement efforts."
11-10-09
NAEA Comments on Investing in Innovation (i3) Guidelines
On behalf of the nation’s visual arts educators, NAEA submitted recommendations to the U.S. Department of Education in response to the Proposed Priorities, Requirements, Definitions, and Selection Criteria for the Investing in Innovation Fund issued on October 9, 2009. With an appropriation of $650 million, this is the only portion of the U.S. Department of Education’s stimulus funding for which nonprofit organizations may apply directly, as long as they are working in partnership with Local Education Agencies. Local Education Agencies and/or consortiums of Local Education Agencies may also apply. Following the comment period, the Department anticipates releasing the final guidelines in early January 2010. Related Information: Investing in Innovation Fund Overview | Click here for details and links to a program fact sheet, the proposed guidleines, and a PowerPoint presentation.
11-9-09
Invitation for Review and Comment - 21st Century Skills Arts Map
Deadline is 12/11/09. Background: The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (www.21stcenturyskills.org) is the leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education. The organization brings together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to define a powerful vision for 21st century education and to ensure that students emerge from our schools with the skills needed to be effective citizens, workers, and leaders in the 21st century. Read additional background information on the Arts Map (Note: The draft of the Arts Map is embedded into the survey.) NAEA Members Invited to Review and Comment on Draft 21 Century Skills Arts Map
11-6-09
Ed. Dept. Proposes Innovation Grant Ground Rules. The U.S. Department of Education is proposing high hurdles for school districts and nonprofit organizations that want a piece of the $650 million Investing in Innovation grant program, including evidence of past success in helping students most in need, and a significant financial commitment from the private sector. (Education Week, 10/6/09)
11-5-09
Southeast Center for Education in the Arts’ Arts & Education Forum: Arts Integration and Teacher Change Report Now Available. Personal narratives stimulated discussions about dilemmas faced by professional development providers seeking to foster teacher change for improving arts integration. Facilitators posed questions to frame conversations, and sessions concluded with participants identifying ideas they might incorporate into their practice as well as emerging questions. The report is filled with session accounts, participants’ thoughtful ahas and questions, photographs, lessons learned, and musings on the dilemma of a dilemma-based Forum.
Obama to highlight education-reform efforts on election anniversary. At a speech today in Wisconsin marking the first anniversary of his election, President Barack Obama is expected to highlight steps some states are taking to become eligible for federal funding under the $4.35 billion Race to the Top program. With the money expected to be disbursed in January, a number of states have already adopted reforms, including changing laws to allow teacher evaluations to be linked to student test scores and removing caps on charter schools. Wisconsin's legislature is close to signing off on the use of test scores in teacher evaluations. (The Washington Post, 11/3/09, USA TODAY, 11/4/09)
11-4-09
The Importance of Looking at Art for Visual Artists. Being Aware and a Part of the Artistic Dialogue. Being a visual artist requires a certain degree of ego. At the very least a visual artist has to be confident enough to take a creation and put it on view for public scrutiny. In this respect, the ego in a visual artist is paramount. This importance is especially true if one expects to survive and continue to exhibit and thrive as a visual artist. Having confidence and maintaining self-esteem, however, should not turn into solipsism. (Associated Content, 10/29/09)
11-3-09
Arts Education blog post, written by Jonah Lehrer. Michael Posner and Brenda Patoine make a neuroscientific case for arts education. They argue that teaching kids to make art has lasting cognitive benefits...The current obsession with measuring learning certainly has some benefits (accountability is good), but it also comes with some serious drawbacks, since it diminishes all the forms of learning, like arts education, that can't be translated into a score on a multiple choice exam. That's why the research cited above is so important: it helps us appreciate the "soft" skills that we tend to neglect. (The Frontal Cortex, 11/2/09)
11-3-09
Art Therapy Meets Digital Art and Social Multimedia, Psychology Today blog. Traditional materials of 20th century visual arts--drawing, painting, sculpture, and collage or mixed media--have defined the field of art therapy for the past 50 years. In fact, most educational programs that offer art therapy coursework or related degrees require applicants to demonstrate proficiency in drawing, painting, and sculpture as part of prerequisites. But as digital technology has become more accessible and straight-forward, practitioners of art therapy are gradually including digital media as a method and means for client self-expression. Well, maybe...
11-2-09
College Board's National Task Force on the Arts in Education
The NTFAE's report, "Arts at the Core: Recommendations for advancing the state of arts education in the 21st Century" confronts challenges to the state of the arts in education, identifies the many benefits of arts learning, and details eight key recommendations for advancing the place of the arts in American education. It outlines recommendations for making the arts a core component of American education. Download the full report [2.4 MB]. Send any comments or questions to: artstaskforce@collegeboard.org.
11-2-09
Congress Approves Budget Increase for Arts and Humanities Endowments. The House and Senate on Thursday passed a budget increase for the National Endowment for the Arts and for the National Endowment for the Humanities. (The New York Times)
11-2-09
Bill heading to Obama would boost federal arts, cultural funding to highest level in 16 years. The increase — amid a record federal budget deficit — comes after an aggressive push by lobbyists to show that arts organizations provide thousands of jobs across the country.
OCTOBER
10-29-09
Free viewing of Visual Arts Research journal, Vol. 35 No. 1 Issue 68 Summer 2009, which is now published both as a print journal and online by University of Illinois Press.
10-29-09
Center For Craft, Creativity & Design Is Pleased To Announce The 2009 CRAFT RESEARCH FUND GRANT AWARDS. The goals of this peer-reviewed grant are to support innovative research on artistic and critical issues in craft theory, practice and history; to explore the inter-relationship among craft, art, design and contemporary culture; to foster new cross-disciplinary approaches to scholarship in the craft field in America; and to advance investigation of neglected questions in U.S. craft history and criticism. With two grant categories, Project Grants for up to $15,000 and Graduate Research Grants for up to $10,000, the Grant strives to support research of both emerging and professional scholars. Contact: Katie Lee, Assistant Director, klee@craftcreativitydesign.org or 828-890-2050.
10-28-09
The National Task Force on the Arts in Education Launches new web page!
Visit their web page to learn about the Task Force’s work and mission, and its members and collaborators. You can also read the Steering Committee’s report to the Board of Trustees, browse through the NTFAE brochure featuring articles from leaders in the Arts Education field and visual art from AP art students, and watch a short video of the Task Force members in action.
10-28-09
Why teach the arts? Art inspires learning. Math and science may boost economic competitiveness, but art completes our education. When American presidents talk about education, they inevitably stress the need to focus on math and science. In a technological world, they say, math and science ultimately equate with economic competitiveness. This line of thinking may be smart politics, but it makes education merely the means to an economic end. President Obama is no exception to this tendency. But as a candidate, he also routinely noted the importance of the arts, as does Education Secretary Arne Duncan. It is fair then to ask what art actually offers. Science emphasizes quantities. Art emphasizes qualities. Their mix, although paradoxical, moves us closer to completeness. (The Christian Science Monitor, 10/26/09)
10-28-09
Report Reveals Principals are Key to Arts Education. New research from ArtsEd Washington, a member of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network, shows that supporting principals is a highly effective method to increase access to arts education in our schools. ArtsEd Washington has released the results of its in-depth evaluation of Principals’ Arts Leadership (PAL). Principals credited the scaffolded planning process, peer-to-peer support, and access to ArtsEd Washington’s expertise as powerful contributors to increasing arts learning in their schools.
10-28-09
Calling all student artists and filmmakers! Enter the GEICO Safety Belt Video and Poster Contest. All students - public, private and home schooled - are invited to enter the competition. They must be between the ages of 6 through 18, as of September 1, 2009. There are three ways to win. Students can create a hand-drawn poster, a compute-generated poster or produce a short video. GEICO has a new website for students with the complete rules and entry guidelines for each category along with the prize list. Go to geicosafetycontest.com for all the details and to see last year`s winning entries. Contest deadline is January 15, 2010, and after the winners are announced, GEICO will reprint and circulate the winning posters to schools, businesses, and safety groups across the country.
10-28-09
Duncan Cites Shortcomings of Teacher Preparation Secretary Spreads Blame for Quality of Programs. “America’s university-based teacher-preparation programs need revolutionary change—not evolutionary tinkering,” he said. Such changes should include a stronger preservice fieldwork component, a focus on subject-matter competency and classroom-management techniques, and state action to gauge the success of teacher college graduates in classrooms. He highlighted recent grants to bolster teacher “residency” programs and criteria in the $4 billion Race to the Top program that would help states boost teacher-training accountability. (Education Week, 10/23/09)
10-28-09
Standards Aren't Enough. While Americans spent the summer watching shouting matches over health care, quiet but historic progress was being made on another of President Barack Obama’s domestic-policy priorities: getting schools to ask more of their students so that they graduate better prepared for life and work.
10-27-09
Duncan calls for overhaul of education schools. The Obama administration is calling for an overhaul of college programs that prepare new teachers, saying they are cash cows that do a mediocre job of preparing teachers for the classroom. Among the changes proposed by Education Secretary Arne Duncan: overhauling education schools' curricula to ensure that future teachers learn how to use data to improve their instruction, and linking the performance of teachers with the schools where they received their training, so policy makers can see which schools are most effective. (eSchool News, 10/23/09)
10-27-09
Governor O'Malley Discusses Arts Education. In an interview with Imagination Stage, Maryland Governor O'Malley discusses the importance of the arts in education. (YouTube.com)
10-27-09
States' largesse sways government spending. The real secretary of education, the joke goes, is Bill Gates. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been the biggest player by far in the school reform movement, spending around $200 million a year on grants to elementary and secondary education. Now the foundation is taking unprecedented steps to influence education policy, spending millions to influence how the federal government distributes $5 billion in grants to overhaul public schools. (The Associated Press, 10/25/09)
10-22-09
Duncan wants a "revolutionary change" in teacher training. Education Secretary Arne Duncan is calling for "revolutionary change" in college programs that train teachers for the classroom, which are responsible for educating at least 80% of the country's teachers. In a speech prepared for delivery today, Duncan said that traditional teacher-preparation programs do not give educators enough classroom experience and do not guide them in using data properly. Officials are predicting about 1 million teaching vacancies over the next four years as veteran baby boomer teachers retire, and teacher training must become a priority, Duncan said. (MSNBC/The Associated Press, 10/21)
10-22-09
Creative Teens Can Earn Money for College: Young Writers & Artists Grades 7-12 Invited to Submit Work to The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (09-10 school year). 15 Seniors Will Receive Top Honors and $10,000 Awards; Additional $3.9 Million in Writing and Art Scholarships Available to Selected Students. There are more than 30 categories, including animation, poetry, sculpture, fashion design, journalism, photography, novel writing, science fiction, and video game design. The submissions will be evaluated by a panel of local jurors comprised of artists, authors, educators and other arts professionals. Works are evaluated on the time-honored criteria of originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal vision or voice. Deadlines vary by regional affiliate. To learn more about regional submission deadlines and how to submit work, visit http://registration.artandwriting.org.
10-21-09
View Archived Webcast of Secretary Arne Duncan's Town Hall with Teachers from 10/20/09 about the future of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
10-19-09
Arts Education and Graduation Rates. In a report released on Monday, October 19th, the nonprofit Center for Arts Education found that New York City high schools with the highest graduation rates also offered students the most access to arts education. The report, which analyzed data collected by the city’s Education Department from more than 200 schools over two years, reported that schools ranked in the top third by graduation rates offered students the most access to arts education and resources, while schools in the bottom third offered the least access and fewest resources. Among other findings, schools in the top third typically hired 40 percent more certified arts teachers and offered 40 percent more classrooms dedicated to coursework in the arts than bottom-ranked schools. They were also more likely to offer students a chance to participate in or attend arts activities and performances. The full report is at caenyc.org (The New York Times, October 18, 2009)
10-19-09
Art Expert: The Problem With School Art Programs Are Teachers Who "Can Barely Draw" Many believe that the repeated bloodletting of arts curricula in our schools is a reflection of community values in which the arts rank very poorly; perhaps a legacy from our iconoclastic 17th century forebears as well as the outcome of general disbelief in the arts’ relevance to intellectual and academic growth. (The Washington Post)
10-16-09
View resources here from the Oct. 13th State Leaders’ Webinar on Arts Education Federal Policy & State Implementation. Couldn't join the Webinar? Click on the links to view PDF versions of the PowerPoint presentations: Federal Policy & State Implementation for State Leaders in Arts Education Slides | AEP Slides
10-16-09
Investing in Innovation Fund: Click here for details and links to a program fact sheet, the proposed guidelines, & a PowerPoint presentation.
10-16-09
Town Hall with Teachers: Join the Discussion! In a major speech about the future of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Secretary Arne Duncan urged stakeholders to "build a law that respects the honored, noble status of educators--who should be valued as skilled professionals--rather than mere practitioners, and compensated accordingly." View Webcast: "Elevating the Teaching Profession: A National Town Hall Meeting with Arne Duncan," which originally aired Tuesday, October 20, 2009 from 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm ET. Direct link to Webcast
10-16-09
States, Districts Feel Stimulus-Reporting Strain. Faced with their first reporting deadlines for economic-stimulus aid to education, school districts are toiling over how every stimulus penny has been spent so far and how many jobs have been saved—numbers that will be scrutinized not just by the public, but by government auditors as well. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed by Congress in February, earmarked roughly $100 billion for education, and Oct. 30 is when the first quarterly spending reports are scheduled to be made public.
10-14-09
Arts for Learning: Connecting the Arts with Literacy, Learning and Life is a new blog launched by Young Audiences Arts for Learning on October 1st. The idea emerged during discussions about how to stimulate productive attention to important issues at the intersection of arts and education. Upcoming blog topics include: Individual Achievement through Cooperative Learning, Applause for Integrating Music into the Curriculum, and Metacognition for Effective Cognition.
10-14-09
National Endowment for the Arts Celebrates National Arts and Humanities Month. Visit NEA’s website to view daily highlights of arts projects happening throughout the country during the month of October by past and current NEA grantee organizations. Click here for a full list of recent NEA grantees.
Currently coordinated by Americans for the Arts, National Arts and Humanities Month is a month-long celebration that grew out of National Arts Week, which began in 1985. View Presidential Proclamation
10-14-09
Case Studies Report on L.A. County’s Arts For All Districts Fills Knowledge Gap about Arts Education Efforts. The case studies and cross-case analyses in Arts for All: The Vanguard Districts – Case Studies from the First Five Years offer new insights about the differences between planning to restore arts education and making that plan a reality.
10-13-09
MEMORANDUM: "The Arts: Course Guidelines" from Paul G. Pastorek, State Superintendent of Education, Louisiana The Louisiana Department of Education has developed model lessons for the visual and performing arts curriculum. The Department collaborated with the Louisiana Division of the Arts to assemble committees of arts educators, classroom teachers, teaching artists, administrators, and university professors to develop lessons based on the Louisiana Arts Content Standards. A quality arts education is part of a world-class educational system vital to preparing students for the creative economy in the 21st century. See how Louisiana is making strides to advance art education!
10-13-09
New model for arts education emerges--Kennedy Center enlists local art groups to help teach students music, theater, and the visual arts. Advocates of teaching 21st-century skills understand the importance of fostering creativity in today's students, but harsh economic realities have led many schools to cut back on their arts-education programs. Now, a new model is emerging that could help offset those cuts.
10-13-09
Rembrandt and Collections of His Art in America. This website is a product of a National Endowment for the Humanities Curriculum Development grant. It offers an online resource for teaching about the art of the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn. Included as instructional material are video, musical, and audio features related to Rembrandt’s paintings, etchings, and drawings, a slideshow of artworks, an interactive timeline and map, and links to primary source documents. Most importantly, it includes digitized instructional resources that contain lesson leads, art historical information about each work, and reproductions that the user can zoomify, together with a “rollover” feature that helps to decode the work in order to better understand its meaning.
10-8-09
Investing in Innovation Fund. This week the U.S. Ed announced priorities for the Investing in Innovation fund (i3). Details and links to a program fact sheet, the proposed guidelines, and a PowerPoint presentation are available here. There will be a 30-day comment period, a final application will be available in early 2010, and proposals will be due next spring. Nonprofit organizations will be eligible for these funds if they partner with LEA’s (local education agencies). The current issue of the Department’s newsletter, “The Innovator,” includes an interview with Deputy Assistant Secretary for Innovation and Improvement Jim Shelton. In it he says the following about the Innovation Fund: “I also see us looking to our arts and financial-literary programs for opportunities to push the envelope and really craft solutions that drive a different level of academic achievement and school performance.”
10-6-09
 |
CREATE YOUR STATE! |
|
(depending on participation) collaborative maps featuring a combination of all artwork. Their goal is to have 102 participating schools; two from each state and the District of Columbia. Contact Miss Kris at createyourstate@gmail.com by November 1st to ensure your state’s representation. The final work of art (in digital form) will be due March 1st to allow time for publishing. |
|
10-5-09
ED Stakeholders Forum - Watch Video. The Forum kicked off a series of conversations regarding the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). A transcript
[132K] of the September 24th session is now available. In addition, here are the proposed dates for the upcoming fall forums: Tue., October 13, 2009, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; Wed., October 21, 2009, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Wed., November 4, 2009, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Fri., November 20, 2009, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.; and Wed., December 2, 2009, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Read report on the U.S. Department of Education, Education Stakeholders' Forum - September 24, 2009 (Kathi Levin)
10-1-09
The Arts Education Effect-Why Schools With Arts Programs Do Better At Narrowing Achievement Gaps. Most Americans agree with President Barack Obama’s assessment that a “complete and competitive education for the 21st century” means all students will need some form of education or training beyond high school. That’s why college and career readiness for all by 2020 is his administration’s top education goal. (Education Week, 9/23/09)
10-1-09
Duncan Sounds Starting Gun on ESEA Renewal. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan signaled this week that the U.S. Department of Education is poised to launch reauthorization efforts for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as he used a packed meeting here to underline his likely priorities to a broad range of key stakeholders. (Education Week, 9/24/09)
SEPTEMBER
9-25-09
Reauthorization of ESEA: Why We Can't Wait. Secretary Arne Duncan's Remarks at the Monthly Stakeholders Meeting. "Let us build a law that discourages a narrowing of curriculum and promotes a well-rounded education that draws children into sciences and history, languages and the arts in order to build a society distinguished by both intellectual and economic prowess. Our children must be allowed to develop their unique skills, interests, and talents. Let's give them that opportunity," said Duncan. (U.S. Department of Education, 9/24/09)
9-24-09
The Arts Education Effect-Why Schools With Arts Programs Do Better At Narrowing Achievement Gaps. Arts learning experiences play a vital role in developing students’ capacities for critical thinking, creativity, imagination, and innovation. These capacities are increasingly recognized as core skills and competencies all students need as part of a high-quality and complete 21st-century education. And, as a matter of social justice, we must be concerned when students are denied access to a high-quality education—one that includes learning in and through the arts—simply because of where they live or go to school. (Education Week (9/23)
9-24-09
Duncan to Get Advice on ESEA Renewal. It sounds as if the Department of Education is ready to get rolling on reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. On Thursday, Secretary Arne Duncan will do the "inside the Beltway" version of his listening and learning tour. Around 200 education advocates, representing nearly all the major education organizations, will be on hand. The meeting is just the first in a series seeking input from Washington-based advocates, think tanks, and other interested parties. Education Week (9/24)
9-24-09
NCLB needs to be changed in 2010, Duncan urges. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is calling on educators and others to help rewrite the No Child Left Behind law by early next year. Duncan says the administration supports the testing and accountability portions of NCLB but hopes the law can go further in respecting the "honored, noble status of educators." Duncan will deliver a speech on the topic today, where he is expected to ask for a "greater sense of urgency" in reforming education. USA TODAY (9/23), Google/The Associated Press (9/23)
9-18-09
The RTTT Webinar has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, 2009 from 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm (ET) to brief arts education leaders about RTTT Funds. Registration information has not ben released yet. Additional information about stimulus funds for education, including Race To The Top, is provided within the U.S. Department of Education PowerPoint Presentation
. Also, Foundation Center Launches National Education Stimulus Initiative. Click here for more info.
9-16-09
Learning & the Brain-Modern Brains: Enhancing Student Memory & Performance in this Distracted, Digital Age, November 20–22, 2009, Boston Marriott Cambridge and MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA. Cognitive neuroscience is finding that today's fast-paced, stressful, multi-tasking, media-driven, internet-isolating life is altering the way young minds develop, function, remember and process information. This conference will explore how these changes affect learning, memory and may contribute to learning problems. Discover ways to improve student memory, learning and achievement in today's distracted, digital society.
9-16-09
How Arts Training Improves Attention and Cognition. Does education in the arts transfer to seemingly unrelated cognitive abilities? Researchers are finding evidence that it does. Michael Posner argues that when children find an art form that sustains their interest, the subsequent strengthening of their brains’ attention networks can improve cognition more broadly. (The Dana Foundation, 9/14/09)
9-16-09
Integrating core skills, arts improves learning at DV school. The integration of fine arts and core subjects is something Lynn Tuttle, director of arts education and comprehensive curriculum for the Arizona Department of Education, calls a beneficial pairing. "Kids that are artistically motivated incorporate those talents into different core-learning areas that help them go deeper in their learning and make more connections...can better recall important facts and topics during a test and retain what they've learned longer." Tuttle said. (The Arizona Republic, 9/13/09)
9-11-09
Call for Submissions: The Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network and National School Boards Association Award. The Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network (KCAAEN) and National School Boards Association (NSBA) Award program, now in its 12th year, recognizes school boards that have demonstrated support for and commitment to high-quality arts education in their school districts, communities, states, or special jurisdictions. This national award recognizes districts that have included all four major artistic disciplines—visual arts, music, theater, and dance—in their programs. The KCAAEN & NSBA Award is presented every year at NSBA’s Annual Conference. The Award recipient will also receive a $10,000 cash prize to help the district continue its work in strengthening arts education programs. Deadline for submissions is December 1, 2009. Visit http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/kcaaen/recognition/ or call 202-416-8817.
9-11-09
What Teachers Need to Know About Race to the Top. As states continue the scramble for education dollars this year, teachers may hear frequent references to a federal grant program called “Race to the Top.” What exactly does it mean for classroom educators? (Education Week, 9/2/09)
9-11-09
Hurdles Ahead in 'Race to Top'. Merely filling out the award application will take each state 642 hours, according to the U.S. Department of Education, which included that estimate in its 35-page draft guidelines for the Race to the Top competition, published late last month in the Federal Register. (Education Week, 8/26/09)
9-10-09
View all Art:21 Access '09!
View the "Art:21-Art in the Twenty-First Century" Season Five Trailer (Fall 2009). Season 5 premieres on Wednesday, October 7, 2009, at 10:00 pm Season Five of the Peabody Award-winning television series premieres on PBS in the U.S. This trailer spotlights the artists Mary Heilmann, William Kentridge, and Yinka Shonibare MBE, offering brief glimpses of an additional eleven, dynamic and engaging contemporary artists. Can you guess who they are?
Follow the Art21 blog! Meet the Season 5 Artist: Yinka Shonibare MBE.
Access current and future "Access ‘09" content. Art21 Access ’09 is an international screening initiative that provides opportunities to increase knowledge of contemporary art, ignite dialogue, and inspire creative thinking through hundreds of public screenings and events celebrating the premiere of the fifth season of the Peabody Award-winning television series, "Art:21—Art in the Twenty-First Century."
Season 5 Educators' Guides are posted under Planning Resources
Follow the “Teaching With Contemporary Art” column, published on a weekly basis
Follow the "Flash Points" column and the Exclusive video column.
9-10-09
ICCA - International Collection of Child Art Digital Image Collection. This resource holds images of art created by children and adolescents representing more than fifty countries and cultures from Argentina to New Zealand. The artworks are two dimensional and use varied media. The work in this collection reflects the profoundly imaginative and energetic vision young artists use to create images.
9-10-09
The Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program provides opportunities for K-12 teachers to participate in direct one-to-one exchanges of positions with colleagues from other countries for a semester or academic year. By living and working in the cultures of their host countries, exchange teachers gain an understanding and appreciation of the similarities and differences in national cultures and education systems. APPLICATION DEADLINE for 2010-2011: October 15, 2009. The Distinguished Awards Program offers fellowships to highly accomplished U.S. and international teachers to conduct research, take courses for professional development, lead master-level seminars, and engage in other activities such as in-service training for local teachers. During the program Distinguished Teachers will work towards the completion of a capstone project of their own design. APPLICATION DEADLINE for 2010-2011: January 15, 2010. Questions on either program to fulbrightcte@aed.org.
9-10-09
Works & Process, the performing arts series at the Guggenheim, celebrates 25 years this season along with the 50th anniversary of the Guggenheim Museum, and is pleased to announce its fall 2009 schedule. In over 300 productions, Works & Process has championed new works, offered audiences unprecedented access to our generation’s leading creators and performers, and hosted post-show receptions for the audiences and artists. Each 80-minute performance uniquely combines artistic creation and stimulating conversation and takes place in the Guggenheim’s Frank Lloyd Wright–designed 285-seat Peter B. Lewis Theater. Described by the New York Times as “a popular series devoted to shedding light on the creative process.”
9-8-09
Education Week summarizes the public comments received in its online posting of September 3, 2009 on the Race to the Top Guidelines. Notable is the fact that the comments from the arts education community were those first described in the article. Congratulations to all of our colleagues across the sector, for making such an impact. Now we await word on the changes to the guidelines. The article indicates that the final guidelines are to be posted in early November 2009. (Note: This is a premium article. You must be a subscriber to view the article in its entirety.)
9-4-09
President Barack Obama to Make Historic Speech to America’s Students. C-SPAN and White House Web Site to Broadcast Speech Live. At 12:00 pm (ET), September 8, 2009, President Barack Obama will deliver a national address to the students of America. During this special address, the president will speak directly to the nation’s children and youth about persisting and succeeding in school. The president will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning.
9-4-09
What Teachers Need to Know About Race to the Top. As states continue the scramble for education dollars this year, teachers may hear frequent references to a federal grant program called “Race to the Top.” What exactly does it mean for classroom educators? (Teacher Magazine, 9/2/09)
9-4-09
How to Help Your State Get Race to the Top Money. Educators can be coaches in the contest for stimulus-package funding for innovation. (edutopia, 8/27/09)
9-2-09
Engaging Students Through Art. Art and music can help create an environment where today’s visually oriented and tech-savvy students are more apt to learn. (AP)
9-2-09
How Colleagues Can Help New Teachers. Teacher mentor Jane Ching Fung says that seemingly small gestures from experienced colleagues can mean a lot to new teachers.
9-2-09
U.S. Department of Education 2009-2010 FRSS Arts in Education Surveys. The U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) are collaborating to conduct seven surveys on arts education in U.S. public schools during the 2009-10 school year. The surveys will be conducted through the NCES Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), which was used to conduct previous national surveys on arts education in 1999–2000 and 1994-95. Specifically, a survey will be conducted with: • Elementary school principals • Elementary music specialists • Elementary visual arts specialists • Elementary general classroom teachers • Secondary school principals • Secondary music specialists • Secondary visual arts specialists. Both school-level surveys will be administered beginning in the fall of 2009, while the administration of the teacher-level surveys will begin in January 2010. NCES anticipates releasing initial school-level data results by January 2011 and teacher-level results by June 2011. A larger, more comprehensive report will follow the initial releases and provide combined and detailed findings for all of the surveys, including comparisons between the 1999–2000 and 2009–10. Contact: Peter Tice, Ph.D., Project Officer, Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, 1990 K St., NW, Suite 9033, Washington, DC 20006, (202) 502-7497, peter.tice@ed.gov.
9-2-09
Social-networking site helps teachers collaborate online
BetterLesson is allowing teachers to collaborate with colleagues as well as upload and share lesson plans and other ideas. The site has been compared to Facebook, and allows educators to create their own pages, upload an entire year's curriculum and "colleague" each other. CNET (8/13)
 |
The 30 Best iPhone Apps for Art Teachers - from The Teaching Palette. Since the launch of the iTunes App Store in July 2008, over 1 billion apps have been downloaded for use on the iTouch and iPhone. Currently, the App Store has 63,000 apps to choose from and it is no surprise that many of the iPhone/iTouch applications have educational value. Check out who made the cut for The Teaching Palette’s Best Apps for Art Teachers, along with some tips and suggested uses. Enjoy! |
.................................................................................................................................
Do you have a news item, journal article or study you think should be added to this list? E-mail it to webmaster@arteducators.org.
The views expressed in these articles and websites are not the views of NAEA. We aim to keep you informed on the dialogue happening across the country regarding arts education.
RECOMMENDED BLOGS
2C Worth
Americans for the Arts Blog
Art Education 2.0
Art Ed + Web 2.0 + Technology Blog
art education's Journal
Art Room 161
art teacher's guide to the internet
ASCD Blog
association for advice and support in art and design
Brooklyn College Art Education Blog
Carrot Revolution
dan's art education blog
Dawn's Brain
Depaul Art Education
incredible art department
infinite thinking machine
Links to School Bloggers
New Jersey Arts Education Census Project
NSAED - National Society for Education in Art & Design
SFMOMMA ArtThink
Support Blogging
Teaching for Artistic BehaviorTM
............................................
2010 NAEA National Convention
State & Regional Conferences
Photos above: 
2009 Brad Edelman
