PAE Postcard February 2009
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In This Issue:
Arts in Mind in the News
Register Now for CommonGround 2009
PAE Helps Keep Arts Ed Profile High
PAE's Spring Online Auction Coming
Opportunities
Resources
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On the north side, Grant Station is a collaboration between Grant Middle School Art Focus students, GMS Art and Social Studies teachers, and Bob Shenfeld, a local ceramist and SCSD art teacher. GMS will transform into Grant Station through a process of historical study and artistic implementation. Students are learning about the history of the NYC Subway, studying and viewing the artistic quality and integrity of it, and will ultimately create identifying marker plates for each classroom. In time, each larger area of the school (i.e., library, cafeteria, main office, etc.) will also have its own marker. Art Teacher Annie Smith says, "The students are really excited and Bob Shenfeld has been tremendously generous both in spirit and materials. We are extremely grateful to have made the connection with him for this endeavor."
Register Now for CommonGround 2009
Registration is now open for CommonGround, the New York State arts-in-education conference, March 25 – 27 in Albany. Browse the schedule of exciting workshops, including the new Creative Engagement sessions. Registration is all on line, takes just a few minutes, and you can pay by credit card, check or purchase order. There's more on the FAQ page, including info on hotel reservations.
If you are interested in sharing travel expenses, either as a driver or a rider, please email Kristin with your town, phone number, and when you'll be traveling to and from CommonGround. We'll send out an email to all interested parties on March 10 so you can find people to carpool with. (We'll let you work it out amongst yourselves.)
PAE Helps Keep Arts Ed Profile High
PAE has been working both in Albany and at the national level to make sure the arts continue to play an important role in education. PAE representatives went to Albany on January 13 for a special emergency arts budget meeting with Assemblyman Englebright. We were back on February 3 for the annual Arts Day gathering at the Legislative Office Building, along with nearly 400 others from around the state.
On a national level, our Executive Director, Laura Reeder, has been working with Americans for the Arts as a member of the National Arts Education Council, which works to improve access to and quality of arts education, affecting policy and practice in arts education administration and provision around the country. She is also working with Congressman Dan Maffei on his local arts orientation committee to keep him informed about local arts and arts education initiatives, and the impact of national policy on these issues locally.
Everyone can contribute to making sure our various representatives know that the arts are a crucial part of education and the economy. Keep up those emails and letters, both to your elected representatives and to newspapers. (Read Hamilton music teacher Susan Schoonmaker's opinion piece in the Post-Standard.)
PAE's Spring Online Auction Coming
We were so pleased with the success of our fall online auction that we're planning another one! Many local businesses generously donated services or items, and we also received many beautiful artworks as donations or consignments. It was really a thrill for us to be able to promote the work of so many local artists. There will once again be many wonderful items to bid on this spring. The auction is set to open on Monday, April 20, and run through Sunday, May 17. Please check our website in April to see what's coming. If you would like to offer something for auction bidding (your auction page will include info on your business or artwork and a web link to your site, and you'll receive recognition on PAE's website), please contact Kristen by email or at 234.9911.
Opportunities
Photography Workshops at Community Darkrooms
Teaching artist Willson Cummer will be leading a workshop on Saturday, March 7, 10 am – 1 pm at the Community Darkrooms called "Looking at Landscapes." We will examine the work of contemporary photographers and share and discuss participants' work. It will be a chance to get feedback and inspiration. Get information on all of Community Darkroom's offerings and sign up online at http://www.communitydarkrooms.com/contact/Spring2009.pdf .
2009 VSA Arts Playwright Discovery Call for Scripts
The VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program invites middle and high school students to take a closer look at the world around them, examine how their disability affects their lives and the lives of others, and express their views through the art of playwriting. Playwrights may write from their own experience or about an experience in the life of another person or fictional characters. The winning play will be professionally produced at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. All submissions must be received by April 15 for consideration. To find out more, and for the official application, click here.
Arts Covenant Invites Logo Designs
The Arts Covenant Working Group, an all-volunteer group of artists, members of CNY cultural institutions and arts allies, and Syracuse Post-Standard's Civic Engagement Initiative invite art teachers, directors and staff of after-school programs, adult or college art classes, artists and anyone with a logo design idea to participate in the Arts Covenant Logo Design Contest. Logo designs can be submitted in two categories: 18-and-under or adult. Besides a design task, this is a chance to discover what covenant, community, culture and the arts mean. The deadline for submissions is March 15.
The CNY Arts Covenant invites everyone in our region to make a commitment to support the arts and culture of our community. It's a simple and elegant way to put people back in touch with both their personal commitment and power to support the arts locally through a program where all can share the responsibility for sustaining the arts, artists and cultural institutions right here at home. For more information, visit their website at www.artscovenant.com.
Resources
Southern Tier Arts-in-Education Roundtable
Those of you in the southern part of CNY might want to take advantage of the series of workshops STARR offers for anyone interested in artist/teacher partnerships. You can come to a (free) MEET and GREET at the Discovery Center in Binghamton (click for directions) on March 11, 4 – 6 pm, where teaching artists can share their interests, skills, exercises, practices, and teachers can get to know who is in the field and what they offer. This will be a terrific time for networking and dreaming up nifty projects! Contact Holly Adams for more information.
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