PAE Postcard April 2008

Revolving Museum’s Jerry Beck to Speak, Create in Syracuse
In 1984, artist Jerry Beck launched The Revolving Museum with “The Little Train That Could... Show,” an installation in 12 abandoned railroad cars. The public art project marked the beginning of the museum's role as a nomadic institution dedicated to transforming abandoned and or under-utilized public spaces into innovative community arts projects.

Now based in Lowell, MA, the Revolving Museum is an evolving laboratory of creative expression for people of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities who seek to experience the transformative power of art. The museum’s projects foster a civic dialogue about art, the urban and natural environment, site history, and social concerns and create a sense of community.

Jerry Beck will be speaking in Syracuse on Thursday, April 24 at 7:00 pm at the Comstock Art Facility (ComArt), next to Manley Field House.  The talk is free and open to the public.

While he’s in town, he’ll also be doing some art-making: on Friday with VPA professor Olivia Robinson’s students, and on Saturday with a group of community artists, including art teachers from Syracuse City School District, some of whom are involved in the Arts in Mind initiative.

Beck’s visit is part of the Hyphenated Artist Series, sponsored by PAE and Imagining America, a national consortium of colleges and universities based at SU committed to public scholarship in the arts, humanities, and design. The series enhances and promotes the region’s cultural activity by exploring expanded opportunities for artists in combinations such as artist-educator and artist-organizer. You can read more about the series at http://sunews.syr.edu/story_details.cfm?id=4687  or at PAE’s website.   For more information, call PAE at 234 9911.

State Ed. Seeks Your Input on ELA Standards
The New York State Education Department has announced seven Regional Forums around the state as they prepare to update the ELA Standards. At these forums, stakeholders will be given a voice in the revision process. Teachers, school administrators and other groups, including parents and higher education representatives, are encouraged to participate. Participant comments will be recorded and shared with the Regents. This is an important opportunity to shape the future of arts in education in New York State!

The Central New York meeting will take place on May 13, 3:00 – 5:30 pm at the Nottingham High School Cafeteria, 3100 E. Genesee St. in Syracuse. To pre-register (recommended, but not required) contact Kathy Southwell (315-433-2602/or e-mail).

If you would like a copy of arts-related talking points prepared by the New York State BOCES Arts in Education Network, email us and we’ll send you a copy.

You can submit comments on line at the Public Forum Discussion, Small Group Assignment Form at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/standardsreview/ELAmainPage.htm

Syracuse Student Videos at Syracuse Film Fest
Students at Grant Middle School worked with videographer Tim Brachocki this year to create videos of their neighborhoods that they exchanged with student videographers in Israel as part of the International Video Postcard Project. Their work will be screened and discussed at a Special Forum about educating, empowering, developing the ability to express oneself creatively in film and video at the Syracuse International Film Festival at 1:00 on Thursday, May 1 at Syracuse Stage, and will also be shown at the MOST on Saturday, May 3 at 2 pm (Program 60). Congratulations to the students on their entry into the world of film and for their fine work!

What’s Been Happening with Arts in Mind
The Arts in Mind steering committee, with representatives from the SCSD, Syracuse University, the arts and cultural community, parents and community members, the business sector, and the major funders in our region, has been meeting monthly since the fall.  To strengthen the structure of AIM, consultants have been selected to support the relationships among the schools, the cultural organizations, and the AIM administrative team.  Additionally, the R/E/D Group LLC (affiliated with the Office of Professional Research and Development at S.U.’s University College) has been retained as outside evaluators for the overall initiative.

The first four pilot schools (McKinley-Brighton Elementary and Danforth Middle Schools on the South Side; on the North Side, Franklin Arts Magnet and Grant Middle Schools) have been proceeding with their fist AIM partnerships, which include four levels of engagement:  access (single activities such as performances, field trips, author’s visits, etc.); alignment (experiences that parallel the curriculum and NYS Learning Standards); integration (in-depth discovery in partnership with cultural organizations and professional teaching artists); and professional development for faculty and staff.  The team from each school includes an advisor who inventories their programming and maintains communication between the Steering Committee and their sites.

Nine cultural organizations have joined the effort for this pilot year.  Each cultural is also working with an advisor to help identify  needs in furthering their education programs. In addition, each will be engaging a teaching artist to support this process.

Funding resources to develop and implement AIM include the NYS Council on the Arts, the CNY Community Foundation, the Gifford Foundation, JP Morgan Chase, and NYS Assembly members Bill Magnarelli and Joan Christensen.  AIM is also working with the SCSD Education Foundation and the Syracuse Teachers Association’s Expanding Horizons grant programs to maximize funding opportunities for participating schools.

On June 30th and July 1st, AIM will celebrate this pilot phase with a professional development institute for educators, teaching artists, and cultural organization staff who have partnered in this academic year.  There will also be a public performance and celebration of arts in education in Central New York the evening of July 1st.

For more information on Arts in Mind, visit its website.

Opportunities

For Teachers and Teaching Artists: Study Abroad in France
Teaching Artists and art teachers can study in Pont-Aven in Brittany, France this summer at PASCA. Graduate credit is available in Summer Session II post-Bac program, which runs July 6 – August 2. Workshops are offered in Painting, Printmaking, Photography, Mixed Media.

K-12 Educator priority merit scholarship application period ends June 1. Mention this Code in your application: QF12K

Online or downloadable application forms, along with course descriptions, are available at www.pontavensa.org/

Partners for Arts Education
Delavan Center Suite 221  501 W. Fayette St.  Syracuse, NY  13202
315.234.9911  info@arts4ed.org  www.arts4ed.org

State of the Arts

NYSCA