ArtsEd Digest

Volume 1, Issue 6 - May 28, 2009

Welcome to ArtsEd Digest, the new and improved face of the AEP listserv. The ArtsEd Digest is an online publication that allows for the easy access to vital and timely information about arts education from our partners and from the field. It will be published twice a month, on the second and fourth Tuesday. Items for inclusion in the upcoming listserv must be submitted by close of business on the first and third Fridays of each month. For example, items for the Digest to be published on Tuesday, June 8 should be submitted by close of business Friday, June 5.

New from the Arts Education Partnership

AEP National Forum Information - "Charting a Course for the Arts and 21st Century Learning"
Join us on October 2-3, 2009 in Cambridge, MA for a lively exploration of the connections and synchronicities between the arts and 21st century learning. This meeting will be hosted by Lesley University. Registration begins June 15, 2009!

Submissions for Small Group Session Proposals are due June 15th to Laura Smyth, Senior Associate for Communications and Partnerships at lauras@ccsso.org. Submissions for the Cover Art Contest are due June 25th to Teka Phan, Program Assistant, at tekap@ccsso.org.

New AEP Publication: Winter 2009 Forum Report - Reflections
The report from the AEP Winter 2009 National Forum in New Orleans, All Together Now: Building Strong Communities Through Arts and Education Partnerships, a collection of reflective essays, is now available on the AEP website. Please take time to read these compelling pieces, from the perspectives of a range of participants from different stakeholder communities.

To access this report, please click Reflections on the Forum. For other information on the Forum in New Orleans, LA, click here.

The Nation’s Report Card on Student Achievement in Music and Visual Arts to be Released June 15

Release of The Nation’s Report Card: Arts 2008, presenting the performance of U.S. 8th-grade students in music and visual arts on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The arts assessment was administered to a nationally representative sample of 7,900 8th-grade public and private school students. Approximately one-half of these students were assessed in each arts subject. Student achievement results are presented nationally for 8th graders, including comparisons to results from 1997, the last time NAEP administered the arts assessment. The Report Card also provides information on student and school background factors related to achievement in music and visual arts. For more information, please click here.

SRI Reports On Arts Education - An Unfinished Canvas

In 2007, with support from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Center for Education Policy at SRI International created a report on the state of arts education in California. The report, An Unfinished Canvas: Arts Education in California, revealed that a large majority of California schools do not meet state goals for arts education – that is, they fail to offer a standards-based course of study in dance, music, visual arts, and theatre. In addition, the report identified barriers to arts education, including inadequate and unstable funding, insufficient instructional time, and limited staff and professional development in the arts.

To learn how more California students might receive standards-based arts education, the Hewlett Foundation provided support for a suite of follow-up studies. We are pleased to announce the availability of: An Unfinished Canvas: Local Partnerships in Support of Arts Education explores the role of partnerships between local arts organizations and schools and districts in supporting elementary arts education in California. We also highlight case studies, illustrating how partners in six diverse California communities work together to increase access to arts education, and discuss benefits and limitations of those partnerships.

To access these reports and others: please click here.

Michelle Obama Speaks to the Value of Arts Education

In a set of remarks at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Opera House on Monday, May 18, First Lady Michelle Obama addressed the importance of the arts to the heart of a culture as well as the critical role of arts education. “My husband and I believe strongly that arts education is essential for building innovative thinkers who will be our nation's leaders for tomorrow,” said Mrs. Obama. Read the official complete texts of her statements here and here.

NEA Announces 2009 NEA National Heritage Fellowship Recipients
Award is nation's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts

Media Contact: Liz Stark, 202-682-5744, starke@arts.gov
Program Contact: Barry Bergey, 202-682-5726, bergeyb@arts.gov

Washington, DC – The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) today announced the 2009 recipients of the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts, the NEA National Heritage Fellowships. Eleven fellowships, which include a one-time award of $25,000 each, are presented to honorees from eight states and Puerto Rico. The NEA National Heritage Fellowships public programs are made possible through the support of the Darden Restaurants Foundation and its family of Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze, and Seasons 52 restaurants.

For the complete release and to see the list of recipients, please go to http://www.arts.gov/news/news09/2009-NEA-Heritage-Fellows-Announced.html

AEC Summer Workshop: Aesthetics of Arts Integration

What are the key factors at work when the arts unite in the creative process? What are the most effective strategies in working with students when the arts come together? How does integrated teaching and learning relate to interdisciplinary arts?

If you are curious about these questions and others that result when the arts come together in teaching, performance, or the creation of new works, then join us for a sequence of four workshops in collaboration with the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble this summer (July 7, 9, 21, & 23). For more information and to download the registration form, visit: http://www.artsedcollaborative.org/calendar.html.

IEATA Conference - Expressive Arts in Social Action: Peace-ing Our World Together

The International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA) conference will be taking place on August 12-15, 2009, hosted by Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. Events include a 2-day Intergenerational Local Social Action Project, the Lesley Centennial Celebration, an evening performance by Paolo Knill and Elizabeth McKim, and much more.

See the conference page for more information at http://www.ieata.org/conference.html.

EdTA Announces Scholarship Recipients

The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) and its student honorary division, the International Thespian Society (ITS), have announced the recipients of the 2009 Jhon Marshall/International Thespian Officers Outstanding Student Achievement Scholarships.

The two scholarships, each in the amount of $1,000, are given to graduating seniors who exemplify the ideals of educational theatre and ITS. The scholarships are named for Jhon Marshall, a longtime educator, performer, and former EdTA employee.

The recipients are Grant Weston, a member of Thespian troupe 1783 at Parkrose High School in Portland, Oregon, and Gregory Prusiewicz, a member of Thespian troupe 3508 at Divine Child High School in Dearborn Heights, Michigan.

"Anyone who has ever been a part of a theatre production knows that talent as a performer or a technician is only one aspect of the skill-set necessary to open a show,” says EdTA Director of Education Nancy Brown. “It also requires the ability to lead when necessary, follow when asked, and a passion for what you are creating. The Jhon Marshall/International Thespian Officers Outstanding Student Achievement Scholarships recognize the work of theatre artists who exemplify dedication to their craft. We are proud to honor Grant and Gregory with these scholarships."

National Dance Association - Call for Proposals and Choreography!

The National Dance Association invites you to participate in two exciting events...

Our 1st Leadership and 3rd Pedagogy Conference at one great site
Theme: "The Learning Circle: Dance Pedagogy Leads Our Practice"
Dates: January 15 - January 18, 2010
Location: New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Conference Director: Debra Knapp, Associate Professor and Director of Dance
Link to: http://www.aahperd.org/nda/template.cfm?template=callForProposals.html

AAHPERD National Convention
Theme: "Strength through Partnerships"
Dates: March 16-20, 2010
Location: Indianapolis Convention Center
Link to: http://www.aahperd.org/convention/2010/proposals.html

Please join us as we all advocate for and celebrate quality dance education!

2010 VSA Arts International Conference -- Call for Presenters!

The submission deadline for presentations for the 2010 VSA arts International Conference on Advancing Inclusive Education and 21ST Century Learning Skills Through the Arts, to be held from June 10-12, 2010 in Washington D.C, USA, is May 29, 2009.

Submissions can be made at any time via email attachment to: conference@vsarts.org

Keynote speakers include Kenneth Eklindh, the head of the UNESCO EFA flagship program “The Right to Education for Persons with Disabilities: Towards Inclusion,” Dame Evelyn Glennie, an internationally acclaimed soloist, and Sir Ken Robinson, a renowned expert in the field of creativity.

Further information and the Call for Presenters (also available in other formats, and in French and Spanish) are available at: http://www.vsarts.org

Employment Opportunity: National Endowment for the Arts, Theater/Music Theater Director

The Office of the Deputy Chairman for Grants and Awards , is seeking to fill the position of Theater/Musical Theater Director- GS-0301-15. This position opens today , May 27, 2009, and will remain open until filled.

This is an Excepted Service, Schedule A position; appointment for two years-subject to renewal. This position may also be filled through the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA). Additional Information regarding the IPA Program is included in the attached vacancy announcement.

If you have questions, contact Anita Green, Human Resource Specialist at 202-682-5472. Please use the link below to access the vacancy announcement: Theater/Musical Theater Director

Employment Opportunity: Wharton Center for Performing Arts at Michigan State University, Associate Director of Educational Programming

Wharton Center for Performing Arts at Michigan State University is seeking an Associate Director of Educational Programming for the newly created MSU Federal Credit Union Institute for Arts and Creativity.

The new Institute for Arts and Creativity will provide meaningful, participatory lifelong learning programs both at Wharton Center and throughout the state for audiences of all ages. As Associate Director you will assist the Director of the MSU Federal Credit Union Institute for Arts & Creativity in the scheduling and planning of all institute residencies, workshops, lectures and performances; assists in the selection and planning of Wharton Center education attractions; assists and coordinates activities for docents in preparation for school visits; coordinates communication with teachers and schools both on and off campus, assist in program reviews; coordinates and assists with the Kennedy Center Partners in Education Programs.

Apply with resume and salary history to: http://jobs.msu.edu, posting #3238. Application deadline: June 15, 2009.

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