Arts Learning: Newsletter

This online newsletter from ACA is published periodically and intends to provide you with current, important information from the field of Arts Learning and to support vital, substantive arts learning throughout the State. Please feel free to send your comments and requests for content information. We look forward to serving your arts education interests and needs.

Search the Federal Resources for Educational Excellence Website
The U.S. Department of Education has recently updated its Federal Resources for Educational Excellence website. The website has an entire section devoted to the arts and provides more than 1,500 teaching and learning resources available throughout the federal government. Collecting organizations such as the National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian, Library of Congress, and other repositories have made their content available for exploring online, while agencies ranging from the National Endowment for the Arts to the U.S. Department of Labor have created educational websites.
http://free.ed.gov/index.cfm

Arizona Arts Congress
event Monday, February 5, 2007 at the Arizona State Capitol. The event will be a lunch and rally on the Senate lawn from 11:30 AM-1:30 PM. Co-sponsors agree to bring at least 5 people to the event. Registration is $30 for members of Arizona Action for the Arts and $40 for non-members. For a list of current co-sponsors go to http://www.AzActionfortheArts.org/cosponsors07.html. To sign up, email congress@AzActionfortheArts.org.

Arts Learning Project Grants Available from the Arizona Commission on the Arts
The Arizona Commission on the Arts is committed to making the arts fundamental to education, particularly in programs that serve Pre-K-12 students, classroom teachers, teaching artists, arts specialists and administrators in school, after-school and summer/inter-session programs. Our goal is that applicants present a plan that creatively stimulates and delivers arts learning in their school/community organizations. How to Apply: Applications for the 2007-2008 School Year will be available on EGOR (Electronic Grant Online Resource) mid-January 2007 at http://www.culturegrants-az.org/ Applications are due electronically submitted by midnight March 22, 2007 and supplemental material postmarked to the Commission offices no lather than 5 p.m. March 22, 2007. (These grants will fund projects from July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008) If you have any questions in the meantime please feel free to contact, Arts Learning Staff
www.azarts.gov

Artist Teacher Institutes Funding Available - Arizona Commission on the Arts
School districts or local arts organizations interested in applying for the Artist Teacher Institute should submit a letter of application to Alison Marshall, Arts Learning Director, 417 W. Roosevelt St. Phoenix, AZ 85003 by March 1, 2007. The letter should describe the current arts learning programs in the school or community, why you are interested in hosting an Artist Teacher Institute and how the Institute can help serve the professional development and arts learning goals in your school and community. Interested rural schools, districts or local arts organizations should be able to confirm a minimum of 28 participants and an onsite contact-coordinator. Applicants must also create a User Profile in EGOR (Electronic Grant Online Resource) http://www.culturegrants-az.org/ by March 1, 2007. For more information contact Alison Marshall, Arts Learning Director, (602) 229-8223 or email amarshall@azarts.gov

Focus on Results for Youth Grants: The Phoenix Youth and Education Commission will be accepting new grant applications for summer programming. The grant is focused on helping youth find constructive activities during free time. Schools are eligible to apply for up to $12,000. The grants must be postmarked by February 28 for summer activities. Approved grants will be announced by March 19. An application can be downloaded on the Focus on Results
http://www.phoenix.gov/EDUCATION/fordownload.html

National Endowment for the Arts - Grants for Arts Projects
are now available on the NEA's website. Organizations may apply under the following categories:

Access to Artistic Excellence: To encourage and support artistic excellence, preserve our cultural heritage, and provide access to the arts for all Americans. An organization may request a grant amount from $5,000 to $150,000. Two deadlines: March 12 and August 13, 2007

Challenge America: Reaching Every Community Fast-Track Review Grants: To support projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations. Grants are for $10,000. Deadline: June 1, 2007

Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth: To advance arts education for children and youth in school-based or community-based settings. An organization may request a grant amount from $5,000 to $150,000. Deadline: June 11, 2007

To view the guidelines, go to www.arts.gov/grants/apply , select the field or discipline most relevant to your project

JCPenney Afterschool Fund
Provides funding for at-risk youth.
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml?id=165400051

Airborne Art Grants
Airborne is tripling those eligible to receive grants for middle and elementary art and music programs that are in jeopardy.
http://www.airbornetrust.com/

Tucson Pima Arts Council Grants
2007-08 – The Tucson Pima Arts Council is offering Project and General Operating Support grants for nonprofit organizations, large and small, in the City of Tucson, for fiscal year 2007-08, whose primary focus is to provide arts programming and services to increase awareness and/or appreciation of the Arts of all cultures. Deadline for applications is Friday, March 29, 2007, 5pm. All applications must be delivered or postmarked by that time. Grants workshops will be offered Wednesdays, February 21, 2007 and February 28, 2007, both at 7pm, at the Tucson Pima Arts Council offices at 10 E Broadway, Lower Level. For guidelines and applications visit www.TucsonPimaArtsCouncil.org Questions? Contact the Grants Program at 520-624-0595 x18 or reuben@tucsonpimaartscouncil.org

Artist Competition
Phoenix Sister Cities is seeking submissions for the International Young Artist Competition, open to young people between the ages of 13 and 18 who have an artistic flair and live in Phoenix. This year's theme, "Do We Live in an Open and Accessible World for All?," must be interpreted in artwork of watercolors, oils, pastels, pen and ink, charcoal, mixed media, photography or computer-generated art. Framed artwork is not eligible. The deadline for submission is Friday, February 23, 2007. For more information, call 602-534-7359 or visit the Phoenix Sister Cities Web site.

Celebrate ‘Year of the Boar’ and Art Contest: The Chinese New Year - the Year of the Boar -will be celebrated in February 2007 with a variety of events. The celebration will include a free three-day festival at the Chinese Cultural Center located at 668 N 44th St from February 16 - 18. Schools can register to attend the Children's Pavilion. This year Chinese Week is again sponsoring an art contest, giving students the opportunity to express their knowledge of Chinese culture through art. For more information about the contest, please contact Nanci Carlson at cjcarlson@cox.net or 480-837-6502.

Sharpie is making the 2007 Autographs for Education sweepstakes bolder!
Last year we gave away $10,000 scholarships - This year, we're giving away two $25,000 scholarships. Click here to enter for a chance to win!

New Award Will Recognize Outstanding Arts Education Program: Phoenix schools that incorporate the arts into the curriculum are invited to submit entries for the first-ever Mayor's School of Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Arts Education. The winning school will receive a $1,000 cash prize and will be eligible for recognition by the Arizona Alliance for Arts Education. The program, sponsored by the Phoenix Office of the Mayor and Blue Cross® of Arizona, will recognize schools and programs that have done an outstanding job of making the arts an essential part of education in their districts. To be considered for the award, a school should teach all the arts (music, visual arts, dance and theatre) and integrate them into other subject areas through in-school or after-school programs or a combination of both. The deadline for submit entries is February 23. The criteria and entry forms can be found at phoenix.gov/arts. For more information, call Jocelyn Hanson at 602-495-0189.

National Honor Society of Dance Arts
The Arizona Dance Education Organization (AzDEO), the state affiliate of the National Dance Education Organization, announces the creation of a National Honor Society of Dance Arts for Arizona schools. AzDEO welcomes the creation of Honor Society of Dance Arts chapters at local Arizona schools. For more information, visit the AZ Dance Education Organization's web-site at www.azdeo.org (see left side for link to the Honor Society information).

West Valley Arts Council 2007 Creative Arts Scholarship Awards
The West Valley Arts Council is proud to announce another year of its Creative Arts Scholarship program. For High School Students in the West Valley. Applicant must be seeking post-secondary education in visual or performing arts or working towards an arts related career at the Higher Education institution of his/her choice. Awards range from $2000, $1500 and $1000. Deadline: March 5, 2007. For more information contact Bernadette Mills, Director of Programs and Education, West Valley Arts Council, bmills@westvalleyarts.org (623) 935-4327

Arts Education Census is underway - PLEASE PARTICIPATE!

The Arizona Commission on the Arts, in collaboration with the state's universities and the AZ Department of Education, is undertaking a census on how arts are taught in Arizona's public schools. We are inviting all arts teachers - music, dance, theatre and visual arts - to participate in the survey. Please consider taking the survey yourself - and please ask your arts educator colleagues to also participate. The surveys can be found at http://www.ade.az.gov/asd/arts/census.asp.

Executive Director Search
Arizona Citizens/Action for the Arts seeks an Executive Director who is a proven leader with integrity, political savvy and a strong work ethic. The Executive Director serves as the chief executive officer and lead advocate and fundraiser for the statewide arts advocacy organization. As such s/he must have strong communication skills, be able to work on multiple projects concurrently and possess good interpersonal skills for partnering with the Board of Trustees, sponsors, staff and constituent organizations to achieve the organization’s mission. Compensation is commensurate with experience. For a full-job description and to learn more about Arizona Citizens/Action for the Arts go to http://www.AzCitizensfortheArts.org/execdirectorsearch.html. To apply, send resumes and cover letters to search@AzCitizensfortheArts.org by March 1.

Inclusion In Report On Arts Teacher Training
The Dana Foundation initiative, Transforming Arts Teaching: The Role of Higher Education, will examine the preparation of preK-12 arts teachers. To be considered for selection, complete this survey by February 16.
http://www.dana.org/grants/artseducation/transformingartsed

ArtsBLOG
ArtsTeach launches ArtsBLOG, a venue for discussing important issues related to arts in education, with inaugural guest moderator and teaching artist Eric Booth.
http://www.artsteach.org

Get Paid to Create Art - Gallery 37
is the West Valley Art Council’s award winning job-training and arts education program Apprentices (that means you!) are hired to work with professional artists to design, develop and install permanent pieces of public art in the West Valley. Teens, ages 15-18, Applicants must be at least 15 years old by June 1, 2007. June 11-July 19, 2007, Monday through Thursday, 9 AM-3 PM, Participants may miss a maximum of two (2) days during the summer. A full six (6) week commitment is required. Program takes place at the Estrella Mountain Community College campus. Apprentices: $6.75/hour Mentors: $7.00/hour Apprentices will also receive college credits through EMCC! Applications due April 6, 2007 Applications are available on-line
www.westvalleyarts.org.

Music Integration Story on N.P.R.
Guitars in the Classroom, a Professional Development program for teachers learning to play and teach guitar, was the subject of a recent NPR story that notes, “Music education is on the decline nationwide.” www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6571202&sc=emaf

Arkansas Governor’s New Book Includes Arts Education
Governor Mike Huckabee's new book, From Hope to Higher Ground: 12 Stops to Restoring America’s Greatness, outlines national improvement priorities, including the need for music and arts as part of our children’s core education.
http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/books/22/1599957043/index.html

SMoCA Teacher In-Service
Discover ways to enhance your teaching and to address the Arizona art standards while you earn professional development credit, using the contemporary art in SMoCA's exhibitions as a springboard. February 10, 9am -12:30pm $15 per person, pre-registration required. Call 480-874-4641 or SMoCArsvp@sccarts.org

National Afterschool Conference: The National AfterSchool Conference will be held in Phoenix on March 21 - 23. Attendees represent the full gamut of after school programming. Sessions will focus on both research and practice. For more information, go to www.naaconference.org/whatsnew.htm.

National Arts Advocacy Day
Sponsored by Americans for the Arts, the conference will include two days of activities including a Congressional Arts Breakfast, Arts Advocacy Training and opportunities to meet with your members of Congress. It will take place at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC. March 12–13, 2007. For schedule information and registration form, please click here. For hotel information, please click here. Reserve your hotel room at the discounted rate by February 23, 2007.