REGISTER FOR THE STATE-WIDE ARTS CONFERENCE
http://www.maineartseducation.org/ EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION: $75- 8/24/07
ARTS NEWSLETTER # 15- 16 AUGUST 2007
GREETINGS FROM ARGY’S CUBBY with a view of the STATE HOUSE DOME at the Department of Education
ARTS NEWS
• The morning light has changed in my cubby, in fact it has come full circle since one year ago today when I started at the Department of Education as the Visual and Performing Arts Specialist. I find myself reflecting on my year and thinking about changes as we transition to fall and a new school year. My morning drive to Augusta is showing signs as well, a nip in the air and bits of color on the red maple trees.
• I got an email earlier this week from Doug Clapp, art teacher in Fort Kent, that he returned to school, a place where each of you who are teachers will soon be, if you haven’t already found yourself there. This is about the time of month when my teacher dreams would start and I wondered if I would remember how to teach. Even after 30 years of teaching those dreams still existed for me.
• I took a splendid day trip to Winter Harbor to visit the International Sculpture Symposium being held at the Schoodic Education and Research Center located on Schoodic Point, in Acadia National Park. The symposium, the first of its kind in Maine, is being held until September 10th and I guarantee you won’t regret taking the time to visit. We knew we were getting close to the sculpting area as the sound of saws buzzing grew louder. It was a pleasure watching and talking with the seven participating artists as they sawed, hammered, chiseled and used their various tools. They are three weeks into their six-week residency and their art work is taking on the look of the final forms. It is awesome that the old naval base (turned into the Education and Research Center (http://www.nps.gov/acad/serc.htm) is having new life breathed into it and that the arts are an integral part of the environment. After the symposium we walked down to the water and sat on the rocks for a picnic lunch and watched the tide roll in and the cormorants and guillemot bobbing around. To learn more about the symposium please go to http://www.schoodicsculpture.org/home.html
• I mentioned in the Arts Newsletter #14 that the newly opened Northport Music Theater was presenting “Six Women With Brain Death”. I had the pleasure of attending and it was delightful. Kim Murphy, Camden Hills Regional High School choral director and Caitlin Whalen, Winthrop Public Schools music teacher were both in the show. The voices of the six women were very powerful! The show continues through August 25th. For more details please go to http://www.northportmusictheater.com/
NEWSLETTER
This newsletter is now being mailed electronically to 492 educators (an increase of 11 since the last newsletter). If you are interested in reviewing back issues of the newsletter click on: http://mailman.informe.org/pipermail/doe-arts/
If you know of others that wish to receive the newsletter please ask them to email me argy.nestor@maine.gov
STATE-WIDE ARTS CONFERENCE-OCT. 5, 6, 2007
AT THE CREATIVE CENTER
THE ARTS IN MAINE SCHOOLS
A conference postcard was mailed this week to over 1200 visual and performing arts teachers in Maine announcing that registration is open for the state-wide arts conference sponsored by the Maine Department of Education (MDOE), The Maine Alliance for Arts Education (MAAE) and the Maine Arts Commission (MAC) partnering with Maine Art Education Association (MAEA), Maine Music Educators Association (MMEA), Maine Drama Council (MDC) Dance Education in Maine Schools (DEMS) and VSA arts of Maine (VSA). Early bird registration fee of $75.00 is being accepted until Friday, August 24th and $85.00 after that. Be sure and go to the Maine Alliance for Arts Education website at http://www.maineartseducation.org/ for all the details. The committee has put in many hours to arrange for a great conference, please be sure and check It out.
MAINE LEARNING RESULTS-VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS
The public hearing for the proposed Maine Department of Education Regulation: Parameters for Essential Instruction which includes the Visual and Performing Arts will be held on September 10, 2007, 3:00-5:30 PM at four ATM locations around the state:
* Room 103 A&B of the Cross State Office Building, Augusta, Maine (site of origin)
* ATM Room, Presque Isle High School, Presque Isle, Maine
* ATM Room, Bangor Library, Bangor, Maine
* ATM Room, Machias High School, Machias, Maine
This public hearing will be an opportunity to collect public comment on the Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction. You may also send in written comments to Anita Bernhardt, 23 State House Station, Augusta, 04333.
http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/pei/ For more information please see the attached Commissioner’s Information Letter.
EXTENDING THE DANCE MAP
SAVE THE DATE – Saturday, September 8, 3:00 – 5:00 PM
Bangor area – place TBA
Tri-state pilot project to train dancers to work as teaching artists in public schools and teachers to bring dance into their classrooms. This information session is FREE of charge. Pilot project and four days of training will take place in 2007-2008 with at least one residency fellowship available after training is complete. For more information please contact Nancy Salmon, state dance liaison for the project, ncsalmon@suscom-maine.net or 207-865-4311.
MAINE’S REORGANIZATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS
To read the latest information on the reorganization plan please see the attached document.
RESEARCH AND SUMMER READING
In Arts Newsletter #14 I shared the Value of the Arts, Part ll. Attached is
The Value of the Arts, Part II
August 9, 2007 | Volume 2 | Issue 22
An education in the arts can open up new channels of learning for all students. When schools engage students in the visual, musical, or dramatic arts as separate classes, cross-curricular projects, or extracurricular activities, they get students to grasp and appreciate the elements of human culture that transcend space and time while helping them draw connections between content areas.
GRANT OPPORTUNITY
"Grants to Fund Projects Making Creative Use of Common Teaching Aids" Office Depot/SHOPA 2006 Kids In Need Teacher Grants are available to fund projects that make creative use of common teaching aids, approach curriculum from an imaginative angle, or tie nontraditional concepts together for the purpose of illustrating commonalities. Innovation and merit account for 40 percent of the evaluation. Maximum Award: $500. Eligibility: K-12 teachers.
Deadline: September 30, 2007. For more information please go to http://www.kidsinneed.net/grants/guidelines.php
ART OPENING
You are cordially invited to the:
Butterfly Mural Opening & Meet the Artists
Saturday, August 18, 10:30-12:00
Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant Street, Brunswick
Mural artists Olga Pastuchiv and Jane Page-Conway have been working at Curtis Memorial Library to create a butterfly mural. Eight panels, featuring larger than life views of butterflies will be installed on the Children's Garden fence.
SPEAKING OF BUTTERFLIES
If you like butterflies you will most likely like this website called Monarch Butterfly: Journey North for Kids. Please check out http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/jr/KidsJourneyNorthTeach.html#concept
AND ANOTHER JOURNEY TO FOLLOW…
If you are interested in sailing, adventure and/or reading a blog please go to
http://1000daysatsea.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=50
You can follow Reid Stowe & Soanya Ahmad stories on their 1000 non-stop or re-supplying days at sea.
MAINE MASTER PREMIERES
Featuring: The film portrait LOIS DODD at the Farnswoth Art Museum Rockland
Wednesday, August 22. Two showings- 6 and 7 PM, free and open to the public. If you have questions please contact Richard Kane at kanelewis@aol.com
207-359-2320
BENEFIT CONCERT @ St. PATRICK’S CHURCH, NEWCASTLE
Saturday, September 1, 7:30 Concert for Clarinet, Voice, and Piano: Benefit for Vocal Music Program at Lincoln Academy, suggested Donation $10 at the door
Mei-Shen Gregory, Clarinet, Beth Preston, Soprano Bridget Convey, Piano
Contact Beth Preston for more information: preston@lincolnacademy.org
STUDENT ART DISPLAY
The Maine Principals’ Association is looking for K-12 framed student art work to display at its conference center in Augusta for the upcoming school year. Check with your school principal for more information. A letter of interest needs to be submitted by September 28, 2007.
POETRY READING
Sunday, September 30 at 7pm at the Cushing Library –
Readers, Ellen Goldsmith and Alan Clark
I recently met Ellen to learn about fantastic work she has done in NYC with parents and teachers called Connecting Art, Books, Home and School.
If you’d like to learn more please contact Ellen at goldellen@gmail.com
PHOTOGRAPHER CINDY MCINTYRE
Offering one day classes in her studio in Waldoboro for individuals or groups on “Tinting Digital Photographs”. Classes will teach painting with oil paints, pencils, and watercolors on prints you make on the computer. For more information please email Cindy or check out her website or call : cindy@cindymcintyre.com
www.CindyMcIntyre.com 207-832-7490
ASCD CLASSES
• October 9, 2007 - Leadership in Literacy: Developing a School-wide Partnership with Peter Lancia, Hilton Garden Inn, Freeport
• October 22, 2007 - Transforming Learning Communities with Liz Keroack & Matt King, Augusta Civic Center
For more information or to register, please visit the website www.maineascd.org
ART TEACHER POSITIONS
Please see the attachment for art teaching positions available throughout the country.
CENTER FOR MAINE CONTEMPORARY ART
Beehive Collective Will Bring Their Buzz to CMCA Tuesday, August 21st at 7:00PM. This dynamic group of young artist-activists will share the work they are doing to foster positive change in Maine and other parts of the world.
For more information please go to the CMCA website http://www.artsmaine.org/
SERVICE LEARNING
Charlie Hartman, Education Consultant at the MDOE passed this on to me. “As you move along in your summer projects and fall lesson-planning, you
may want to consider projects that combine art and service-learning as a
particularly fertile area for K-12 programs. Art provides a direct connection to cultural meaning and expression, can be a great way for students to make a visible community contribution, and can add richness and diversity to your reflection activities”. If you have questions about possible funding please contact Charlie at: charlie.hartman@maine.gov
QUOTE OF THE NEWSLETTER
GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said, “What we've got at GM now is a general comprehension that you can't run this business by the left, intellectual, analytical side of the brain. You have to have a lot of right side, creative input. We are in the arts and entertainment business, and we're putting a huge emphasis on world-class design."
