eNews - April 2010 Edition
From the Executive DirectorI recently spent a wonderful Saturday afternoon at the State Finals for Poetry Out Loud, a poetry recitation competition presented by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation – and, in Washington state, by WSAC with dozens of partners in schools large and small.
More than 13,000 Washington students participated in Poetry Out Loud this year, up from 10,000 in 2009. Each student memorized poems selected from the extensive Poetry Out Loud anthology to be presented in a competitive recitation that moves from local schools through regionals and then the state finals. BreAnna Jones, a senior at West Valley High School in Yakima, was selected to represent Washington state in the National Poetry Out Loud Finals in Washington D.C. in late April. Congratulations BreAnna – and good luck at Nationals!
Arts researchers consider reading or writing poetry to be among the “informal arts” – activities that are self-initiated and community based. The ever-expanding list of informal arts activities also includes playing a musical instrument, creating an online film, participating in a performance at a place of worship, or attending a craft fair – as well as hobbies, folk arts, and popular culture. Come as You Are: Informal Arts Participation in Urban and Rural Communities is a new report by the National Endowment for the Arts that builds on the 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts. These studies note that nonprofit arts groups and institutions are clustered in urban areas, and attendance at performing arts events and art museums is proportionally higher in urban areas than in rural places. Yet metro and non-metro residents tend to participate in the informal arts at the same rate. Other key findings:
The variety of arts participation opportunities continues to grow and evolve. As arts leaders we must continue to track the trends so we can best support and encourage a healthy variety of arts experiences in communities across the state.
Keep in touch,
Poetry Out Loud State FinalsYoung Yakima Poet Wins State Poetry Out Loud Competition for the Third Time
Twelve students participated in the state finals on Saturday, March 20, at the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Performing Arts on the South Puget Sound Community College campus in Olympia. Through three rounds of poetry recitations, they performed works selected from an anthology of more than 500 classic and contemporary poems.
Participants were judged by a panel with expertise in various aspects of poetry and performance and awarded points for accuracy, presence, level of difficulty, and other criteria.
As the winner of the state finals, BreAnna wins a $200 prize, her school gets $500 for the purchase of poetry books, and she will receive an all-expenses-paid trip (with a chaperone) to compete in the National Finals in Washington, DC, on April 25-27, 2010.
BreAnna says, “I am so blessed to have another opportunity to compete at Nationals. It blows my mind that all of this came from a simple sophomore English assignment. The past years taught me key techniques that are going to make all the difference at nationals. This year, I’ve worked harder than ever and I’m hoping my work will pay off. I can’t wait!”
Poetry Out Loud is sponsored by the Washington State Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the Poetry Foundation. This is the fifth year that high school students in Washington State participated in Poetry Out Loud, a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry. The Poetry Out Loud National Finals will award a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends, with a $20,000 college scholarship for the National Champion.
And... April is National Poetry Month!
Cultural Congress Later This Month!Join hundreds of arts leaders and cultural professionals in defining new directions, celebrating innovations, and uniting with new partners at the Washington Cultural Congress. Share your stories of what is working and dialogue with peers about how you and your organization are taking charge of change at the April 26 - 28 convening, at Skamania Lodge near Stevenson Washington along the Columbia River Gorge.
New Artwork InstallationSteve Gardner’s "Where Will You Go?" is a relief sculpture of steel and cast glass installed in Pasco High School’s new student mall. The materials take advantage of the natural light, providing a visual focal point to the building and infusing projected color and shadows into the space.
The theme focuses on the symbolic journey that students make during and after high school. Two figures in a boat travel down a river; while one pours out water, creating their path and giving life to the dry land, the other gazes upward at the stars to navigate. Overhead and around them a steel sky is filled with a galaxy of blue glass castings that are set within the steel frame. These castings form an image reminiscent of the stars in the turning night sky, as well as the dashed lines of text on a page.
All of the glass elements contain cast relief images of learning: formulas, drawings, and text, identified in collaboration with the Pasco High faculty. Rivers are at the core of the city’s identity and existence, and have long been a source of life, food, and transportation. In this design the river becomes a symbolic path that eventually leads out of the circle of stars, implying that the journey is boundless.
Artwork acquired through Washington State’s Art in Public Places program becomes part of the State Art Collection - a collection of over 4,600 works of art located at state agencies, public schools, colleges and universities throughout the state.
Articles and InformationSteal this idea! Tacoma lures business through art, free rent - by Meg Coyle, KING 5 News, 03/24/10.
Seattle Center: Park Or Arts Hub? Proposed Chihuly Museum Sparks Debate - by Chris Grygiel, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 04/01/10.
An interesting article for nonprofits considering the use of social media tools. Marketing Means More than Facebook by Nancy Hytone Leb - Americans for the Arts 04/01/10.
Grants / OpportunitiesWSAC's Roster of Teaching Artists is a resource directory of high quality teaching artists who are especially well suited for working with K-12 public schools. Roster of Teaching Artists applications and guidelines are available. Deadline 06/01/09.
The Project Support grants deadlines for FY 2011 will be as follows:
Primary Colours is accepting applications (PDF) from contemporary artists with experience in creating installation art, for a unique June exhibition in Indianapolis. Artists will submit a proposal to create an installation piece within the confines of a 20-foot metal shipping container. From the submitted proposals, a jury will select seven projects and give each artist $750 to create his or her vision. Deadline: 04/27/10.
Artists who reside in Washington State are encouraged to apply to Artist Trust's 2010 EDGE Professional Development Program for Visual Artists. The EDGE Program offers artists a comprehensive survey of professional practices through a hands-on, interactive curriculum that includes instruction by professionals in the field, as well as specialized presentations, panel discussions and assignments. Deadline: 04/30/10.
NEFA (New England Foundation for the Arts) has announced a call for the National Dance Project recruiting presenters with extensive knowledge of the U.S. and international dance community to fill openings for three-year terms as Hub Site Representatives, starting January 2011, January 2012, and January 2013. Deadline: 04/30/10.
The Spokane Arts Commission and the City of Spokane Wastewater Management are seeking student designs for the manhole covers (PDF). Contestants must be citizens of the City of Spokane and the age of 18 or under. Deadline: 04/30/10.
The Tacoma Arts Commission has a couple of calls out:
The City of Olympia Arts Commission and the Olympia Downtown Association (ODA) are sponsoring a photography competition. Winning photographs will be used to create banners for display in downtown Olympia. A minimum of four (4) photographs will be chosen and winning photographers will receive an honorarium of $100 each. The first 20 photographers to enter will receive a t-shirt with the "Its Your Olympia" logo. Deadline: 06/01/10.
The Arts of Kenmore has issued a call (PDF) for the juried Kenmore Art Show. The show has continued to grow in size and quality each year. Deadline: 08/13/10.
Employment / Volunteer / InternshipsThree Dollar Bill Cinema is looking for a part-time contract Sponsorship Manager to maintain, grow, and manage the sponsorship program of Three Dollar Bill Cinema with an emphasis on securing sponsorship for The 15th Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.
United Indians, based in Seattle, is actively recruiting qualified professionals for the position of Business Counselor. The Business Counselor will provide counseling services for small businesses and assist Native-owned small businesses with bid/proposal technical assistance review, marketing advice, and government program registrations.
CD Forum, in Seattle, is recruiting several interns for the remainder of the season. Salem Arts is recruiting a Graphic Designer (PDF) to design and produce printed and electronic materials for year-round programs and various organizational events under the direction of the Marketing/Communications Coordinator or Executive Director, and in conjunction with five Association programs.
Shunpike, in Seattle, is hiring a part-time Programs Coordinator (PDF ) to provide administrative support to the organization and its clients.
Events / Workshops / ConferencesSeattle - Writers & Free Speech: Important First Amendment Considerations, part of the Richard Hugo House series on legal issues for writers presented by Washington Lawyers for the Arts on Thursday, April from 1 to 3 pm. The workshop will cover privacy laws, slander, libel, copyright and trademark, fair use and parody, and when the content and the forum in which the work is published have legal implications.
Winthrop - Methow Arts is presenting Faustwork Mask Theatre & Arts Education Night on Saturday, April 17 at 7 pm in the Winthrop Barn. The show illuminates and expands the concept of the mask, exploring its relationship to human psychology, business, fashion, art, dance, and theatre. Mr. Faust will be spending a week in Okanogan County, performing in six regional schools, offering a professional development workshop for teachers, as part of Methow Arts’ Okanogan Region Arts Education Partnership.
Seattle - Explore Seattle's deep connections with Japan and celebrate the beauty of spring at the Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival, April 16 through 18 form 10 am to 6 pm, in Center House and Fisher Pavilion. From the booms of taiko drums to the silence of ikebana flowers, the free event is a feast for the senses. Delicious Japanese food, tea ceremony demonstrations and artwork present both a modern and ancient view of this complex culture.
Wenatchee - Icicle Arts is presenting Chekov’s The Cherry Orchard, April 16 - 17 and 23 - 24, at Wenatchee Valley College Campus Theater. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors - only available at the door. eNews ©2010
|
||||||||||||||||||
