eNews - February 2008 Edition

From the Director		WSAC Deadlines
Poem of the Month		Opportunities
Poetry Reading in Olympia		Events
Poetry Out Loud		About eNews

From the Executive Director

A few weeks ago, the Senate Education Committee held a briefing on the value of arts education, examining the data and practical evidence connecting student learning in the arts to a wide spectrum of academic and social benefits. During the presentation two elementary school principals and a music specialist spoke from their own personal experience about why they value the arts in their schools, and why they wish all of their colleagues could have the same experiences they have had. These educators and their schools have all benefited, both directly and indirectly, from WSAC Arts in Education grants. From their experience, they explained the benefits of community-based arts learning partnerships:

The arts get the school community working together in an engaged fashion.
The arts provide a “lifeline” for students. A principal acknowledged that he was one of those kids that might not have made it through school were it not for the arts, and now he wants to be sure students in his building have the same opportunities.
The arts help students explore diverse cultures, which is especially important in a school with a diverse population. In some urban and suburban schools, more than 20 different languages are spoken in students’ homes.
Training teachers in the arts is an investment in the future, so they can continue to deliver arts-infused lessons for the rest of their career.
The arts reach diverse learners in ways that other subject areas might not. Students who struggle in “traditional” learning approaches in reading or math often learn better when connections are made through the arts.
Arts classes provide students with a much needed outlet for self-expression, and for some students who struggle in other classes, an arts class may be the one opportunity they have each day to feel successful.
When the whole school collaborates around the arts, and there is collaborative teaching, it energizes all teachers.
Parent involvement increases dramatically when the arts are an ongoing part of the school culture.

Increasingly, the general public is recognizing the value of arts education as much as these educators. A recent national poll revealed that nearly 90% of likely voters believe that imagination is essential for success in the 21st century – and that education in and through the arts is essential to cultivating imagination. The poll also finds that a significant percentage of voters “are not only dissatisfied with public education’s narrow focus on the ‘so-called’ basics but that they also believe developing the imagination is a critical, but missing, ingredient to student success in 21st century schools and moving students beyond average.” For more on this fascinating poll and the idea of the “imagination constituency,” visit Imagine Nation.

Keep in touch,
Kris Tucker signature
Kris Tucker, Executive Director

What The Culinary Arts Teacher Knows About Grace

for Georgia Johnson

It is there, she believes, in the way cookies slip
from a greased pan, still limp
with the heat of the oven, chocolate chip,
music on the radio, a student’s body moving
with the beat; in the scent of coriander
on a girl’s palms, the print of her thumbs
at the edges of dough, samosas taking shape, each
the size of a bite, the way desire is measured.
She thinks of grace in the sound of a heavy knife
in a boy’s hand, slicing the skin
of a salmon, slabs of pink meat
laid out on the smoke house racks, the heat
of alder coals, smoke turning flesh sweet
as sugar spilled into coffee the workers drink
to stay awake; in the long, thin strands
of pasta steaming on a white plate, the freight
of red sauce heavy with basil and oregano, allspice,
garlic and the white crystals of salt, of soft
bread stained with butter. Grace in the soup
zapped in a blue bowl laced with tapatillo
and lime, tortillas rolled with the weight
of a mother’s whole life behind her and fried
crisp. It’s in the chancy edges of knives,
forks with bent tines, the tarnished handles
of spoons that strike the side of a bowl
with a joyous sound. What daily saves her is the grace
that includes the hands, the ones that reach,
that gratefully receive, that pass the gift around.

'What the Culinary Arts Teacher Knows About Grace' by Sam Green ©2008. This previously unpublished poem was written during a visit to a culinary arts class in La Conner, and dedicated to the teacher who leads the class.

Poetry Reading in Olympia on Arts Day

Tuesday, February 19, Washington State Poet Laureate Samuel Green will give a poetry reading at 7:00 pm in the Heritage Room at Capitol Lake, 604 Water Street, in downtown Olympia. The event is free and open to the public.

The reading is the culminating event of Arts Day, a day when arts advocates from across the state gather in Olympia to meet with their legislators to discuss arts and cultural issues. For more information visit the Washington State Arts Alliance.

Newly named by Governor Chris Gregoire as Washington State Poet Laureate, Green is a native of Washington, a distinguished poet and author of 10 poetry collections, including his recently released book The Grace of Necessity.

Poetry Out Loud

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with state arts agencies to support Poetry Out Loud, a program that encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. This exciting program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.

The Washington State Finals will be held Saturday, March 1 from 11:00 am to 3:30 pm at the University of Puget Sound, Music Building - Schneebeck Concert Hall.

The finals will feature 10 high school students representing schools from Pierce, Spokane, Thurston, and Yakima counties. Through three rounds of poetry recitations, they will be competing for one slot at the National Finals, including an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C. Special guests will include State Poet Laureate Sam Green, the Kareem Kandi Band and Taylor Mali.

Mali is a poet, an educator, and a four-time champion of the national poetry slam competition. The New York Times called him “a ranting comic showman and literary provocateur.” Mali will perform one short piece during the Poetry Out Loud finals, and will do a complete performance set at 4 pm, followed by a participatory workshop open to all.

The Poetry Out Loud Finals and the Taylor Mali Performance are both FREE and open to the public. Produced by the Washington State Arts Commission and the University of Puget Sound.

WSAC Deadlines

Grants to Organizations

Project Support Round 1, application and guidlines are now available for projects that take place between July 1, 2008 and end no later than December 31, 2008. Deadline: 04/07/08

Project Support Round 2, applications will be accepted later this summer for projects that take place between January 1, 2009 and end no later than June 30, 2009. Deadline: 10/13/08.

Cooperative Partnership applications will be available later this spring. Deadline: 05/19/08.

Institutional Support applications will be available later this spring: Deadline: 06/16/08.

Arts in Education

Community Consortia grant application and guidelines are now available. Deadline: 02/27/08.

First Step grant application and guildelines are available. Deadline: 03/21/08.

Teaching Artist Roster application and guidelines will be available later this spring (last year's application material is available as a reference.) Deadline: 06/02/08.

Folk Arts

Fellowship grant applications and Apprenticeship grant applications are now available. Deadline for both applications: 04/04/08.

Community Arts Development

Professional Development Assistance program has an ongoing deadline. Apply at least six weeks before the opportunity.

Opportunities

The BMI Student Composer Awards is a competition for young composers of classical music. The awards are made on an annual basis for compositions submitted by students actively engaged in the study of music and all works are judged under pseudonyms. Deadline: 02/15/08.

Designed by Midori as a means of supporting the American youth orchestra, the Orchestra Residencies Program is a collaborative project which provides meaningful musical experiences now for the next generation of classical musicians. Any U.S. youth orchestra and its affiliated professional orchestra with combined budgets of under $4 million may apply; two residencies are awarded each year. Applications are now available. Deadline: 02/15/08.

Artist Trust, based in Seattle, supplies an invaluable service to individual artists: holding informational workshops, providing direct funding support, and acting as an advocate on behalf of artists across the state. For more than a decade, Artist Trust has facilitated the Arts Commission’s fellowships to individual artists, and serves as an important partner in providing training, resources, and support for artists.

Grants for Artist Projects (GAP) support artist-generated projects, which can include (but are not limited to) the development, completion or presentation of new work. Individual artists who reside in Washington State are encouraged to apply (PDF). Deadline: 02/22/08.

The EDGE Professional Development Program provides visual artists with 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, site visits, and assignments. Applications (PDF) are available. Deadline: 03/28/08.

The Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation is offering curators the opportunity to be awarded the 2008 Emily Hall Tremaine Exhibition Award (PDF) -- a grant of $150,000 for the realization of a strong thematic exhibition concept that challenges the boundaries of contemporary art. Now in its 10th year, the biennial Emily Hall Tremaine Exhibition Award, established in 1998, rewards innovation and experimentation at the curatorial level. Deadline: 03/07/08.

4Culture is accepting applications for the Landmark Rehabilitation program which provides funding for the stabilization, rehabilitation, and restoration of designated landmark properties. Eligible applicants are owners or authorized lessees of: designated King County Landmarks, designated City Landmarks located in jurisdictions participating in the King County Interlocal Preservation Program (KCIPP), and contributing properties located within King County or KCIPP landmark districts. Deadline: 03/10/08.

The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council will be celebrating April as National Poetry Month with their first annual Poetry Month Celebration to be held at the Shoreline Community College Campus Theatre at 7:30 pm, Saturday, April 19. The Poetry Month Celebration will feature an evening with readings by several poets including Washington State Poet Laureate Samuel Green. Poetry Contest applications are available for work to be judged in three divisions: Secondary Student, College Student, and Non-Student Adult, with cash prizes for College Student and Adult winners, and ribbons for Secondary Students winners. Deadline: 03/14/08.

VSA arts is seeking visual artists with disabilities ages 18 and above whose work is inspired by the performing arts for Derivative Composition, an international juried art exhibition that will be on display at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Two and three dimensional art, digital art, installations, video and film, and other media that draw inspiration from music, theater or dance are eligible. Submissions must have been completed in the last five years and after the onset of disability. Deadline: 03/21/08.

Potlatch Fund is accepting applications for the 2008 Intertribal Canoe Journey Grant to support participants of the Cowichan 2008: The Journey of A Generation. The name, Potlatch Fund, reflects a Northwest coastal tribal traditional ceremony and in the Chinook language potlatch means to give or a gift. Historically potlatches were occasions when individuals shared their good fortune through the distribution of gifts to members of their tribe as well as those of neighboring tribes. Deadline: 03/21/08.

The Peninsula Art League is seeking artists for an Open Juried Art Exhibition (PDF) Dates of exhibition: June 2nd – 25th, 2008. Deadline: 03/25/08.

The Mayor’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs is accepting nominations for the 2008 Mayor’s Arts Awards. The awards recognize the accomplishments of artists, arts and cultural organizations and community members committed to enriching their communities through the arts. Deadline: 04/07/08.

Jack Straw Productions is holding classes this winter that will cover basic studio recording techniques as well as both introductory and intermediate Pro Tools. Thier workshops are ideal for aspiring and professional musicians, sound artists, writers, journalists, documentarians, and film makers. All classes are held in the professional recording studios at Jack Straw Productions. Space is limited.

Chamber Music America is offering grants to Composer-led Jazz Ensembles for new works. Ensembles must consist of a core of musicians who perform original music that includes jazz improvisation, have a demonstrated history of performing together as a jazz ensemble, and range in size from two to ten members. Works may represent the wide range of styles associated with jazz, from traditional to non-traditional. Deadline: 02/28/08.

Employment

The City of Issaquah has a 16 – 18 hour contract position as an Arts Coordinator. The position performs a variety of general management, office & program support functions for the City of Issaquah Arts program.

Events

Squaxin Island - The Squaxin Island Tribe will hold Sa' heh' Wa’ Mish days, February 15, 16 and 17. Included in the celebration is a juried art show for Salish art and an art auction benefiting the Squaxin Island Museum on February 16.

Corvallis (Oregon) - The Pacific Northwest History Conference 2008: Across Time and Terrain in the Pacific Northwest will be held April 17 - 19. For the 61st time, historians, scholars from related fields, teachers, students, history enthusiasts, and the general public gather at the Pacific Northwest History Conference and the associated meeting of the Northwest Oral History Association to consider interpretations of the region's past.

Spokane - The kinetic sculpture of Miles Pepper will be featured at the Chase Gallery, March 4 through April 30, 2008. An artist reception will be held in conjunction with First Friday, on Friday March 7, 5 - 8 pm. Pepper creates large scale public works fabricated from aluminum and stainless steel. His exhibition in the Chase Gallery will be a rare opportunity to see twelve pieces of his sculpture representing his twelve years in public art. The exhibition will show scale models, reproductions of projects both finished and while under construction, fabrication test samples, and various presentation materials and drawings.

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Opportunity and Events listings are not endorsed by WSAC, nor is the accuracy or validity of information provided by external organizations or individuals monitored by WSAC.

The Washington State Arts Commission (WSAC) is the state agency established in 1961 to support the arts as essential to the state's social, educational and economic growth, and to contribute to Washington's quality of life and the well being of its citizens. WSAC is governed by four legislators and 19 Governor-appointed citizens.