ATA Blog: weekend

Showing posts with label weekend. Show all posts

Friday, June 25, 2010

Stay Strong

Teaching artists who partner with classroom teachers might want to read "Strong Arts, Strong Schools: The Promising Potential and Shortsighted Disregard of the Arts in American Schooling" by Fowler. It is our book of the day, and it comes highly recommended. Here is the link:

http://www.amazon.com/Strong-Arts-Schools-Promising-Shortsighted/dp/0195148339

Also: ATA is on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Association-of-Teaching-Artists/45276461667

I am blogging by phone. It's a small world, afterall.

Friday, May 7, 2010

What Can I Do?

Teaching artists can look forward to attending The School of the Future (SOTF).

SOTF, not be confused with the School of the Future, is a month-long art project in Bushwick, that invites teaching artists, and everyone else, to answer the question of a lifetime:

"What do you want to learn?"

The question links to information about upcoming classes, and forums on their website, along with an invitation to "share your idea here."

Also: The weekend is now, and teaching artists are invited to join ATA on Facebook to talk about jobs and things like the terrifying budget proposal just put forth by mayor Michael Bloomberg. The New York Times says the mayor's plan, which even he admits is a nightmare, will "reduce the city’s teaching force by 6,700, and close 50 senior centers, 16 day care centers and perhaps 10 libraries."

Finally: Xanadu - ONJ

Friday, April 30, 2010

Into the Sun

It is Friday

The weather is fine.

Here's a lesson plan for solar-powered printmaking which is posted over at Blick Art Materials. They would like you to buy special photo-sensitive paper for this project. You can get the paper at any art supply store, and the process is explained below:

A "cyanotype" is a photographic print made when UV light is exposed to a photo-sensitive paper. This lesson plan is a simple new process involving two safe and familiar classroom favorites — Nature Print Paper and Scratch Art. The finished arwork has the appearance of a linoleum block print — without the use of cutting tools or ink.
Grade Level: 3 – 8

Read the rest after the jump!

Also: The Association of Teaching Artists is on Facebook.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Off the Wall

It's Friday. See you out in the field.

@MOMA:
Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century
April 11–June 28, 2010

@Museum of Chinese in America
Living Arts:Kite Making Workshop
Sat, Apr 17 from 2pm – 3:30pm

215 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013
(b/w Howard & Grand Sts; one block north of Canal St)

@the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage
February 2, 2010–May 9, 2010
The Howard Gilman Gallery

@MoCADA (Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts):
The Gentrification of Brooklyn: The Pink Elephant Speaks
February 4, 2010 - May 16, 2010

@Studio Museum in Harlem:
Target Free Sundays
There's something for everyone to love at Target Free Sundays at the Studio Museum.
144 West 125th Street, New York, New York

Also: The Association of Teaching Artists is on Facebook, rain, or shine.

Plus: Sunday in the Park w/ G. (Stephen S.)

Friday, March 26, 2010

Only the Good

CommonGround, the annual gathering of New York State Arts Educators, is wrapping up today in Albany. David Steiner was there, giving a speech which I heard like music from another room. Afterward, there was talk among the group I was in about how we as arts educators need to start assessing our work the same way the teachers over in the math department do, which sounds perfectly reasonable, until you realize it's impossible. We all decided that the assessment tools we use are going to look different than the ones used over in the math department, and I think everyone agrees that we're going to need a few more minutes to talk about it.

I took a terrific workshop on planning with John Bertles of Bash the Trash, and chatted with Kaya Chwals of Urban Arts Partnership, and with Laura Reeder of Teaching Artist Journal. I felt lucky to be there. Presenting with colleague Annie Montgomery, I had productive conversations with fellow Teaching Artists from across the state, and some of my takeaways are below.

I think, perhaps:

Teaching Artists need to be trained in assessment, and we need to start making the process of creating assessment tools a more routine part of the job;

Teaching Artists need to understand the role of the arts administrator, because we can help. Also, many of us are dual role TA/administrators in small organizations with big workloads. Help.

Providing ongoing professional development and training to TAs is vitally important, and budget cuts have reduced the amount of TA trainings organizations are able to provide. Are Apprenticeships part of the answer?

Despite what seemed like low attendance overall, teaching artists were there--I saw them--and I think we still have a future in this business.

It's Friday, and ATA is on Facebook with Teaching Artists galore.

Live it up!

Also: Days Go By - D. Vegas

Friday, February 26, 2010

Conferencing

The Annual Face to Face Conference is over, but you can read about it on Twitter.

Updates (sans snark) from conference attendees were posted throughout the event, and you can read through them at your leisure.

Go to Twitter.

Find the box that says SEARCH.

Entering one of the popularly used search terms for the event, like #facetoface or #whyartsed, will bring up Tweets from teaching artists like @dennisbaker, @yeacollective, @ediedemas, and @BCBMcCarty among others.

Also: ATA's Board of Directors has a meeting today. You should get to know them.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Learning to Stretch

Sometimes, Teaching Artists have to take a multi-disciplinary approach to the work; moving beyond a specific expertise. It can be challenging. For instance, a playwright working as teaching artist might find the need arises to weave music, dance, or even visual art skills and concepts into a residency.

TAs who are looking to advance their knowledge and understanding of the visual arts, might be interested to know that the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) offers a slew of art history courses, many of which are sold out.

Among the courses still open for registration:

German Expressionist Prints

Five Mondays, 6:30–8:20 p.m., 3/15, 3/22, 4/5, 4/12, 4/19 (no class on 3/29)
$260; $220 for members
Instructor: Iris Schmeisser

1960s Art in Japan (1954–1974)

Five Mondays, 6:00–7:50 p.m., 3/22, 4/5, 4/12, 4/19, 4/26 (no class on 3/29)
$260; $220 for members
Instructors: Reiko Tomii and Midori Yoshimoto
Conceptual Photography

Eight Thursdays, 7:00–8:50 p.m., 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, 4/1, 4/8, 4/15, 4/22, 4/29
$415; $355 for members
Instructor: Béatrice Gross

Visit MoMA for information and registration.

Also: It's Friday and ATA is on Facebook and Yahoo!

Come hang out.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Reading Rainbow

I know you are a busy person, but have you noticed that, all this week, Americans for the Arts has been launching its new arts education blog with a blogging marathon? About 30 "bloggers" have set out to deliver posts on a wide range of sometimes surprising topics, such as increasing access to the arts for special needs students (no surprise here) and jail(?!).

Among the many excellent, Laura Reeder of Partners for Arts Education posts on the Qualities of Quality, and Arnold Aprill of Chicago Arts Partnership in Education introduces readers to Building Curriculum, Community and Leadership through the Arts (BCCLA) as a project model for innovative and rewarding ways to support local arts teachers.

I read about it on Twitter. Which, at 140 characters, is basically the future in a nutshell.

Next week: It's All Happening at the Zoo.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Here, Again

If it's Friday, this must be Governors Island.

Jump!

Friday, June 5, 2009

The Rest

Today is Friday.

Next week, we'll take a giddy tour of our favorite teaching artist blogs and websites.

In the meantime:

We are on Facebook, I am kind of on Twitter, and ATA Executive Director, Dale Davis has been posting so much useful information on the listserv, my head is spinning.

Also: In the delightful books for children section, Meet Wild Boars by Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall. "Beware of this book." Hilarious and stinky, it has an equally funny sequel.

Finally: Earth, Wind and Fire are classical elements - Let's Groove

Friday, May 29, 2009

The People

It is Friday, again.

Tell.

Show.

Do.

Also: Al Green - People Get Ready

Friday, May 22, 2009

Breathless

It is Friday.

I am on Twitter.

We are on Facebook.

Find something to do.

Also: Is the Rose Art Museum really closing?

Also: Joni - Big Yellow Taxi

Friday, May 15, 2009

Find It

Friday.

Also: Tori Amos - A Sort of Fairytale

Sing A Song

Carnegie Hall’s Neighborhood Concert Series is a program of the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, of course.

They have programmed some fantastic community events this year, including this one to be held next weekend at the Schomburg:

SING-A-LONG

Carnegie Community Sing: an interactive event for all ages

Saturday, May 23, 2009, 3:00 PM

Experience this special opportunity to learn songs and exchange stories with the Fisk Jubilee Singers. (No singing experience necessary!) The original Jubilee Singers introduced “slave songs” to the world in 1871 and were instrumental in preserving this American musical tradition known today as Negro Spirituals. They broke racial barriers in the US and abroad in the late 19th century, and entertained kings and queens in Europe. Today the Fisk Jubilee Singers—young students of Fisk University—continue their legacy by singing and traveling extensively, sharing this distinctAmerican art form and experience with audiences worldwide. This event is hosted by Vy Higginsen, co-writer, producer, and director of “Mama, I Want to Sing!”

Free Admission. RSVP required at 212.491.2040