me arts ed

Traveling to fascinating places and being creative!

Nine Maine Arts Educators have been selected by Maine Alliance for Arts Education and the Maine Community Foundation to pursue studies in theater, music, and a variety of visual arts around the world.

The teachers, their schools, and their projects:

• Rebecca Bean, Cape Elizabeth Middle School, to study music, dance, and culture in Ghana, West Africa
• Joanne Maloney, Wentworth Intermediate School, Scarborough, to study mosaic tile production at the Mosaic Arts School in Ravenna, Italy
• Kristin McKinlay, Edmunds Consolidated School, to study digital printing and hand embellishment at the Split Rock Arts Program in Minnesotay
• Linda Phillips, Maranacook Community Middle School, Readfield, to travel to Ardeche, France, to attend the TASIS Art Teacher Workshop
• Caitlin Ramsey, Massabesic Middle School, East Waterboro, to participate in the Conductors Institute at the New England Conservatory of Music
• Pam and Kevin Rhein, Messalonskee Middle and High Schools, Oakland, James Bean School, Sidney, Belgrade Central School, to participate in the Choral Arts International Festival of the Aegean in Syros, Greece
• Shira Singer, Islesford Elementary School, Swan’s Island School, to study fabric design and surface embellishment at Quilting by the Lake in Syracuse, New York
• Debra Susi, Warsaw Middle School, Maine Central Institute, Pittsfield, to study theater production at the La MaMa International Symposium in Spoleto, Italy

I look forward to hearing of their adventures. Please join me in CONGRATULATING our colleagues!

Student artwork will be displayed in Washington

Two Maine students are the winners of the 2009 Congressional Arts Competition. Michele Jaffarian, a senior at Rangeley Lakes Regional School, in the 2nd Congressional District. Her art teacher is Sonja Johnson. Suki Nesvig of Wayneflete School in Portland was selected in the 1st Congressional District.

A reception was held at the Blaine House on May 16, 2009 for both students, their families and their art teachers. Both artworks were on display, Suki’s a woodblock print and Michele’s colored pencil piece.

Their artwork will be put on display in the Cannon Tunnel of the Capitol in Washington D.C. for the next year. Both students will be flown to the nation’s capital for the opening of the show.

CONGRATULATIONS to Michele and Suki!