me arts ed

Workshop: Creating Art With Technology = Understanding of Art Styles – Mary Pennington

Debi Lynn Baker

Have you wondered what to do with a room full of laptops? Debi Lynn Baker’s session of Creating Art with Technology = Understanding of Art Styles had lots of suggestions. Debi walked the participants through several examples of computer programs that allow students to explore different styles and periods in art.

The Artist’s Toolkit offers an interactive approach to the elements of art and principles of design.

Debi showed us how to make Pop Art greeting cards using Photo Booth and any word processing program.

Tuxpaint is an open-source drawing program that offers great effects for kids age 3 to 12 (or fun-loving grownups). Using Tuxpaint, Debi showed us how easy it is to get results that look like Impressionist paintings.

Acorn is an easy photo-editing program, already installed on MLTI laptops or a version is available for free download. Acorn is a great way to create Surrealist or dreamlike images. With a quick click in “Preferences” you can edit photos in iPhoto using Acorn’s features.

Debi is super-organized and keeps everything on a portaportal.com. Feel free to sign in as a guest (dbaker) or create your own site.

We all left the session with some great tips and tools for using technology to allow students to explore styles and periods in art.

A Maine Treasure!

Bali mask

In an earlier post (Oct. 19th) I mentioned visiting the Wilson Museum in Castine for a Down East Educational Partnership (DEEP) meeting. We were given a special tour by Patty Hutchins, Executive Director, who shared her love of the museum. I highly recommend a visit with your students OR go on your own, you won’t be disappointed. They have a special Lincoln exhibit during November.

The collection of museum items from many places in the world belonged to geologist, Dr. John Wilson. There are some incredible artifacts in the main museum building. Along with the main museum there are three other buildings on the property, The John Perkins House, The Blacksmith House and The Hearse House.

Peruvian whistling jar

Anyway, the Wilson Museum is searching for an Education Director who will develop, implement, supervise and promote the Museum’s educational goals and programs. It is anticipated that this position will begin in early 2010, pending funding. A complete job description is available upon request, email Patty: phutchins@wilsonmuseum.org

Job responsibilities will include:

• develop a close collaboration with area school systems’ educators and administrators;
• plan and implement a set of comprehensive educational programs/services for schools;
• develop all materials for school educational programs and services;
• explore feasibility of research and internship programs for regional High School students;
• develop and offer in-service opportunities for area teachers
• plan and implement after-school enrichment and vacation learning opportunities;
• develop family learning opportunities including those for homeschoolers;
• develop interpretive training for docent staff;
• expand and promote seasonal series of programs which may include lectures, demonstrations and/or hands on activities; and
• collaborate with other Museum and cultural institutions to develop complementary programming and networking of area expertise

Thumb piano

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS
The Museum Educator must demonstrate a passion and a lively intellectual curiosity for the diverse natural and cultural objects of the Museum’s collection, i.e. New England coastal life and history, world ethnography, celebrating cultural diversity.

• Graduate degree in appropriate field. Education, Anthropology, History, Museum Studies are most strongly desired
• Demonstrated professional experience in education programming in a museum or other cultural organization
• Demonstrated track record of working with teachers and/or school age children
• Evidence of creative production of original educational materials
• Strong written and oral communication skills for diverse audiences
• Capable of managing multiple assignments, projects, activities simultaneously
• Ability to be a collaborative team leader and player

Deadline: December 31, 2009

Contact: Patricia Hutchins, Executive Director P.O. Box 196, Castine, ME 04421, directoroffice@wilsonmuseum.org

Portland Ovations Press Release – October 28th

CONTACT:  Tom Ayres at 207.773.3150 or tayres@portlandovations.org

Maine Public Broadcasting Network, New England School of Communications, Portland Arts & Technology High School to host audition recording sessions for Portland Ovations’ presentation of  Public Radio’s “From the Top” program, celebrating the finest young musicians from Maine and beyond.

PORTLAND – Portland Ovations, the 78-year-old non-profit performing arts organization, is collaborating with three highly regarded community partners to host recording sessions for young musicians interested in auditioning for a nationally broadcast showcase on National Public Radio’s acclaimed From the Top program.  The Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MPBN), the New England School of Communications (NESCOM), and Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS) will be staging recording sessions for From the Top auditions in Bangor and Portland in mid-November and early December respectively.

From the Top – NPR’s acclaimed program spotlighting the country’s most talented young musicians, hosted by master pianist Christopher O’Riley – comes to Portland Ovations and Merrill Auditorium for a live recording of the public radio hit on Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 7 pm. Classical musicians ages 8 to 18 who have not yet graduated from high school are eligible to audition for the recorded broadcast, which will also feature renowned flutist Sir James Galway. Interested musicians must submit a From the Top application and audition recording by mail. The application and more information on the audition process can be downloaded at http://www.fromthetop.org. All application materials must be received by From the Top no later than December 18, 2009 to be considered for the live recording of the NPR program presented by Portland Ovations on March 24 of next year.

To assist Maine musicians in the audition process, MPBN, along with NESCOM and PATHS, are holding free recording sessions with a limited number of openings for talented young artists from throughout the state.  The Bangor sessions are set for Saturday, November 21 from 12 noon until 4 pm in Gracie Theatre at Husson College. A piano will be available at the Gracie Theatre session for musicians whose auditions require it. To schedule a recording session in Bangor on November 21 and for more information, contact Suzanne Nance at MPBN at 207.941.1010 or snance@mpbn.net.

The Portland recording sessions will be held in PATHS’ recording studio, located on the first floor of the Arts Academy, on Thursday, December 3 from 3 to 7 pm. PATHS is located at 196 Allen Avenue in Portland. Musicians should note that a piano will not be available for these PATHS recording sessions. To schedule a recording or learn more, contact PATHS Music Director Vicky Stubbs at 207.874.8165 or stubbv@portlandschools.org.

Interested musicians are urged to contact MPBN and PATHS as soon as possible. A limited number of musicians can be accommodated during the four-hour recording sessions in Bangor and Portland, and registration will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Auditioning musicians are limited to a performance of no more than five minutes in length and a single “take” of the recording. Musicians will be provided with an audition recording on a compact disc and all youths will be responsible for completing their own application process with From the Top, including submission of the audition CD. To reiterate, all application materials must be received by From the Top no later than December 18, 2009 to be eligible for consideration.

For more information about the From the Top performance next spring or about the wealth of education and community outreach activities related to it, contact Tom Ayres, director of marketing and audience development at Portland Ovations, or Barri Lynn Moreau, director of education and community outreach for the non-profit arts organization, at 207.773.3150, tayres@portlandovations.org, or blmoreau@portlandovations.org.

Piano stairs – TheFunTheory

This needs no lead in….

Artists Showcase: Friday – Jennifer Shepard & Larrance Fingerhut

The goal of Improvisational theater in an educational setting is creativity, using “Yes, and…” and the power of putting the group over the individual. The by-product of improv is laughter which comes out of what the group creates together.

Improvisation has very clear applications for theater programs but it also is very useful in story writing, social interactions, idea creation and team building.

Jennifer Shepard & Larrance Fingerhut founded ImprovAcadia in 2004 after performing and teaching improv in Chicago for six years. Since that time they’ve performed over 1,000 shows, taught at the College of the Atlantic, the Beth Wright Cancer Center and for the Sea Coast Mission as well as workshops at University of Maine, Orono, Mount Desert Middle School, Conners-Emerson Elementary, and Summer Festival of the Arts.

Jennifer and Larrance WOWED us and of course, participants did their part as well. We all left wanting more and imaging our students participating in a workshop with them. You can learn more at their website by clicking here.

Kim, Rebecca, Carmel

Footnote: One of my favorite photographs taken at the conference (this one by Shalimar Poulin) is the one in this blog post. The reason is because the three teachers represent the four arts disciplines: Kim Murphy (music and theater, Camden Hills Regional High School), Rebecca Dow (visual arts, Skowhegan), and Carmel Collins (dance, Lake Region High School). And they are from four different regions of the state: Midcoast, Kennebec and Western.