me arts ed

Got Art Supplies?

Janet Gallagher is an art teacher who is presently working at the Department in the certification office. Two people recently commented on how quickly the turn around is from the certification folks. Perhaps it is because of Janet’s creative skills.

Recently we bumped into each other in the break room and she told me about her son Brett who I had as a student in middle school several years ago. I suggested she put the story in words and that Maine educators might respond…

My son, Brett is a first year second grade teacher in the Philadelphia city school system. He is also responsible for teaching the students art, since they do not have an art teacher in their building. Since I am an art teacher, he is looking to me for assistance. I can provide ideas, books, etc., but he also needs supplies. If anyone has anything they could donate to the “Brett is now teaching art” fund, we would really appreciate it. Paper, pencils, markers, crayons, erasers, recycled materials such as paper towel rolls, we will take it all! I will arrange to get it from you. Contact me by phone 207-680-0493 or email jangal55@gmail.com.  Think how excited these young inner city students will be when they get boxes of supplies from Maine!

I happened to have a box filled with the styrofoam packing peanuts. The off white ones are actually biodegradable and if you put a spot of water on them, they will stick together and can be used for sculptures by even young children. I gave Janet a small box of them and suggested she ship those to PA since they would be light to mail. That kind of stuff would be helpful to Brett.

December 8, 2010

Thank you to Suzanne Southworth, Camden Hills High School art teacher, for writing this blog post!

As many of you know Maine College of Art (MECA) held a workshop for art teachers on Tuesday December 8^th.  The schedule was wonderful and the MECA faculty and staff were gracious hosts. The day’s events went off without a hitch. In the morning we visited Portland Museum of Art to view the work of Jenny Holtzer.  Then we went over to MECA for a guided tour of the facility.  Lunch was at MECA’s café, which was excellent, and it gave us an opportunity to connect with each other and the MECA staff.  After lunch we split up into groups to partake in a three-hour art-making workshop. I took “The Gift” with Ian Anderson.  We made plaster casts of our hands using Alginate for the mold.  After the workshop we were invited to a reception, which was another great way to connect and ask questions and enjoy a little Portland flare. Following the reception was a lecture at the Holiday Inn. The day’s event was wrapped up with a public display of Holtzers work splashed up on the wall of the Portland Museum of Art. It was pretty neat to see so many people gathered in Congress Square for this event. I was really impressed with Grace Hopkins, Admissions Director for her attention to detail. They offered a hotel room and travel reimbursements to the people who had a long way to travel. I was very impressed with the down to earth and friendly attitude of the faculty and staff.  Overall, a class act.

Thank you MECA for a great day!

Indiana University professor going to find out

In Attica, Indiana, a town with 10% unemployment, the town’s residents raised $40,000 to purchase 36 violins and to pay a qualified teacher to provide instruction to 58 students. Music education professor from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Brenna Brenner, developed the program to after academic research showed students who played string instruments performed better academically then those who did not.

You can read the entire article written Dan McFeely by clicking here.

Artist Joshua Allen Harris surprises people

I’ve shared Joshua Allen Harris’ inflatable sculptures with you in the past before the meartsed blog existed. The YouTube embedded below includes an interview with him which I found interesting. If I were in the classroom I would share this with my students.

Years ago (before YouTube) I made inflatable sculptures with my middle school students after returning from the Maine Art Education conference weekend at Haystack. With the teachers in the session we collaborated to create a sculpture large enough for us to get inside. We drew names at the end of the session for who would keep the sculpture and my name was drawn. My students had an example that motivated them to create incredible sculptures that resembled animals and objects. Box fans were donated that provided the air to make them 3-dimensional and the work was placed at the end of each hallway for open house. They were the highlight of the evening and for years following parents would see me in town and mention them.

When I saw Harris’ work it brought back fond memories and gave me the opportunity to think about why the unit was successful and such a magical experience. Creating something from next to nothing, using materials that are easily accessible: irons, garbage bags, paper, and fans. Students collaborated so each member of the group could contribute: creativity, problem solving, leadership, engagement, and skills that could be transferred. The process as well as the product was valuable. All levels of students were successful!

And again the inflatable sculpture came into my teaching and learning in 1995. While attending International Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama we learned about how to introduce space education into our classrooms. We used an inflatable sculpture of the space shuttle to simulate what it feels like to live, work and play inside the small space of the shuttle. The NASA staff wanted participants to understand the importance of creativity and creating in what most perceive as a science and math world only.

The technology of creating inflatable sculptures is not new but Harris puts them in the urban environment and depends on the exhaust from the subways to inflate them. The timing is varied so people could be walking down the street and in front of them might rise a dragon or bear or another one of his sculptures.

For those of you who don’t have access from school to YouTube try clicking on this link to the information.

Five high school music teachers perform at Augusta Civic Center

Andy Forster, Mike Peterson, Mark Mumme, Loren Fields, Dwight Tibbetts

While hundreds of Maine residents attended Governor LePage’s reception on Wednesday evening The Downeast Brass Quintet performed. It was fun to watch and listen to the group, who are not only talented musicians, but they also are music educators. Their “show” includes some numbers with hats and action that are fully appreciated by watching them.

This was a chance to reflect on how many arts educators are not only doing a great job everyday in classrooms but also performing and exhibiting in communities across Maine. This was an especially proud moment! Congratulations to the musicians – “you done us all proud!”

The Downeast Brass musicians are:

• Dwight Tibbetts who teaches grades 5-12 in Augusta
• Loren Fields who teaches at Lawrence High School in Fairfield
• Andy Forster who teaches at Messalonskee High School in Oakland
• Mike Peterson who teaches in Messalonskee Middle School in Oakland
• Mark Mumme who teaches at Noble High School in North Berwick

Earlier in the day at the inauguration music educator Jillaine McGough did an outstanding job singing the Stars Spangled Banner just before the Governor was sworn in to office.

It was fun to see her at the evening reception and a treat to spend a little time chatting with Dwight’s family and Jillaine!

Department Art Exhibit: November 2010 and December 2011

We had a marvelous art exhibit at the Department in Augusta during December and January created by Bangor High School students. You are invited to view the entire collection in the gallery by clicking here. This and the other past art exhibits can be found on the right side of the front page of the meartsed blog under “Info”.

THANK YOU to Kal Elmore for gathering the student art work from Bangor High School art teachers including hers and Eric Hutchins, Sarah Tabor, and Kath Hartley’s.

Great work teachers!!

Please share with math and other teachers

I have never heard any art teachers discourage students from doodling. However, I have heard teachers of other disciplines. We know from the research that some students need to be moving, twirling, doodling or some other motion while they process information. When I was sent this link I went to the front page and watched the first video and thought, wow, this is so cool, someone who is a big time doodler, the art teachers will love this. Then I dug a little deeper on the website and learned more. YOU do not want to spend some time checking out this website and learning about Vi. Vi Hart calls herself a recreational mathemusician. Hmmmmm… I googled it and lo and behold it appears that there is not much info on this career, topic or whatever you want to call it. At least I couldn’t find much. If anyone else knows about mathemusicians please let me know. I did learn about Professor Larry Lesser, another practicing mathemusician. Seems like the kind of person who perhaps has presented at a music conference that maybe you’ve attended. Anyway, Vi is from Long Island, NY and has a blog that is filled with all kinds of useful information and ideas that would be fun to share and do with students. Here is what she says about herself:

I love music that is fun, and I love music that is interesting, but above all I love music that is beautiful. I prefer writing for real, classical instruments, because of the added emotion and interpretation a performer adds to each unique performance.

I like most creative activities that involve making a lot of noise, mess, or both. Aside from composing, I love improvising on various instruments, drawing, sculpting, and other methods of making things. My main hobby is mathematics, with special interests in symmetry, polyhedra, and surreal complexity. This usually manifests as collaborative research in computational geometry and other areas of theoretical computer science, or as mathematical art. I think the human brain is incredible and strange, so I have developed a great interest in dreaming and consciousness. As a result, I am a trained hypnotist and a lucid dreamer. The human body is pretty neat as well, so I enjoy dancing and judo. I always love to learn new things—variety is the food of creativity!

She has videos that are about doodling in math class that you definitely want to check out. And then check out her version of The 12 Days of Christmas that is called The Gauss Christmath Special. And who says that math has to be boring? Check out How to eat Candy Buttons like a Recreational Mathemusician.

Thanks to Anita Bernhardt for sharing this link.

Creating Collaborative Communities- using arts integration and technology

Syntiro, formally Maine Support Network, is holding their 25th annual Winter Retreat on January 28 and 29th at Point Lookout in Northport. Syntiro believes in honoring and supporting educators through fabulous professional development opportunities. This year will prove to be an exciting and engaging learning event sponsored by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, www.recovery.gov). Two exciting projects that have been under way in Maine to create ways to embed technology into our teaching and learning will be showcased.

A tremendous group of professionals who are committed to improving teaching and learning for all kids using arts and technology will be presenting. Online Educational Resources (OER’s) will be introduced so that you can use them to improve teaching and learning in your classrooms. Bring your laptop because they will be modeled for using technology in the sessions you choice and, as always, continue to be immersed in the principles of Celebratory Learning.

Join us Friday evening, the 28th, at the banquet as we open the Retreat and celebrate Imagination Intensive Communities.

The 2010 Imagination Intensive Communities (IIC) project was a collaboration between the Maine Alliance for Arts Education and the Maine Department of Education (funded by the Kennedy Center, the Betterment Fund, the Maine Department of Education, and the Maine Arts Commission) to identify, research, celebrate, and share information on communities in which schools and organizations work well together to provide students with a variety of imaginative learning opportunities. The 2010 program identified 6 Maine communities: Arundel, Blue Hill, Camden-Rockport, Deer Isle-Stonington, North Haven, and York. Additional communities will be identified in 2011. The imaginative learning opportunities in these communities include arts festivals, creative technology projects, collaborations with museums, and digitalized local history projects. The George Stevens Academy jazz band part of Blue Hill’s 2010 IIC and a Men’s Ensemble from Camden Rockport’s 2010 IIC , will perform at the Retreat. North Haven’s technology project will be highlighted in a discussion on Friday evening.

Saturday will have a variety of workshops that you can select from on several different topics.

Between 3,000 and 5,000 dollars is available in each region of the state for teachers to attend. If you are interested in attending and seek assistance please contact one of the Partnership of Partnerships (POP) who are handling the funding for this professional development opportunity:

• Central Aroostook Council on Education (CACE)
  http://www.cacepartnership.org contact Dave Ouellette at david.w.ouellette@umpi.edu
• Midcoast Regional Professional Development Center https://sites.google.com/site/midcoastpdcenter/ contact Christine Anderson-Morehouse at christine.b.anderson@maine.edu
• Washington County Consortium http://www.maine.edu/wcc contact Betty Jordan at wcc@maine.edu
• Penobscot River Educational Partnership http://www.preppdn.org/ contact Owen Maurais at Owen.Maurais@umit.maine.edu
• Down East Educational Partnership (DEEP) http://www.teachdeep.org contact Susan Smith at ssmith@rsu24.org
• Western Maine Partnership (WMP) Margaret Arbuckle at arbuckle@maine.edu
• Maine Support Network (MSN) http://www.syntiro.org contact Therese Bernier Burns at teamwork@syntiro

PLEASE NOTE: The different POP regions each have a separate plan on how the funding is distributed to their region.

For conference registration and more information please go to Syntiro’s conference web page.

Workshop Day

CONGRATULATIONS to the visual and performing arts educators of Sanford Schools for providing professional development for the 549 teachers in K-12 of Sanford Schools.

The last day before the Christmas break started with Karen Montanaro addressing the staff with her brilliant red hair and flexible body. She shared some of her experiences as a mime/dance educator working with young people; elementary, middle and high school students. She often enters a room and notices the disengaged body language of students. By the end of her visit they’ve changed their limited engagement and are using their entire minds and bodies. Likewise on the Sanford workshop day I am sure that several staff members would rather have been elsewhere. By the end of her presentation they were up on their feet moving, clapping, and stretching their bodies and vocalizing their engagement.

From Karen’s session staff moved onto two-one hour long workshops which they chose from the following: Active Arts!, Arts in your classroom, Basic drawing skills for the classroom teacher, Creative printmaking with found objects, Creative use of technology, Creativity Collection, Energizing the classroom through movement, Every picture tells a story, don’t it?, Faux marble and book-making, Photogenic drawing, Singing for life!, Take a class on a trip without leaving town!, Trick/book/ Accordion flex-a-con, What’s the buzz?, Zumba fun!

The staff feedback was positive and participants were glad to be in a learning environment that was challenging and energizing.

In the afternoon I met with the K-12 arts education staff and their administrative liaison, Sharon Remick who realized the importance of providing the workshop day. Their everyday successes and concerns were not different than other arts teachers in Maine. I was glad to be there to provide an update on Maine’s arts education assessment initiative.

The visual and performing arts teachers include:

• Elementary music – Neil Gardner, Dee Ames, and Mary Gannaway
• Elementary art – Joyce St. Pierre and Kevin Donahoe
• Junior high music – Nancy Neubert and Carol Baker Roux
• Junior high art – Ann MacEachern
• High school music – Matt Doiron and Jane Kirton
• High school art – Rush Brown, Kathy Belmont, Lucy Sargent and Maggie Warner

Sanford is transitioning to a standards based system and the work around this task involves K-12 staff, administration and community members.

This was my third visit to Sanford schools, once when high school teacher Martin McKeon was named the 2008 Maine Teacher of the Year, once just after music teacher Matt Doiron returned from taking the Sanford High School band to President Obama’s inaugural parade in Washington D.C. The district of 3,280 students has a great deal to be proud of and this arts workshop day is one more success to be added to their list. We often plan unique opportunities for our students that involve artists, why not consider engaging staff in similar experiences. Instead of telling adults about the importance of arts education why not have them experience it first hand? If you are interested in planning a similar event please contact music teacher Carol Baker Roux at Cbakerroux@sanford.org. Carol did a ton of work writing the grant and planning the workshop. The professional development day and other plans are being supported by a SMART grant that the district received from the Maine Arts Commission for the 2010-11 school year.

Glad to be a part of…

Mike Edgecomb, Karen Baldacci, Carol Trimble

Just before Christmas the Maine Alliance for Arts Education invited Karen Baldacci to lunch to celebrate and show appreciation for her contributions to arts education during the last 8 years. Karen’s support for arts education has been ongoing and she will be missed in her role as First Lady. Perhaps it was from her years as a kindergarten teacher that helps her understand the purpose of arts education so well. It was a pleasure to have her attend our statewide arts education conferences in 2007 and 2009. I will never forget how she readily participated, up on her feet, moving to the music as Karen Montanaro led the group at Point Lookout at the conferences opening reception.

Thank you Karen Baldacci for your passion for the arts and best of luck as you leave the Blaine House and move on to other endeavors!