Archive for December, 2017

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Maine Poetry Out Loud

December 11, 2017

Poets go to school

The Poetry Out Loud (POL) program is underway across Maine and the country. Over 10,000 Maine high students are selecting their poems, furiously memorizing and practicing them for themselves, their classmates, and their teachers.

Maine has 48 high schools participating this year, 10 new to POL. At some schools every student, grade 9-12 participates. Maine is repeatedly one of the states with the highest participation and this year will be no exception.  The 2017 Maine State Champ, Gabrielle Cooper, attended Gardiner Area High School; one of the schools where all students participate every year. Three of the new schools this year were fortunate to have

Winthrop High School students with Gibson Fay-LeBlanc

poets visit them to work with students and teachers. Portland’s fifth Poet Laureate, Gibson Fay-LeBlanc provided a workshop at Winthrop High School and Hampshire County Council’s Hampshire Poet Brian Evans-Jones provided workshops at Herman High School and Van Buren District Secondary School.

Students had a chance to experiment with their voices and ‘try out’ their poems for feedback. Both Gibson and Brian are on the MAC Teaching Artist roster and available to provide workshops for schools and community organizations.

Brian at Hermon High School

Thanks to all of the teachers who are working with students across Maine. I was thrilled to be at Hermon High School for the workshops. Brian led the students through exercises to help prepare their voices and their confidence. He said: “It’s important to understand your poem. The better you understand your poem the better you communicate the meaning and with that comes confidence.” Even listening to students recite their poems 2 and 3 times, I could hear their confidence rise.

Poetry Out Loud (POL) is organized nationally by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation and administered at the state level by the Maine Arts Commission.  This exciting program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage. Maine’s POL represent public and private high schools as well as high school homeschooling populations.

You have a chance to learn more about POL in Maine. The Maine Arts Commission invites you to attend the regional and state finals.

  • The Northern Maine Regional Finals will be held on Monday, February 12, 2018, 3:00 p.m. at the Hampden Academy Performing Arts Center, Hampden. The snow date is Tuesday, February 13, 2018, 3:00 PM. Hampden Academy, Regional School Unit #22, is an in-kind sponsor of this event.
  •  The Southern Maine Regional Finals will be held on Wednesday, February 28, 2018, 3:00 p.m. at the Westbrook Middle School Performing Arts Center, Westbrook. The snow date is Thursday, March 1, 2018, 3:00 p.m.
  • The Maine State Finals will be held on Monday, March 12, 2018 at the Waterville Opera House, 93 Main Street, Waterville. The snow date is Tuesday, March 13, 2018. Doors open to the public at 2:30 p.m. and the event begins at 3:00 p.m. No tickets are required. The event is free and all are welcome to attend. We anticipate that the event will conclude by approximately 5:00 p.m.

Working with teachers at Hermon High School

Learn more about the POL program at the national site or at the Maine Arts Commission POL webpages. If you teach or live near a high school that does not participate please plan on joining the program in the 2018-19 school year. Email Argy Nestor if you have any questions about how to get involved!

 

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Poems, Poems, Poems

December 10, 2017

How many to go?

This is one of the many, many, many poems that students can select from to memorize and recite to participate in Poetry Out Loud. Tomorrow’s blog post will provide information on the Maine Poetry Out Loud program and information on attending on one of the Maine Arts Commission upcoming Poetry Out Loud events.

I like the generosity of numbers.
The way, for example,
they are willing to count
anything or anyone:
two pickles, one door to the room,
eight dancers dressed as swans.

I like the domesticity of addition—
add two cups of milk and stir—
the sense of plenty: six plums
on the ground, three more
falling from the tree.

And multiplication’s school
of fish times fish,
whose silver bodies breed
beneath the shadow
of a boat.

Even subtraction is never loss,
just addition somewhere else:
five sparrows take away two,
the two in someone else’s
garden now.

There’s an amplitude to long division,
as it opens Chinese take-out
box by paper box,
inside every folded cookie
a new fortune.

And I never fail to be surprised
by the gift of an odd remainder,
footloose at the end:
forty-seven divided by eleven equals four,
with three remaining.

Three boys beyond their mother’s call,
two Italians off to the sea,
one sock that isn’t anywhere you look.

  • Mary Cornish, “Numbers” from Red Studio. Copyright © 2007 by Mary Cornish. Reprinted by permission of Oberlin College Press.

  • Source: Red Studio (Oberlin College Press, 2007)

Poetry Out Loud is organized nationally by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation and administered at the state level by the Maine Arts Commission. It begins in Maine’s schools where school champions are selected to compete in two regional finals at which ten students are ultimately selected to recite at the state finals. One student, the state champion, moves on from the state finals to represent Maine at the national finals in Washington D.C., where students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico will compete for a total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends for the purchase of poetry books.

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Midcoast Actors’ Unlocks the Magic of ‘Narnia’

December 9, 2017

Belfast – MAS

Christi Goosman and Angela Domenichelli as the White Witch and Maugrim (courtesy of Leah Bannister)

‘Tis the season for snow in Maine, but if you’re *Christi Goosman, you want it winter all year long. That’s because she is playing the White Witch in Midcoast Actors’ Studio’s new production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, running December 8-17 at The Crosby Center in Belfast.

Based on the classic children’s books by C.S. Lewis, Wardrobe tells the story of the four Pevensie siblings who travel through a wardrobe to the magical world of Narnia, where the evil White Witch and her army battle against Aslan the lion and his animal followers. Aslan the lion comes to life in the form of a giant puppet, designed and built by Director Leah Bannister.

“I wanted to go more abstract and creative, incorporate something unique to the stage,” Bannister says, refering to the puppet. “I didn’t want to do the whole mask thing.”

Aslan is controlled by three puppeteers. Nathan Roach plays the voice of Aslan, as well as one of the puppeteers. Eugene Newton and Chip Curry are the other two. Playing the four children are Gracie, Erin and Chris Hayes and Maci Burgess. The adult versions of the children are played by Roach, Curry, Deb Fournier, and Jen Hart. Portland actor John Dalton Logan is Tumnus. Bryan and Bobbi-Jo Hayes are Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. Angela Domenichelli is Maugrim. Olivia Andrews is the centaur. Danielle and Marina Bannister play the dwarf and elf. Jay Holland is the professor and Father Christmas. Various animals are played by Isabelle Holt, Esme Deschamps, Sarah Joy, Teagan Fournier, Patricia Saucier, Jadon and Edna Dodge. Reilly Newton and Daniella Domenichelli fight on the witch’s army.

MAS Artistic Director Jason Bannister, who serves as stage manager, producer and lighting designer, is excited about the size of the production.

“With a cast and crew over 40, this is the biggest production for MAS yet,” Bannister says. “After the enormous success of Frankenstein, I am excited to see the audiences flock to the Crosby and see our holiday show. It’s a great way to get out and do something with your whole family this holiday season, right in downtown Belfast.”

Both Bannisters worked together with Greg Marsanskis and Brian Ross on the set design. Linda Marie designs the costumes. Jay Rosenberg is the sound designer. Angela Bonacasa is the fight choreographer, with Roach assisting as fight captain. Ivy Lobato and Marie are in charge of props. Jen Howard, Edna Dodge and Sarah Joy head up the extensive hair and make-up design crew.

An exciting aspect of the production is a special weekday student matinee for 400 RSU 71 students grades 3-5. Artistic Director Bannister hopes MAS can continue to offer weekday matinees for large school groups for the 2018 season, which includes Peter and the Starcatcher in May and The Snow Queen in December. The Crucible in October would be offered for middle and high schoolers.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe runs December 8, 9, 15, and 16 at 7:30 p.m. and December 10 and 17 at 2:00 p.m. Performances are at The Crosby Center, 96 Church Street Belfast. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students.

*Christi teaches theater at Searsport District Middle School & High School and is the 2017 Waldo County Teacher of the Year. 

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Thomas College

December 8, 2017

Center for Innovation in Education

Thomas College is in the midst of gearing up for the 2018 CIE Summer Institute scheduled for June 26 – 28, 2018. The theme  is “Innovating In Education for Maine’s Diverse Population of Students,” with a focus on Digital Learning, STEAM, and PBE.

You can learn more at the CIE Summer Institute website and on the Thomas College CIE homepage. More information will be added as it becomes available.

Early bird registration costs $175.00, and ends February 1st, 2018. The regular event ticket price will be $195.00, and this cost takes effect starting on Feb 1st, and will run through June 1st, 2018. Registration is available at Eventbrite.

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Happenings at the Farnsworth

December 7, 2017

Art Museum in December

The Farnsworth Art Museum has several opportunities during December.

  • On a Mountain in Maine opens on December 17th in the galleries.
  • Art Talk: Unexpected Journeys: Louise Nevelson and Pedro Guerrero, Thursday, December 7, 2pm
  • Membership: 20% discount through December 15 – use code GIFT365 at checkout
  • Art Talk and Film: Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes: When Art Danced with Music, Thursday, December 28, 2pm
  • Dramatic Reading: All She Must Possess, Saturday, December 30, 2pm. New play about the famed art-collecting Cone Sisters of Baltimore.

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Save the Date

December 6, 2017

MALI conference 

MAINE ARTS COMMISSION

Mega Conference

Friday, 23 March 2018, 8:30a.m.-3:00p.m.

Oxford Hills High School, South Paris, Maine

Join us for an outstanding professional development opportunity.

Details and registration will be available in January! Watch for the information right here on the Maine Arts Education blog.

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Heartwarming

December 5, 2017

Share a story

I received an email from a former student last week who is teaching art at York High School. David Shenett was moved to action after a conversation with his mother about Jacob Thompson. What follows is the story of how York High School students responded. Thank you David for sharing!

The story of Jacob Thompson, the young boy whose only wish was to experience a final Christmas and receive as many Christmas cards as he could, made national headlines. Thousands of cards and notes of support came from around the nation. Police came from all over New England to deliver cards to this little boy who had little time left. 
While talking with my mom on the phone about this, she asked me “What do you plan to do?”
I responded that I wasn’t sure what she meant. She said: “You are an art teacher. Where are your cards?”
It hadn’t occurred to me.
The next day I explained Jacob’s story to all of my students – my Art 1 classes, my Ceramics classes, my sculpture classes, all my classes. Many of the kids had heard of Jacob and had even thought about making a card for him. That day we all made cards. We painted, we folded, we drew, we threw penguins everywhere we could. Other classes in other parts of our school heard what we were doing and contributed their own cards. And they wrote – unprompted – some of the most heartfelt wishes for a Merry Christmas and support and good wishes I’d ever heard. The true power of art was on full display and the kids ‘got it’. They saw what art can do for the soul and for others. Looking at the stack and having experienced the tremendous enthusiasm and energy the kids exhibited that day, I was moved to tears. I have a little boy about Jacob’s age. As a teacher, I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of a group of kids.
That evening I made the trip to Maine Medical Center to deliver our box of cards from York High School. The nurses were very impressed with the artistry some of the cards had, and they promptly brought our box into Jacob’s room where he was sleeping.
Jacob had his Christmas and soon passed away. He received thousands of cards and gifts. Maybe other schools did the same thing?  Did he even see ours? Who knows? But what we did will be something I will never forget. 
I just wanted to share this, especially as we near the time of the year where we put other ahead of ourselves and express, sometimes visually, what they mean to us.

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MAEA Awards

December 4, 2017

Consider nominating a colleague

Maine Art Education Association is currently seeking nominations for their recognition program.

Deadline: December 31, 2017

Categories  

  1. • MAEA Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Art Educators of the Year

  2. •MAEA Supervision/Administration Art Educator of the Year

  3. •MAEA Museum Educator of the Year

  4. •MAEA Higher-Education Art Educator of the Year

  5. •MAEA Higher Art Education Student Award (Deadline: June 1st)

Click HERE for the link to the Awards Program Overview – which contains links to the Nomination Form, Vita Form, Ranking Process, and all scoring rubrics.

For More information contact Holly Houston: holly_houston@yarmouthschools.org

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Live to Learn

December 3, 2017

Tim Minchin

Nine life lessons provided by comedian Tim Minchin that you may want to share with your students. Please be sure and review the video before sharing with others so you can determine if it is appropriate for your audience.

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STEM Program Changing Arts Ed

December 2, 2017

Interdisciplinary connections

Renaissance Arts Academy was founded as a K-12 arts charter public school in 2003 in Los Angeles. The school has incorporated a STEM curriculum into its existing arts education curriculum and is helping students develop and understand interdisciplinary connections. This article called Songs about computer coding? It’s what happens when an arts school adds STEM focus, written by George White and published November 19 in EdSource shares the story of a music student named Zane D’Amico and how his learning isn’t what he expected as a cello player. The school’s STEAM curriculum includes students learning engineering and math skills to “build massive stages for the school’s dance, orchestra and singing performances. And he certainly didn’t anticipate joining classmates on stage to sing about the joys of computer coding.”

Learn more about the school and curriculum by reading the ENTIRE ARTICLE.

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