Archive for February, 2019

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Donate for Life

February 8, 2019

High School student opportunity

The Donate Life Maine Poster Contest is open to all Maine high school students in grades 9-12. Students are invited to create a poster about organ and tissue donation awareness.

GUIDELINES

  • Artwork must be original. No copyrighted or trademarked artwork will be accepted for judging with the exception of the Donate Life logo.
  • Your entry must include positive and accurate messaging about organ and tissue donation and include the phrase “organ and tissue donation”.
  • Entry must be at least 8.5×11” and no larger than 18×24”.
  • Leave a 1” border around your poster, no writing, image or drawing within 1” of the edges.
  • Your entry must not have grammatical or spelling errors.
  • Your entry must have a completed entry form attached to your poster (must be legible).
  • Use materials that can be easily reproduced, such as paint, pencil, ink, charcoal, pastels, graphic design and photography. Do not fold, matte, laminate or frame.

DEADLINE

Posters must be submitted and received by March 1, 2019.

  • E-mail graphic design entries to volunteerservices@neds.org and include the entry form information.
  • Mail your submission with the official entry form attached to the back of the poster to: Maine Transplant Program, 19 West Street, Portland, Maine 04102 Attention: Ardyce Peters, M.S., Director, Kidney Transplant

OTHER INFORMATION

Winners will be selected by a panel of judges based on criteria of originality, artistic merit and effective use of theme.

Find facts about organ donation at http://www.donatelife.net; http://www.organdonor.gov; http://www.donatelifenewengland.org; watch our 8 minute video: http://bit.ly/U0qnRa

1st place winner will receive a $100 Amazon Gift Card
2nd place winner will receive a $75 Amazon Gift Card
3rd place winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card
Teacher with the most art submissions will receive a $100 Amazon Gift Card for classroom materials.

Teachers and/or students reach out to the volunteer services at volunteerservices@neds.org or Jennifer_Cray@neds.org with any questions they may have.

Posted in Opportunity, Visual Arts | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

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Arts Programming in Incarcerated Settings

February 7, 2019

Bowdoin student

Not long along Charlotte Borden, a senior at Bowdoin College visited the Maine Arts Commission office. In conversation I learned about her work with incarcerated men in Belfast. Below is the summary of her work. Charlotte is interested in connecting with anyone who may have experience or knowledge in this area. Feel free to email Charlotte directly at cborden@bowdoin.edu.

Starting in late January, I will be conducting an independent study for my last semester at Bowdoin titled “The History and Current Practices of Arts Programming in Incarcerated Settings.” I will be doing original research and continuing to teach visual art at Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center in Belfast.

I started teaching visual art in the summer of 2017. I carried out a 10 week self-designed project, funded by Bowdoin College’s McKinley Grant. The project consisted of teaching a five week introductory drawing/painting class at Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center (MCRRC) as well as painting my students’ portraits. I brought an art class to MCRRC with the purpose of teaching skills to communicate through images. I also meant to provide exposure to the mood-stabilizing, peaceful, and constructive experience of making art. The class covered the gridding technique for representational drawing, negative space, proportions of the face, cross hatching and shading, basic volumetric and perspective drawing, and color theory. We also had the opportunity to go off-site for class time to paint from life. Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center is a minimum security facility with increased access to programming and earned freedoms like the potential for work release. It is run in partnership with Volunteers of America and Waldo County Sheriff’s Department. Residents are incarcerated men in the last 9-18 months of their sentences.

For the second half of the project, I painted two portraits of each student. The portraits are part of my own skill development, as well as an intended work of activism. In presenting the portraits at Bowdoin, I meant to bring a population with many privileges, including the potential to influence societal norms and governmental policies, my impactful experience with six individuals this summer. I meant to bring attention to the atrocity of mass incarceration and to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated peoples’ limited rights and opportunities. I also hoped to encourage accepting attitudes toward as well as actionable work for the benefit of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. Additionally, in asking the individuals how they wanted to be portrayed visually, I hoped I could work to provide a dignifying, positive experience rather than an exploitative one. My six students were able to attend the opening of their work and portraits at Bowdoin. It was a powerful mixing of my family and Bowdoin network and my students. Learn more about this program at THIS LINK. 

The issue of my coming in as a relatively unqualified outsider and providing what I deemed to be useful information and skills has been on my mind since the beginning brainstorm of this project. I also have been navigating the exploitative nature of portraiture, especially of incarcerated subjects. I know that this project does have aspects of my coming in as a privileged outsider, and using experiences of others in my art as well as for presentation in this project. I have worked to be aware and combat these elements. I think they will always be present as I am an outsider to the personal experience of incarceration, but I am sure I could do better! 

In the Fall of 2017, I created a collaborative video project (view below) in teaching my second class at MCRRC. My intention behind the collaborative video project was to create an opportunity for creative expression/communication through video and teach basic equipment skills. I wanted to provide opportunity for direction and content to come from the residents. Timelapse, time passing, changing seasons, and personal narratives were the ideas that surfaced. Most visual content surrounding each audio piece was created or chosen by that individual. Furthermore, the content of the audio piece was up to the individual. Filming is almost all by the students. Most editing was carried out by me with suggestions/edits/requests from the Residents after I presented drafts in person and through email.

In the Fall of 2018, I returned to Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center to teach introduction to drawing and painting again as a volunteer. This time, I had two students, whom I was able to give individualized instruction and had more opportunity to get to know each other.

Posted in Community, Food for thought, Opportunity, Visual Arts | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

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MLTI Student Conference

February 6, 2019

Call for Student and Educator Team Proposals

The MLTI Student Conference Committee is issuing the call for student and educator team proposals for the 16th Annual MLTI Student Conference, to be held on Thursday, May 23, 2019 at the University of Maine in Orono.

Two important notes:

  1. Proposals are due much earlier this year! This will allow us to have a session list finalized by the time conference registration opens.
  2. Ideally, all proposals will have some form of student leadership incorporated. This could mean students will lead the whole session (with some adult support), students will serve as guides/coaches during the activity portion, or something in between. Students can co-present with teachers or other educators (including from community or business organizations).

Sessions will be one-hour long, must involve some form of creating, making, and doing, and should leave participants excited about what they learned and eager to share their experiences with others.

Here’s the information you need to submit a proposal:

Conference Theme: Create for ME

Possible Topics:  Proposals are not limited to the conference theme, and might include topics such as music, spoken word recording, coding, video production, graphic design, or writing and publishing your collection of short stories.

Device Requirements:  The student conference supports all MLTI devices, regardless of platform and encourages “platform-agnostic” sessions.

A Proposal Submission must include:

  1. The name of your school
  2. The title of your session
  3. List of all presenters ($15 registration cost will be waived for up to two presenters per session)
  4. A description of your session:
    • What skill will participants learn? How will you teach this?
    • What activity will participants engage in – what will they create?
    • What can participants expect to walk away knowing and being able to do?
  5. Materials to share in the conference registration form:
    • Short video advertisement of the session (less than a minute)
    • Short description of the session (less than 200 words)
  6. Student leadership information:
    • How will student leaders be incorporated into the session?
    • How will they be empowered to succeed during preparation and during the day of the conference?
  7. Session requirements:
    • Level of expertise needed to participate fully (beginner, intermediate, expert)
    • The maximum number of participants you can accommodate (room sizes vary from 30-100)
    • Space set up requests (auditorium, tables/chairs, projector, speakers, etc.)
  8. Technology requirements:
    • A list of which platforms can be used in the session: (MacBook, iPad, ProBook, ElitePad, Chromebook, other)
    • Software and materials participants must have to participate (be specific)
  9. The name of the educator to be contacted about this proposal, and their email and phone number

Submit Proposals by 5 pm, Friday, February 22nd, 2019 to this online form or copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://bit.ly/MLTI-student-conference-proposals-2019. It is recommended that you type your answers in a separate document and then copy them into the form, so you can be sure to save your work.

General Timeline:

  • Proposals due: 2/22
  • Proposals selected: 3/1
  • Registration open: 3/13
  • Last day to register: 4/23

Spread the word – if you know of someone doing fantastic work involving technology with making, doing, or storytelling please encourage them to submit a proposal or send an email with suggestions to Amanda.Nguyen@maine.gov!

For more information or answers to questions, please visit the MLTI Student Conferencepage or contact Amanda Nguyen, Digital Learning Specialist at Amanda.Nguyen@maine.gov.

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

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MALI Teaching Artist Leader Story: Shawna Barnes

February 5, 2019

Teaching Artist – Sculptor

This is one of six blog posts in 2019 that include stories of the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI) Phase 8 Teacher Leaders and Teaching Artist Leaders. This series includes a set of questions so you can learn a little bit about each leader. CLICK HERE  for more information on MALI. CLICK HERE  for more information on the 96 Teacher Leaders and 11 Teaching Artist Leaders. CLICK HERE  for Arts education resources. CLICK HERE for the MALI Resource Bank. Search in the “search archives” box on the bottom right side of this post for past teacher leader stories. Thank you Shawna for sharing your story!

Shawna N.M. Barnes is a Ceramic Sculptor who has been focused on teaching for three years. Her favorite group to teach is the one full of people who “don’t think they can” because of a disability. Or never gave art a try because of their disabilities. “Problem solving and finding ways to show them they can create and engage in creativity… is amazing.”

What do you like best about being a teaching artist?

I love all the people I have met as a teaching artist. Doors that have been opened, and opportunities presented. It has provided me the ability to share my passions with others who appreciate it.

What do you believe are three keys to ANY successful visual and performing arts education?

First, allowing for differential interpretations of a topic. Essentially acknowledging that the world is full of gray. And when it comes to art, the spectrum of how art and its concepts are perceived, truly is a spectrum.

Second, the ability to acknowledge that art is a bridge between worlds. Whether that be yours and mine, real and fantasy, or past and future. It allows for difficult conversations to be had, often bridging a divide caused by a lack of understanding. Teaching this concept to our students is vital.

Third, the ability to appreciate content, subject matter and skills needed to complete a work of art without having to like the art itself. The ability to see it with an objective eye.

Have you found assessment to be helpful in your classes, workshops and residencies, and if so, how?

Thus far, assessments have helped guide the evolution of my classes and workshops. By evaluating what is working, what is not; what different ages and abilities respond to; I have been able to fine tune the classes so that the highest number of people fund value and enjoyment from the class.

What have been the benefits in becoming involved in the Maine Arts Leadership initiative?

The benefits have been innumerable! It has been the push I needed to create the resource center in my website. I have been given the opportunity to grow my speaking career by giving presentations at conferences. It has sparked collaborations between several members for brand music, for upcoming tutorials, and similar applications. It has introduced me to a group of peers that have become my support network. It has given me the confidence in my own set business that my intuition is right and I am on the right path.

What are you most proud of as an artist and/or a teaching artist?

I am most proud of breaking barriers and showing others where barriers exist. As a disabled artist, I often chose to just not participate in events and workshops because it was easier. I’m taking my challenges and helping create solutions that benefit not just me… but hopefully generations of disabled learners and artists so that they can have access to creative outlets.

What gets in the way of doing a better job as a teaching artist?

My health, admittedly. It can cause me to be unreliable and miss deadlines. Another factor is physical accessibility to facilities that may want to host me for workshops or seminars. 

What have you accomplished through hard work and determination that might otherwise appear at first glance to be due to “luck” or circumstances?

Simply being an artist is hard work and requires determination every day to put the work in. I work through a variety of disabilities just to be able to create; myasthenia gravis,  cervical dystonia,  hypermobility joint syndrome, seizures, chronic pain, peripheral neuropathy and PTSD are the heavy hitters.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about becoming a teaching artist or is just starting out?

You will stumble as you find your footing but don’t let that detour you from continuing to put the work in to build the foundation of your career. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  There’s plenty of room for everyone at the top, do not entertain a scarcity mindset. 

If you were given a $500,000.00 to do with whatever you please, what would it be?

Build my handicap accessible studio. Give a few grants to local artists and arts organizations looking to make their space accessible by adding ramps or stairlifts to their infrastructure. And spend a few weeks in Paris, soaking up all the amazingness that is the Louvre.

Imagine you are 94 years old. You’re looking back. Do you have any regrets?

None.

Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Food for thought, Leadership, Opportunity, Visual Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

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Free Student Matinee

February 4, 2019

Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School

Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School is proud to offer the 2019 Free Student Matinee to Maine schoolchildren. This year’s show is designed especially for middle and high school age students. “The World of Musicals” and it’s a medley of Broadway hits from the early days to today. Please register early to assure your spot! Offer free to Maine students, but it is first come first served so it’s best if teachers can be in touch with Monica Kelly, Executive Director at Bay Chamber ASAP.

The World of Musicals

Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 11:00AM

Camden Hills Regional High School – Strom Auditorium

Rockport, Maine

FREE! 

This captivating production is an emotional journey through the great world of musicals featuring highlights from the newest Broadway hits to classics from the Golden Age of American Musical Theater by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Gilbert and Sullivan, George Gershwin and Stephen Sondheim.

Bay Chamber invites middle and high school teachers from across the state to register now for this amazing opportunity for your students. The show will last one hour. Space is limited so please be in touch at your earliest convenience.

For more information or to register your students, please contact me, Monica Kelly at monica@baychamberconcerts.org or call (207) 236-2823.

Posted in Music, Opportunity | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

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In Today’s News

February 3, 2019

Ashley Bryan’s collection

I’ve made several posts about Ashley Bryan’s work. The Bangor Daily News writes about where his collection of artifacts  will live in the future. Read all about it in the ARTICLE.

Posted in Community, Food for thought | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

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Celebrating Teachers

February 3, 2019

Proud of arts educators

Today is the last day nominations are being accepted for the 2019 County Teachers of the Year and the 2020 Maine State Teacher of the Year.

Information is located on the Maine Teacher of the Year Website.

The Maine State Teacher of the Year process of selecting and recognizing educators is very extensive. The process starts in January with nominations and during the following several months essays are written and submitted, interviews take place, presentations occur and video tapes created. Many are nominated of which each county has a teacher named. After 9 months the process takes it down to 3 finalists and in the end one teacher is selected. Each year in November a gala celebration happens where all of the county teachers of the year are recognized along with the next years State Teacher of the Year.

Anthony Lufkin

The 2019 gala took place the week before Thanksgiving. It was to see Kaitlin Young, music educator, Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Teacher Leader and the 2018 Maine Teacher of the Year emcee the evenings program. It was a chance to celebrate Kaitlin’s amazing journey and what she has contributed to education. She has been a wonderful representative of all Maine teachers and especially Visual and Performing Arts Educators. In addition, three more arts educators were celebrated. I’m so proud of their work.

  • Christine Del Rossi, Sagadahoc County, Visual Arts grades 9-12 Mt. Ararat High School
  • Anthony Lufkin, Knox Counnty, Visual Arts grades PreK-8 Union Elementary School, Prescott School (Washington), Friendship Village School, Middle School Alternative Education
  • David Coffey, Waldo County, Music grades 6-12 Belfast Area High School

Christine Del Rossi

 

 

Posted in Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Food for thought, Leadership, Music, Opportunity, Uncategorized, Visual Arts, YAHOO | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Youth Art Month

February 2, 2019

Call for student artwork

For more than 20 years, the Portland Museum of Art and the Maine Art Education Association (MAEA) have collaborated to bring National Youth Art Month to Maine. This annual observance emphasizes the value of art education and encourages support for quality school art programs through a month-long exhibition of artwork by K-12 students throughout the state. The exhibition runs from March 1 through March 31, 2019 on the Lower Ground Floor of the PMA. Admission to the exhibition is free for the public.

REGISTRATION January 14 – February 5

You must be a member of the Maine Art Education Association (or become one) in order to exhibit your student work.

2-dimensional work only and must be framed and under glass or blemish free plexi-glass.

Student work should be photographed before framing and is submitted with the registrations.

Questions? Contact the YAM coordinator Elyse Pelletier, Scarborough High School at epelletier@scarboroughschools.org.

Artwork Drop-Off

Wednesday, February 6, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m

Friday, February 8, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, February 9, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Back entrance of the Portland Museum of Art at 99 Spring Street. The museum cannot store artwork packaging or wrapping material. Upon drop-off, you must leave with the packaging.
Satellite Drop-Off: Suzanne Goulet @ Waterville SHS – will receive through Friday, February 8 at Waterville SHS – 2:30pm

Reception – Saturday, March 2

Pick-Up
Portland Museum of Art
    Wednesday, April 3, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    Thursday, April 4, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
All remaining art will be collected by a MAEA agent and will be
available for pick up at the Spring Conference at the MAEA Spring Conference – Saturday, April 6 – Belfast Area High School

Posted in Community, Opportunity, Visual Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Winter Dance Showcase

February 1, 2019

Franco Center and Bates College, Lewiston

Including Thornton Academy Dance Company. February 2, 7:00 p.m., Gendron Franco Center. Tickets: $15.00 for adults, free for students. For tickets call Bates College at 689.2000. F.A.B. (Franco and Bates) represents an ongoing effort to provide opportunities for regional dance artists to present dance works in central Maine, as well as an opportunity for local audiences to have access to contemporary dance works. Visually stunning and kinetically mesmerizing, this event combines classic and modern dance pieces in one of L/A’s magnificent performance halls.

Posted in Dance, Opportunity | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

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