Archive for March, 2021

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Primary Source Documents

March 11, 2021

State of Maine

It’s great to find resources that are authentic instead of creating fake ones to use. Recently many of the cultural agencies in Maine worked together to create Primary Source Sets on two topics – several Bicentennial topics and a general one on Pandemics. I have scanned the resources and found them very useful. We can thank the Maine State Archives, Maine State Museum, Maine State Library, and Maine Historical Society. They are wonderful resources on specific topics to make resources easily findable for teachers.

These are wonderful resources to use collaboratively with colleagues to help plan connected authentic curricula and experiences. Currently, the educational sets live on the Maine State Museum website, but the collaborative group is working to create a separate website to house them.

The information for this post was provided by the newly elected Maine State Archivist and first woman to serve in the position, Kate McBrien. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Kate with questions and/or ideas. She can be reached at Katherine.McBrien@maine.gov. Interestingly enough when I was online learning more I found a youtube video of a presentation that Kate did for the Southwest Harbor Library on Malaga. I am curious about Malaga and how to incorporate the history into my curriculum and found this very interesting.

Message from Kate

“The cultural organizations of Maine hold a treasure trove of important material that help to connect students to Maine’s history. These Primary Source Sets are meant to help teachers easily find and use a wide range of historical resources from a variety of institutions. Our collaborative approach allows the most relevant historical material to be available to every student and educator in one, easy place to access. We plan to continue this program and will continue to develop more primary source sets.”

Posted in Curriculum and Instruction, Food for thought, Opportunity, Research, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Bay Chamber Music

March 10, 2021

Wonderful opportunity

Every years, Bay Chamber presents a free matinee for over 1,000 students from around the state. Due to the pandemic, they’re not able to offer a live performance, but instead they are excited to offer a free virtual program by Warp Trio called Black Voices that will be accessible from a private link on Bay Chamber’s YouTube channel.

​ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Black Voices, features the music and writings of musicians, poets and authors from the African Diaspora—illuminating the breadth of influence from artists of color on our contemporary culture and landscape. The 45-minute program showcases a variety of genres from hip hop and classical to spoken word and jazz. Presented in conjunction with the award winning emcee LiKWuiD, the program includes poetry by Langston Hughes, Ntozake Shange, Maya Angelou paired with music by Duke Ellington, William Grant Still, Harry Burleigh, and original compositions from Warp Trio.

AUDIENCE 

This program is recommended for high school audiences but may be suitable for younger audiences at the teacher’s discretion.

DETAILS

The program will be available through Bay Chamber Concerts & Music School’s YouTube channel and can be viewed at any time between March 1- April 16, 2021. To sign up, please email Monica Kelly at monica@baychamberconcerts.org.

WARP TRIO 

Learn about Warp Trio who are described as “A talented group that exemplifies the genre-obliterating direction of contemporary classical music (Columbia Free Times)”, Warp Trio is an internationally touring cross-genre chamber music experience. Reflecting the combination of Juilliard trained members juxtaposed with members steeped in rock and jazz styles, the one of a kind trio (that even has a fourth member!) can be seen performing classical works in prestigious halls on the same tour where they headline a standing room only show at a rock venue. In addition to their electrifying public performances, they have gained a reputation for their innovative educational workshops with students from grade school through university level.

Posted in Community, Food for thought, Music, Opportunity | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments »

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Music Educators Conference

March 9, 2021

2021 MMEA Virtual, May 10-15

Please join us May 10-15 for this exciting and informative professional development conference which will include over sixty live and pre-recorded offerings applicable to all areas of music education.
Live sessions will take place via Zoom between 6-8PM on weeknights and 9-noon on Saturday. 
Both the in-person and pre-recorded sessions will be archived on a password protected website and will be available for viewing at a later date. 
For questions regarding registration, please email Jon Simonoff at conferenceregistrar@mainemea.org. 

CLICK HERE to register for the conference today!

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Maine Farmland Trust

March 8, 2021

Opportunity for children

Young artists age 18 and under are invited to submit farm-inspired artwork for an upcoming virtual gallery exhibit.

The Maine Farmland Trust welcomes submissions for a children’s art exhibit to be held virtually this spring through the MFT Gallery. Looking for children’s artistic creations that address or are inspired by any of the following questions:

  • Do you have any farm or farm stands near you?
  • What do they look like, and what do they produce?
  • What animals do you like on the farm?
  • What is your favorite food from the farm?
  • What do you like, or what would you like, to do on a visit to the farm? 

Learn and submit artwork HERE. DEADLINE: MARCH 28, 2021

Possible subject or media matter ideas: Vegetables; animals on the farm; fiber (sheep, llamas or alpacas, rabbits); barns or other farm buildings; fields, crops, gardens; helpers on the farm; tractors or other equipment and tools.

Submission guidelines:

The artwork can be any media, 2D or 3D. We are accepting up to 5 submissions per artist. Since the show will be virtual, all submissions should be high quality photos of the original artwork.

Tips for taking a high quality photo with your camera or phone: use a high resolution setting on your device; hold the device steady or use a tripod or brace so the image is clear, not blurry; place the work (one at a time for multiple submissions) in good, even, natural lighting; make sure the edges of the image are square to the edges of the work so there is no distortion; crop the image to clear any distracting background; save as a .jpg file.

Please send an email, subject Farms for ME, with up to 5 high resolution jpg images attached, labeled with Artist First Name_Age_Title of the work_medium_dimensions_price.

In the email please include parent’s full name, email address, and phone number, name of the artist, age, medium, title of the work, dimensions of the work, and price if the work is for sale (or NFS if not).

If you have questions please contact Karen at karen@mainefarmlandtrust.org

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

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Arts Education Advocacy Day

March 7, 2021

February 17 plenary session

If you missed the plenary session provided by the Maine Alliance for Arts Education (MAAE) for Arts Education Advocacy Day you are in luck! The session was recorded and available below. A HUGE THANK YOU to the MAAE partners in the ABC Arts are Basic Coalition MAEA – the Maine Art Education Association, MMEA – Maine Music Educators Association, MaineEdTA – Maine Educational Theatre Association, and the Maine dance educators. It is the first time they’ve presented together and they sent a collective message about the importance of quality arts education programming for every Maine student. Along with the leaders of the state professional organizations Governor Mills recorded message was included in the program. Others who spoke in addition to the professional organization leaders were: Commissioner of Education Pender Makin, Martha Piscuskas, Maine Arts Commission Education Director Martha Piscuskas, Maine Department of Education (MDOE) VPA Specialist Jason Anderson, and MDOE Social/Emotional Learning and Trauma Informed Practices Kellie Bailey.

Most importantly students voices were an integral part of the day. Be sure and catch them towards the end of the video. From the MAAE website:

What we may remember most vividly about Advocacy Day this year was the voices of the students – not only the individual students expressing their feelings about the arts in the videos accompanying the ABC reports, but also the live panel of arts students who are forming advocacy teams in their schools, part of a statewide new ABC initiative directed by MAAE. Coming at the end of the program, the students’ rich discussion about local advocacy and what their teams could mean for the arts in their schools not only brought together the separate themes of the four earlier reports, but made it very clear that Maine arts students can and should be a part of any future efforts to advance the cause of arts education in our state.

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1,000,000 Dominoes

March 6, 2021

25 hours 8 days

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Relationships

March 5, 2021

Edutopia

We all know how important relationships are in education, especially the ones that we form with our students. Probably the most challenging part of ‘schooling away from school’ last spring was how to maintain and continue building relationships. Social Emotional Learning has been key to understanding the challenges of our learners. That term has moved to the center of educational conversations in the last several months.

Not only is the teacher-to-student relationship important but so is the student-to-student relationship. As the work at my school evolved last spring we brainstormed ways that we could bring learners together so they’d have that social component at the same time that they were learning. We considered how we do that ‘IN’ school and ways to adapt that. We started by gathering first thing in the morning by zoom for ‘breakfast club’ which lasted for about 15 minutes. This helped all of us with a routine and for those that need that ‘social time’ they had it with all of their classmates. They used the chat box and some days started with one ‘word’ to describe how they were feeling. No judgement, no feedback was provided, just a moment to share one word. Some days we started with it and sometimes we said one word before we signed off for the day. During the day each learner had a short time with one teacher for instruction. The piece that was missing was the collaborative learning.

Edutopia published THIS ARTICLE called 7 Ways to Maintain Relationships During Your School Closure written by Sarah Gonser. 

We learned enormously from the situation that we were all suddenly thrown into last March. Our goal this year was to take what we had learned and build and expand on it. This year we have put small group instruction and collaborative learning at the heart. Learners are exchanging ideas, learning from each other and building on their knowledge together. We utilize technology tools more effectively at the same time we’re mindful that the human connection is critical. Is it perfect? No, but we’re always tweaking and learning from each other as well as from the students. Watching, listening, and learning from them is always at the heart. 

The Maine Department of Education hired Kellie Bailey to develop Social Emotional Learning tools and opportunities to help support the field. You can access their tools and information for trainings at THIS LINK. 

Most importantly for teachers and students is that we are mindful of the continuous shift. We need to reach out to others and remember we are not alone. We’re all in this together!

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Monhegan Artist Residency

March 4, 2021

2-week Summer Residency for art teachers

This is a great opportunity for teachers and artists to practice your art in a beautiful location. This opportunity is saved for Maine K-12 art teachers and for Maine artists. The Maine Artist Residency was established in 1989 for artists only by a couple who imagined the opportunity for Maine artists. Six years later the arrangement turned into a non-profit called Monhegan Artists Residency Corporation (MARC) and donors came forward to help support the idea. In 2013 a second residency was established just for Maine art teachers.

March 19 Deadline for Monhegan Artist Residency

This year, MARC is offering two residencies: 

2-week summer residency from Saturday, July 2 through Friday July 16, 2021 – designated for Maine K-12 art teachers

5-week fall residency from Monday, September 6 through Monday October 11, 2021. 

Both residencies are located at Elva’s Old PO, in the center of the village overlooking the meadow. The building offers both studio and living space, along with a private deck that overlooks the meadow filled with migratory birds in the fall. There is a stipend of $150 per week to support living expenses while you are on the island.

Applications, including images of your work and a narrative, are made through the Submittable website at THIS LINK and are open through March 19. Applicants will be notified by April 19.

Artwork by Jody Dube

Last year Lewiston High School art teacher Jody Dube was selected for the residency and he said the following:

“My time on Monhegan was as much a spiritual retreat as an artist residency. It afforded me time… time away from all the cares, pressures, and distractions that tend to clutter the mind and make it difficult to gather ones thoughts properly in the cause of making art. I had a rare opportunity to step aside from time itself and experience genuine immersion into a creative mindset. I’d been moving with clear intention toward two-dimensional work since springtime and the isolation of COVID-19, preparing for the residency by establishing a drawing practice. The physical beauty of Monhegan’s rocky shores and the majesty of Cathedral Woods profoundly inspired me. The freedom of my island life allowed me to delve deeper and explore ideas more than I ever could amidst the distractions of my routines back at home. The Monhegan Artist Residency board thoughtfully addressed challenges brought on by the pandemic and I was provided with excellent accommodations and careful planning for my physical safety, for which I am deeply appreciative. I began several pieces on the island that will be completed over the next several months. The experience will remain with me for a lifetime.”

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Youth Art Month

March 3, 2021

Maine Art Education Association and Portland Museum of Art

For almost 30 years, the Portland Museum of Art and the Maine Art Education Association (MAEA) have collaborated to bring National Youth Art Month (YAM) to Maine. This annual exhibition showcases the incredible work produced by K-12 students throughout the state, representing a wide variety of youth perspectives and artistic practices in Maine. MAEA member teachers – the dedicated individuals at the forefront of Maine’s quality school art programs – each select one piece of exemplary work from their classrooms to represent the creative efforts of their students and to empower students with a passion and talent for art.

For the first time, YAM is digital, which brings exciting opportunities to share the artwork of Maine’s youth with a wider audience. We hope that the artworks in this exhibition inspire more creativity, spark more conversations, and garner support for more arts education in our schools and in our communities. Art is a powerful, expressive tool through which people of all ages find their voice, their passion, and their power.  

The exhibit is always an opportunity to share the pride of what each student experiences making art. The digital exhibition is LIVE and available to be viewed, shared, admired, and all the other things we will do in celebrating the artwork on display throughout Youth Art Month. You can find the exhibition by clicking on this link: https://www.portlandmuseum.org/yam-2021.

Over 80 artworks were submitted to YAM 2021 from students and teachers across the state of Maine. The art on view explores themes around identity, the natural world, home, and portraiture. View the art work by grade levels or in its entirety by clicking below.

grades K-4

grades 5-8

grades 9-12

the entire exhibit

Youth Art Month is supported by the Onion Foundation and the Peggy L. Osher Education Endowment at the Portland Museum of Art, with corporate Support from Norway Savings Bank.

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

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Arts Education Month

March 2, 2021

YAHOOOOO and Happy Arts Education Month!

I know this March is a bit different than other years but we as visual and performing arts educators still have important work to do – celebrating and raising up the voices of our students in the arts. The creative minds of arts educators are serving you well, as you plan and implement a way to recognize the accomplishments of your students in the arts. CONGRATULATIONS and THANK YOU to all the educators who provide an excellent arts education and access to it for learners of all ages. I know that you are proud of your students and I encourage you to take advantage of this month designated to celebrate arts education. Whether you do it in a small or large way, please let me know about the work you are doing so I can include your story on this blog. Your good ideas should be shared so others can learn from you! I appreciate your ongoing commitment to providing THE BEST visual and performing arts education!

Take advantage of Arts Education Month to engage others in the conversation of why a quality arts education is essential for all students. Use the Commissioner of Education Pender Makin’s message, posted on this blog yesterday, to help others understand what we know to be important.

If you’re looking for resources each of the national professional organizations below have a plethora of information on their websites. Check them out and consider becoming members to support their good work.

NAEA

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The National Art Education Association has been celebrating Youth Art Month since the 1960’s. Check out what NAEA has to offer on the topic. The purpose of YAM is to emphasize the value to children from participating in visual art education. 

CFAE

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The Council for Art Education provides tons of resources to help you plan. They have ideas on their site that teachers and students are engaged in across the country. The ideas range from school based to community, both large and small. You can sign up for their free newsletter and receive information on a regular basis.

NAfME

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The National Association for Music Education has been recognizing Music in Our Schools Month since 1985. The idea started in 1973. You can learn what NAfME has to offer on MIOSM by CLICKING HERE. The purpose of MIOSM is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children – and to remind citizens that schools is where all children should have access to music.

EDTA

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The Educational Theatre Association and the International Thespian Society and the American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE) all provide resources for theater educators. Their resources are directed towards Thespians, schools, and educators. The purpose is to raise public awareness of the impact of theatre education and draw attention to the need for more access to quality programs for all students.

NDEO

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The National Dance Education Organization celebrates the artistic and academic achievements of exceptional students through the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NAHSDA) by teaming up with the US Department of Education during March. Learn more about their advocacy work by CLICKING HERE.

As you’re contemplating your March celebration checking out a blog post from the past with more resources. CLICK HERE

AFTA

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Americans for the Arts envisions a country where everyone has access to—and takes part in—high quality and lifelong learning experiences in the arts, both in school and in the community. Their arts education council represents a cross section of the country so all voices are represented. The Americans for the Arts website has a plethora of resources on arts education. Check them out by CLICKING HERE.

ARTS ADVOCACY DAY

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We know that arts-rich schools benefit everyone. It is our responsibility to help others who may not understand this statement. Arts Education month provides that opportunity and in the near future the Maine Alliance for Arts Education will be sharing a video of Arts Education Advocacy Day that took place on February 17, 2021.

Posted in Communication, Community, Creativity, Dance, Food for thought, Leadership, Media Arts, Music, Resources, Theater, Visual Arts, VPA, YAHOO | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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