IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts’ weekly newsletter for September 19, 2007. The newsletter is published each Wednesday to the Institute's listserv and is archived here on the IEA blog.

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MUSIC EDUCATION
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NEW ORLEANS SCHOOL BANDS STRUTTING ONCE MORE
Lesli A. Maxwell, Education Week, 9/10/07
”It was a sweltering August evening—exactly two years after Hurricane Katrina—in the city’s Uptown neighborhood. A crowd had gathered outside Tipitina’s, a storied music club, to witness a promising sign that New Orleans' long tradition of marching bands and music education would survive the tumult that the storm brought to the city’s schools … Tipitina’s Foundation, already a patron of music education in the schools, has raised close to $1 million since the storm to outfit hundreds of school musicians with new instruments. The St. Augustine and O. Perry Walker bands had to come to play outside Tipitina’s in a special event arranged to show off their new instruments. ‘We would have had nothing to play without their help,’ said Wilbert J. Rawlins, the band director for O. Perry Walker, a former district-run public school that reopened as a charter after the storm. ‘Without music in our schools here, it wouldn’t be New Orleans, and the city wouldn’t have its next generation of musicians.’
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SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS
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ARTISTS ARE OUR MOST USEFUL AMBASSADORS
Charmaine Picard, Art Newspaper, 9/12/07
”The non-profit foundation Art Matters has re-emerged after a ten-year hiatus, in response to what the organisation says is a growing need for financial support for artists. Founded in New York in 1985 by art patron Laura Donnelley, the group has recently given 23 grants to US-based artists to work in Africa, the Middle East, South America and Europe. ‘We don’t want the US to only be known for exporting guns, military force and American consumer products,’ says founding board member Philip Yenawine. ‘We want to bring attention to a range of experimental contributions by US artists.’ During the late 1980s and 90s, Art Matters provided funding to several artists whose work dealt with issues such as Aids and censorship. Some, such as David Wojnarowicz, Andres Serrano and Karen Findley, were supported by the organisation when their federal funding was revoked. Today Art Matters is sponsoring projects that promote international cooperation, providing financial support for US artists who are working abroad. ‘Artists are our most useful ambassadors,’ says Ms Donnelley. Suheir Hammad, Sharon Hayes, Sanford Biggers, Kori Newkirk and Clifford Owens, among others, have received 2007 fellowships. A second round of grants will be awarded later this year.”
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ARTS IN THE COMMUNITY
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CITY COUNCIL OKs CULTURAL DISTRICT
Marsha L. Melnichak, Northwest Arkansas Times (Fayetteville, AR), 9/8/07
“The Fayetteville City Council has approved a A Cultural Arts District of about 100 city blocks. What happens inside that area and what it means for the individuals and businesses there is not yet clear. ‘Fayetteville long has been home for a lot of artists and creative folks; but, we’ve never really tried to enhance the environment for the arts,’ said Mayor Dan Coody Friday. ‘This Cultural Arts District is a strong step in the right direction.’”
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MAYOR FENTY KICKS-OFF ‘CREATIVE ECONOMY’ INITIATIVE
Terry Wu, Epoch Times (Washington, DC), 9/10/07
“Mayor Adrian Fenty launched a summit September 5 at the Shakespeare Company's Lansburgh Theatre on 7th Street, NW, to launch the "creative economy" initiative. This meeting begins six to seven months of comprehensive research before the city determines several initiatives in which to invest. According to Deputy Mayor Neil Albert, the city government doesn't have a range of investment amounts in mind, but will research 10 neighborhoods and then determine projects and corresponding investments based on the research results … When asked about the city's initiatives in arts, Tony Gittens, Executive Director of the D.C. Commission of the Arts and Humanities, said that the city was going to initiate between seven to 10 projects. The range of these projects is not yet clear. However, strengthening arts education in public schools will definitely be one of the focuses. Washington has strong creative assets. Carol Coletta, President and CEO of CEOs for Cities, said that there were 180,000 creative workers in Washington metro area. Washington ranks first in the nation in the number of reporters, public relations specialists, writers and editors. It ranks second in the nation on the number of jobs in arts, design, entertainment, sports and media. She also offered a comprehensive definition of creative industries that Washington could capitalize on: arts, publishing, architecture, advertising & design, performance, and museums.”
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EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
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The Heart of Learning: The Value of Cultivating Emotional Intelligence
Ken Ellis, Edutopia
“[Michael Pritchard] paces slowly in front of the Castlemont High School auditorium stage, sizing up the audience. Tough crowd. Young men hunker down under sweatshirt hoods and baseball caps. Young women, overdressed for this sunny spring day, guard against the chilly atmosphere inside. They lean deep into their seats. No one is smiling. Pritchard begins his presentation with barbs. “Ever hear something like this? 'You're ugly!'" he squeals suddenly, à la Porky Pig. "'You look like you fell out of an ugly tree and hit every limb on the way down.'" Giggles. "'Nice jacket. I used to have one like that. Then my dad got a job.'" Appreciative groans. This is a man who knows how to work a crowd. At ease with young people, Pritchard has raised two sons and a daughter with his wife of 29 years, and has taken in, he estimates, "about a hundred or so" youths who have spent various periods of their lives growing up in his ever expanding extended family. "Well, I'll tell you why I'm here," Pritchard shoots back. "Because I have two African-American youngsters that grew up with me and my family, and I love them and I'm worried about their lives. You don't know that. You don't know anything about me. I'm just a big, fat guy up here telling jokes. But, listen, we care about you." Pritchard is a healer, and a pioneer in the field of social-emotional learning (SEL), the often-neglected missing piece in a well-rounded education. For the past two decades, he has been touring the country, talking and listening to students, teachers, and parents. He has written two books and produced a series of award-winning videos that focus on the critical issues of character and emotional intelligence for middle and high school students. "What I try to teach kids is that we have to be more real about our emotions," explains Pritchard. "Shakespeare said, 'Always give sorrow words. Grief that does not speak whispers to the over-fraught heart and bids it to break.'”
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS
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CALL FOR PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS RELATED TO CULTURAL-CREATIVE COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE
4/28 – 5/1/08, Ottawa
Centre of Expertise on Culture and Communities
Proposal deadline: 9/30/07
”The Creative Construct: Building for Culture and Creativity symposium brings together participants from around the world to exchange the latest ideas and practices on the development of cultural and creative spaces; planning and investment strategies for cultural infrastructure and cultural districts; and collaborative approaches to enhancing the cultural vitality, creative potential, and competitiveness of cities and communities. The international symposium includes keynote speakers, presentations, lectures, and various styles of workshops to examine the role and importance of cultural infrastructure in furthering culture and creativity in cities and communities. The symposium will bring together diverse resources and expertise, and foster an exchange of knowledge and experience extending from grassroots opportunities to international issues.”
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GRANTS, FUNDING, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
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PRUDENTIAL SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY AWARDS
Prudential Financial
Deadline: 10/31/07
“The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honor young people in middle level and high school grades for outstanding volunteer service to their communities. Created in 1995 by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the awards constitute the United States' largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteering. Over the past 12 years, the program has honored more than 75,000 young volunteers at the local, state, and national level.”
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