IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts' newsletter for Wednesday, July 2, 2008. The newsletter is published each Wednesday to the IEA listserv and archived here on the IEA blog.

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REPORT
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ARTISTS IN THE WORKFORCE: 1990 – 2005
National Endowment for the Arts, 6/12/08
“National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announces the release of Artists in the Workforce: 1990-2005, the first nationwide look at artists’ demographic and employment patterns in the 21st century. Artists in the Workforce analyzes working artist trends, gathering new statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau to provide a comprehensive overview of this workforce segment, its maturation over the past 30 years, along with detailed information on specific artist occupations. ‘Artists now play a huge but mostly unrecognized role in the new American economy of the 21st century,’ said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. ‘This report shows how important American artists are to both our nation’s cultural vitality and economic prosperity of our communities.’”
Read more>>


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ART EDUCATION IN CHINA
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EXHIBITING NEW APPEAL
China Daily, 7/1/08
“Yu Anjie has been a regular museum visitor for years. But the 12-year-old Beijing primary school student insists her motivation has nothing to do with Hollywood blockbusters … For her, the appeal comes from the ever-changing exhibits and educational programs offered by Dongcheng Art Cener for Children … Yu was among the 30 school pupils … attending a recent art class at the National Art Museum of China. The lessons revolved around an exhibition of German landscape paintings and the Synthetic Times International New Media Art Exhibition … Art educator Xu Weiwei … asked the kids to create their own stories after explaining to them world-renowned contemporary artist Xu Bing’s interactive Book from the Ground.”
Read more>>


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CREATIVITY
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THE POWER OF THE IMAGINATIVE MIND
Teacher Magazine, 6/25/08
After reading a speech by Sir Ken Robinson on creativity, several educators provide their perspectives on the importance of creativity in the classroom.
Read more (requires free subscription)>>


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CREATIVITY IN THE CLASSROOM
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STRICKLAND AIMS TO MAKE EDUC ATION MORE PERSONALIZED
Catherine Candisky, Columbus Dispatch, 6/18/08
“Gov. Ted Strickland wants a more flexible and personalized system of public schools where students are encouraged to be more creative and innovative. ‘Because we have become scared and frightened that we have fallen behind, there has been a tendency to emphasize sameness in curriculum,’ Strickland said. ‘We are trying to force some students into a mold, and we perhaps neglect to appreciate or understand the full array of abilities and potentials that exist within a student.’”Read more: Read more: http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/06/18/EdTed.html


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FUNDING FOR ARTS EDUCATION
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TERRY FOUNDATION GIVES $1 MILLION TO ARTS CENTER
Dallas Morning News, 7/1/08
“The Dallas Center for the Performing Arts has received a $1 million gift from the Mike and Mary Terry Family Foundation, which is dedicated to investing in Dallas-area initiatives designed to make an impact in the lives of children. A core focus is cultural education through performing arts, which is reflected in the 2-year-old foundation's first major contribution to the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts … With more than 600 performances each year, the new multi-venue arts and entertainment center will transform the way people experience the arts in North Texas.”
Read more>>


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LIFE AFTER GRADUATION
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WHAT’S YOUR JOB?
I’M AN ACTRESS WITH A HARVARD DEGREE – AND A FAMILY THAT WORRIES I’M WASTING MY EDUCATION
Danielle Kwatinez [Opinion], Newsweek, 1/14/08
“The arts are generally viewed as a waste of time in this country, in much the same way that arts education plays the stepchild, in public schools, to reading, writing and 'rithmetic. When school budgets get tight, art, music and drama are invariably the first to go. When the national budget is on the hot seat, fingers are pointed at the National Endowment for the Arts much more readily than they are at the defense budget. Similarly, artistic pursuits are generally accepted, even applauded, when an individual is in college. But once the commencement invitations go out and that same individual dons his or her graduation robe, it's time to get a ‘real job.' A real job usually means business, law, medicine--anything with a clear path and a certain paycheck. And that's fine for students with interest or aptitude in those areas. The rest of us, though, are essentially being asked to abandon the very thing that made us special enough to be accepted to such an exceptional school in the first place.”
Read more>>


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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN RURAL SCHOOLS
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ATTITUDE DETERMINES STUDENT SUCCESS IN RURAL SCHOOLS, STUDY FINDS
ScienceDaily, 6/30/08
“While most of the country focuses on ACT scores, student-teacher ratio and rigorous curriculum to increase student success, it may be the commitment to excellence that determines student achievement in rural schools. This is an overlooked, yet critical, factor when considering nearly half of American school districts are in rural areas, educating nearly 21 percent of all students. Perri Applegate, a researcher at the University of Oklahoma K20 Center, recently investigated the qualities that differentiate a high-achieving school and low-achieving rural high school, focusing on high-poverty high schools with at least 51 percent of the population eligible for free or reduced lunch. Surprisingly, the top factors that did impact student achievement in urban high schools, ACT scores and dropout rates, did not determine student success in rural schools. Community involvement and the school's commitment to student excellence were the determining factors in whether a rural school was high- or low-achieving.”
Learn more>>


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GRANTS AND AWARDS
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GRANTS FOR MUSIC INSTRUCTION
Guitar Center Music Foundation
Maximum Award: $5000
Deadline: n/a
“The Guitar Center Music Foundation's mission is to aid nonprofit music programs across America that offer music instruction so that more people can experience the joys of making music. Qualifying applicants are established, ongoing and sustainable music programs across the United States that provide music instruction for people of any age who would not otherwise have the opportunity to make music.”
Learn more or apply online>>

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