Welcome to MAAE’s Winter 2011 Newsletter! We have a jam-packed newsletter for you full of great news from around the state and the nation. If you would like to contribute an item for the Spring 2012 Newsletter, please send submissions to maaemembership@hotmail.com by February 15, 2012.

Director’s Digest

At this most special of seasons I extend warm wishes to our MAAE Family. Our energy and impact come from you, our brilliant, generous members who embrace the mission to advocate for arts education for every Mississippi student.

MAAE members talk the talk and walk the walk. This fall, by the creative avenues of sponsorships, new and renewed memberships, grants, and our Annual Giving Campaign, we have been able to seize opportunities to tell our story at conferences, in schools, and with friends in every region of our state. Sponsorships sent 100 students from two school districts to attend live performances at the Riley Center. Sponsorships enabled our Arts-Integration school partners to participate in Literacy through Arts experiences, book deliveries, and teaching artist lessons, as well as children’s theatre performances (thanks to the PERK Players). The Mississippi Arts Commission awarded MAAE a mini-grant so that we’ll have four Board members representing us at the Kennedy Center Annual Meeting in April. New partnerships formed, including MAAE’s involvement with the Mississippi Humanities Council, to expand their Family Reading Bonds Program with libraries and schools to plant seeds of Literacy through Arts.

Our presence has been felt at conferences too. Daisha Walker presented at the Mississippi Theatre Association Conference in September; Mark Brown presented at Mississippi Art Education Association Conference in November; and Charlotte Tabereaux, Sallie Harper, and Penny Wallin represented MAAE at the Ron Clark Academy. Althea Jerome is conducting the Teaching Artist Workshop series (in Hattiesburg and Greenville). Many of you have volunteered to attend school board meetings, city council meetings, and school functions.

Our work with the Kennedy Center Low Capacity Alliances has been a yearlong learning and networking experience. Since last January’s MAAE Board Retreat, Kennedy Center’s John Abodeely and Senator Stan Rosenberg have conferenced monthly to offer guidance and insights in meeting specific goals as we expand MAAE’s capacity to be arts in education advocates.

We’re in the news! Check below for details!

I close with a challenge from our newest partnership with the Thea Foundation in Arkansas. Paul Leopoulos lost his daughter, Thea, as a result of a drunk driving accident. At our December Board Meeting, Paul shared his moving story of how personal tragedy has become a positive, growing revolution “for every child on earth to experience arts in education!” He offered fresh inspiration for MAAE work—that our consistent message and concerted efforts for arts in education everywhere must be heard in our daily conversations and in our interactions with educators, artists, parents, students, colleagues, and politicians. At this holiday season, with arts all around us, and throughout the new year, may we take heart from a young girl we never knew…from a young girl whose spirit we recognize in so many children who find voice, strength, and passion in the arts.

Wishing you well,
Penny

President’s Post

Dear MAAE Family,

It has certainly been a challenging yet exciting year in the area of arts advocacy. It is difficult to believe that it will soon be 2012. Stringent economic times, which all organizations face, have caused us to think innovatively about our program efforts.

During the past year, through our low capacity designation from the Kennedy Center, we have moved to a regional model. This has allowed us to impact all areas of our state with programming, and ultimately provides more visibility for MAAE. Additionally, arts infused programming continues to be provided to underserved schools and communities.

As we get ready for a well-deserved break, I think to the year ahead with excitement. MAAE, along with our partners and friends, will take our powerful message to Washington, D.C. to share with lawmakers how essential cross-disciplinary arts instruction is to educating ALL children. We will continue to represent MAAE at other conferences, while inviting other entities to be part of our workshops and events.

Few of these things can be accomplished without the cooperation and diligence of each other. I personally wish to thank every MAAE member, partnering organization and friends for all of their help, patience and enthusiasm. Have a blessed and safe Christmas Season!

Sincerely,
Mark Brown

Around Mississippi

Power APAC Wins Award!

MAAE would like to congratulate Power Academic and Performing Arts Complex in Jackson on receiving the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts National School of Distinction in Arts Education Award for the 2010-2011 school year. Power APAC was one of only four schools nationally to receive this award. They were honored with a plaque and a monetary gift at a celebration on October 28, 2011 at Power APAC where Governor William Winter was featured as the keynote speaker.

Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts

Congratulations to member and former MAAE executive director and board member Althea Jerome, recipient of the 2012 Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts for Arts in Education. Awards ceremony will be held February 16, 2012, location TBA.

Teaching Artist Workshop

Attention: Musicians, Artists, Writers, Dancers, Storytellers and Performers of all Types! Have you ever thought about teaching elementary or secondary students through your art form? Mississippi's students could benefit greatly from what you know and what you can share with them. Want to know more? MAAE will host a one-day workshop to introduce artists to essential information needed to work in a Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade school setting. Artists who complete the workshop will have the opportunity to work with a veteran teaching artist to conduct demonstration lessons and/or professional development workshops sponsored by the MAAE. This workshop also fulfills the professional development requirement for re-application to the Teaching Artist Roster hosted by the Mississippi Arts Commission. The workshop will be held Saturday, February 4, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Greenville Arts Council. Cost is $35 members; $50 non-members; $75 workshop/membership special. Registration deadline is February 1, 2012. Trainer: Althea Jerome, M.M.Ed., MAC Teaching Artist Roster. To register go to: http://www.msartsalliance.com/events/TAWorkshop02-04-12.htm. Questions? Contact Althea Jerome at ajerome@comcast.net. This workshop is hosted in partnership with the Greenville Arts Council.

Winter MAAE Board Meeting

The MAAE board met December 3, 2011 at Mississippi College’s Gore Galleries in Clinton. Fourteen board members were in attendance from all over the state. MAAE welcomed Paul Leopoulos from the Thea Foundation in Arkansas as the special speaker during the morning. Paul shared with us the foundations mission and vision to bring the arts to all children in Arkansas. Check out their website at http://www.theafoundation.org. The date for the next board meeting will be February 4, 2012 at the Greenville Arts Council in Greenville. A short business meeting will follow the Teaching Artist Workshop.

MAC Arts in the Classroom (AIC) Program

The Mississippi Arts Commission is looking for schools to participate in the Arts in the Classroom grant program. Deadline is March 1, 2012 for the 2012-13 school year. The Arts in the Classroom (AIC) Program assists preK-12 schools that are interested in exploring arts integration as a way to enhance the teacher skills and improve student achievement. AIC introduces arts integration concepts through professional development for the school's staff, as well as providing direct arts experiences for the students. For more information, visit the MAC website at http://www.arts.state.ms.us or contact Jodie Engle at 601-359-6040 or jengle@arts.state.ms.us.

 JCJC Interns Update from Board President Mark Brown

As many of you know, I have been fortunate to have three talented collegiate students to serve as interns in a graphics capacity. Below are some of the images created through the Computers in Art course at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Miss. All images created by Michelle Sessions, Shanquita Jones and Devin Fisher.

Mississippi College Community Arts

Spring registration at The Taylor School at Mississippi College is now open! The Taylor School offers music and art classes. For more information, visit http://music.mc.edu/the-taylor-school.

Conference Reports

Ron Clark Academy—Penny Wallin, Charlotte Tabereaux and Sallie Harper attended the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta in November. Students and adults immediately warmly welcomed them. The day was scheduled from start to finish with opportunities to meet students; exercise (and we know that the best exercise for the brain is exercise!); tour the well-designed buildings filled with artwork, photographs, and unique learning spaces; visit classes in session where they were invited to observe and interact in dynamic, challenging, knowledge-based lessons;  converse with teacher-leaders and students over delicious, nutritious food, ask questions and participate in interdisciplinary lessons in workshops; network with fellow educators from diverse locations; refresh in decorated bathrooms; slide with NO FEAR; celebrate outstanding work in the afternoon gathering, including house presentations and the Coating Ceremony; watch the after-school transition to sports and a multitude of after-school choices, and hug farewells to the new ‘family’.

Mississippi Theatre Association Fall Meeting—Daisha Walker shared a session on Creative Collaborations. They discussed thinking out of the box in regards to funding sources for programs and talked about examples of what MGCCC-Perkinston is doing. They discussed not just asking for money, but showing these various groups and organizations how the arts can help them further their goals. They discussed various ways to do this in each community that was represented and tried to brainstorm some possible funding collaborators. It resulted in a very interesting and engaging discussion.

Mississippi Art Educators Association— MAAE Board President Mark Brown attended and shared a session at the MAEA conference in November at the Miss. Museum of Art in Jackson. He presented a lecture and demonstration on aerial perspective. The presentation included information about Filippo Brunelleschi, 15th Century inventor of aerial perspective, and his impact on Renaissance art and architecture. Participants viewed examples of images by artists that used perspective within their art. Since most of the participants were artists, most of them had used some form of one- and two-point perspective within their lessons. Therefore, hands-on time was spent on working on three-point perspective. 

Ruth Searcy Literacy Conference

The Fifth Annual Ruth Searcy Literacy Conference will be held January 25-26, 2012 at Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss. The conference is about Celebrating Teaching and Embracing a New Era of Literacy. For more information about the event and registration, please contact Dr. Rodney Washington at 601-979-2341 or rodney.washington@jsums.edu.

Around the Nation

National Symphony Orchestra

Attention instrumental musicians age 15-20, and their teachers. It’s time to apply for the National Symphony Orchestra’s 2012 Summer Music Institute. Audition deadline is January 27th. For more information go to: http://www.msartsalliance.com/events/NSOdata.htm

NEA Fast Track Grants

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman announced this month that 162 Challenge America grants will be available to organizations totaling $1.6 million. These grants are all $10,000 and receive expedited application review. Organizations are notified approximately six months after they apply with the possibility to start a project shortly after notification.  For more information, visit http://www.arts.gov.

American Alliance for Theatre and Education Scholarships

Members of the American Alliance for Theatre and Education can apply for grants for students and teachers to attend their upcoming conferences. Visit these websites for more information: http://www.aate.com/linwrightgrant and http://www.aate.com/betsyquinnscholarship.

Americans for the Arts conference

American for the Arts annual conference will take place June 8-10, 2012 in San Antonio. For more information or to register check out their website at http://www.americansforthearts.org.

25th Annual Arts Advocacy Day

The 2012 National Arts Action Summit will be held in Washington, D.C. on April 16-17, 2012. It is the only national event that brings together a broad cross section of America's cultural and civic organizations, along with hundreds of grassroots advocates from across the country, to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating increased public funding for the arts.

Arts Education Partnership National Forum

Arts Education Partnership Spring 2012 National Forum: Are We There Yet? Arts Evidence and the Road to Student Success, on Thursday and Friday April 12-13, 2012 in Washington, DC. At this Forum, the conversation will focus on the growing body of research evidence which makes the case that learning in and through the arts contributes to educational excellence. Get involved in the discussion by submitting a small group session proposal, volunteering, or planning to attend.

Check out these sources for arts education news:

Arts Education Partnership—http://www.aep-arts.org
Americans for the Arts—http://www.artsusa.org
Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education—http://www.msartsalliance.com

What YOU Can Do

Annual Giving Campaign

Be a partner. Be a star!
Help MAAE go far.

Partner with MAAE this giving season and Make Arts Education Accessible Everyday to the children of Mississippi. Be a partner, YOU can go far too. Visit our website to make a tax-deductible contribution to MAAE today, to help further the work of advocating for high quality, comprehensive and sequential arts education for all Mississippi students.  http://www.msartsalliance.com/alliance/donations.htm

Sponsorships

Are you interested in supporting arts in education but aren’t able to get into a classroom?? A sponsorship might be just the thing! MAAE has identified several areas at several different price ranges where people can donate towards an arts experience for a child, a classroom or a teacher. There are also ways to support MAAE in their advocacy efforts. Check out all the opportunities at http://www.msartalliance.com/advocacy/Sponsorship.htm.

MAAE is Calling for Regional Excellence

Each month MAAE would like to identify those working in the field of arts in education and showcase them on our website and Facebook page. If you know of anyone who is showing exemplary work in arts in education, please send their name and info to maaedirector@gmail.com.

Advocacy

Our website is FULL of great resources to learn about arts in education, arts integration and advocacy.  We’ve recently posted some new publications. They can be found at http://www.msartsalliance.com/advocacy/PCAHBlurb.htm.

About Us

The mission of the Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education is to advocate for high quality, comprehensive and sequential arts education for all Mississippi students. This is accomplished by offering advocacy opportunities throughout the year, teaching artist training through the Dana Foundation model, arts integration training, plus much, much more! Check out our website for our calendar, resources and training. Please also become a fan of MAAE on Facebook by clicking this link:
 

Thanks for your support! And please direct teachers, administrators and artists to our website to become a member to help support the cause of arts education in Mississippi. 

If you have something you would like included in the Spring 2012 Newsletter, please submit items by February 15, 2012.

The MAAE Newsletter is published quarterly to members.

Contact Us:
Penny Wallin, Executive Director
maaedirector@gmail.com
601-310-1095

Shannon Frost, Financial Officer/Membership Chair
maaemembership@hotmail.com
601-954-8880

http://www.msartsalliance.com

The Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education is supported by:
Mississippi Arts Commission
Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network

Quick Links

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Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education
Mississippi Arts Commission
Mississippi Music Educators Association
Mississippi Art Education Association
Mississippi Theatre Association
Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network
Mississippi Department of Education