Sharing the Joy of Arts Education this School Year

September ushers in a variety of treasures: the excitement of welcoming new students, the beauty of autumn's landscapes, and National Arts in Education Week! Established by Congress in 2010 through House Resolution 275, this national celebration highlights the transformative impact of the arts in education, and this year it takes place September 9-13. 

Join in the celebration by highlighting the importance of arts education in your community!

• Build Community through the Arts: Emphasize art education’s role in student belonging, wellness, and community! ODE’s Integrating Oregon’s Transformative SEL Standards in the Arts Guidance provides a multitude of ideas to incorporate social emotional learning into your arts curriculum in all arts areas and age levels. Share these connections with other educators and staff in your school to promote arts learning across the school day!
• Share the Benefits of Arts Education: Share student work and highlight the importance of arts education on the school’s social media platforms, newsletters, or announcements. You can find resources to assist with this in ODE’s Arts Access Toolkit and Communicating the Benefits of the Arts resources. 
• Connect with Families through the Arts: Host an event where families can participate in art activities together, such as drawing activities, dancing, or collaborative songwriting, providing the community an opportunity to learn more about the benefits of arts education. Consider the Arts Care & Connection Lesson Collection for accessible activities across all arts areas! The lessons are geared towards K-5 students, but can be adapted for families with students at all age levels, and for use with teachers and school staff. 
• Connect with Arts Education Colleagues: Many arts educators have small or solo teams within the school. Reach out to your statewide arts education organization to connect with more colleagues, attend arts focused professional learning events, share ideas, and use your collective creative power to promote arts education! 
• Oregon Art Education Association
• Oregon Dance Education Organization
• Oregon Music Education Association
• Oregon Theatre Educators Association

Enjoy the celebration this month, knowing that just by sharing the work that you already do with students, the transformative power of the arts can reach and inspire your entire school community.

Photo courtesy of daVinci Arts Middle School

2024 OTEA State Conference

Culturally Responsive Theatre Education: Tribal History Shared History and Utilizing Native Curriculum in the Theatre Classroom

Who: OTEA – all of us theatre educators from around Oregon, including teaching artists & arts organizations

What: Annual conference including discussions, workshop sessions, and social/networking opportunities!

Where: Riverhouse Lodge • 3075 N Hwy 97 • Bend, OR, 97703-7511

When: Friday-Saturday October 11-12, 2024, with optional evening gathering on October 10th. 

Why: This is Oregon's only statewide Professional Development focused solely on theatre education which is both rejuvenating, and worthy of our time and energy as collaborative artists!

Featured Facilitator: Teresa Cisneros, Truth and Conciliation Council​

Focus: Tribal History, Shared History and using Native curriculum in the theatre classroom

Learn more and register here. 

Questions? Contact Julia Cuppy, Membership Director, membership@oregonthespians.org

2024 OAEA State Conference

REIMAGINE!

Join visual art educators from around the state at Grant High School on October 12th for the annual OAEA conference, REIMAGINE! This year's conference celebrates not only the transformation of the old “small” gym at Grant into a vibrant new art space but also the limitless potential for reimagining art, art education, and our roles within these evolving landscapes. To begin the festivities, an opening event on October 11th at the Schnitzer Collection Gallery in Portland will feature an AI workshop, food, and drink as well as an overview for educators about educational opportunities offered by the Jordan Schnitzer Collection. This conference aims to provide professional development, foster meaningful connections among colleagues and advocate for equitable access to quality art education for all students. 

Registration for the conference opens on September 10th. Visit the OAEA website to learn more about the conference and membership benefits!

National Call for Student Performing Artists

The U.S. Department of Education is issuing a 2024-25 Back-to-School call across the United States and its territories for student performing artists who are currently enrolled in institutions of elementary, secondary, or post-secondary education or accredited trade schools, who exemplify resilience, diversity, and excellence and are interested in showcasing their talent, virtually or in-person, at internal and external Department-hosted events.

The Department is seeking student performances such as, but not limited to, bands/marching bands, color guards, soloists, choirs, dancers, poets/spoken word artists, National Anthem singers, and theatrical performers.  

They also are seeking specific talent to support the following Special Emphasis Observances implemented by Presidential Proclamation, Executive Orders (White House Initiatives) and Public Law: Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, African American History Month, Women's History Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Jewish American Heritage Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, Disability Pride Month, Women's Equality Day, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, National Native American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month.

Please utilize this link for additional information that includes Frequently Asked Questions, submission instructions, and other related guidance.  

If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete your submission and/or answer any related questions, please email studentart@ed.gov.

Music Oregon Echo Fund

The Echo Fund supports independent, working musicians by funding creative, non-performance projects that support new growth and spur creative and career development. These programs are designed to support classical, world, educational, and many jazz musical projects that are composed, rehearsed, and then presented for a limited time to a finite audience. 

Learn more and apply here. Applications due by September 19, 2024.

The Spark Award for Oregon Artists

The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation believes that the arts connect us to each other in powerful and surprising ways and help us make sense of our world. By celebrating the vital role artists play in enriching the lives of all Oregonians, we recognize that artists are essential to our state’s vitality.

The Miller Foundation is pleased to introduce the new Spark Award for Oregon Artists, a pilot program that will provide direct support to 60 artists across artistic disciplines who are at a midpoint of their career. This program supports individual artists in Oregon as a valuable investment in both the artists themselves and the communities enriched by their work.

Learn more and apply here. Applications due by 5:00PM PDT on October 2, 2024