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Every year one-of-a-kind ornaments are made by Americans representing every U.S. state, territory and the District of Columbia. Artists give their time and talents to design and create ornaments that symbolize the history, heritage and culture of their homelands. The America Celebrates display, which surrounds the National Christmas Tree, is free and open to visitors throughout December. Watch the 2021 Ceremony and Holiday Performances on Sunday, December 5 on the CBS Television Network.
Ornaments on the Virginia tree were created by students at Binford Middle School. The project was directed by art teacher Kirstie Hein Sadler. Binford Middle School is located in Richmond, Virginia and serves students in grades 6-8. These ornament designs are based on 8th grade student exploration of the prompt “What makes Virginia beautiful?” Many agreed that it was Virginia’s natural beauty that they found most beautiful about our state, to some it was sports and the city they live in. Students collected digital images of places around Virginia that inspired them, and then selected their favorite images to recreate using their choice of watercolor, tempera paint, color pencil, graphite, or watercolor pencils.
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VDOE Fine Arts Leadership PLC Meeting
VDOE is hosting opportunities for fine arts division leadership to hear from the VDOE fine arts program staff on current topics facing art education, as well as an opportunity to collaborate as a professional learning community. The sessions will begin with a brief introduction and information sharing, Q&A with VDOE fine arts program staff, and followed by PLC discussion. The next meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Register here. Meetings are not recorded.
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Virginia Opera’s newest Virtually Amazing Opera, Earth to Kenzie is available
This is a story of 5th grader, Kenzie, and her mother, who lose their home and experience life in a shelter. It is ultimately one of resilience, where Kenzie learns how to “find her people,” ask for help, and that sometimes it’s okay not to be okay. Virginia Opera has prepared a 5-minute preview and a teacher resource companion handbook. Educators can sign up for access to the program on the Virginia Opera website. Questions can be directed to education@vaopera.org.
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Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) Virtual Synchronous Teacher Workshops Across the State
Supervisors and Special Groups of 10 or more may book these virtual, synchronous workshops! They are designed to be an hour in length, but can be adapted to meet the needs of the group. Contact Twyla Kitts at twyla.kitts@vmfa.museum for further information or to book a session.
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Explore Virginia! Land, Rivers, and a Great Big Swamp! What can maps, paintings, and embroidered wall hangings tell us about the history and geography of Virginia? What do these primary and secondary sources reveal about our relationship with the land, rivers, and other waterways of Virginia? In this workshop, we’ll examine the difference between how Europeans viewed land usage, ownership, and borders and how Native Americans understood their relationship with the land and rivers of Virginia. These conflicting narratives can be found in the images, words—and beaded QR codes explored in this interactive session.
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Around the World with Art and Children’s Lit - Look, Write, Read, and Envision! This workshop will match works of art with children’s picture books and chapter books. For example, link Take a Picture of Me, James VanDerZee! by Andrea J. Loney with the VanDerZee photographs in the VMFA collection—and a lesson concept that culminates with a selfie challenge. Participants will also experiment with works of art as prompts for creative and expository writing—with connections to poetry by Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, and other favorites.
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Pictures, Words, Music, and the African American Experience - In this exploration of images, words, and music, we’ll investigate paintings, artifacts, and photographs created by African Americans between the Civil-War era and the present time. How are these works of art connected with protest music? In this workshop, we’ll examine the roles played by painters, photographers, poets, singers, and protestors in the complicated history of the struggle for equal rights.
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Can Artists Change the World? Explore artists who invite us to think about social justice, reframed narratives, and environmental concerns. In this interactive discussion, we'll examine works of art by artists who question prevailing narratives and call for societal change. Works considered will include sculpture, photography, prints, and installations by African American artists, women artists from South Africa and Native American cultures, and a variety of other creators.
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Virginia Humanities K-12 Educator Fellowships
Applications are being accepted for six humanities educators to join a new fellowship scheduled to begin in March 2022. The work is virtual and will take place over a nine month period. Fellows will receive a stipend, a 360-camera, two relevant books for research, and unique opportunities with specialists and Virginia Humanities staff. Applications close on January 7.
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Contact
Kelly Bisogno, Coordinator of Fine Arts Virginia Department of Education kelly.bisogno@doe.virginia.gov (o) 804-225-2881 (fax) 804-786-1597 P.O. Box 2120 Richmond, VA 23218-2120
Michelle Milligan, Music Specialist Virginia Department of Education michelle.milligan@doe.virginia.gov (o) 804-371-4919 (fax) 804-786-1597 P.O. Box 2120 Richmond, VA 23218-2120
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