The Vital Role of the Arts

The Arts: Dance, Media, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts are content areas worthy of study in and of themselves as “art for art’s sake.” That said, The Arts are also vital to the development of the “whole child” and the well being of the communities in which we live and work. The Commission on the Arts at the Academy of Arts & Sciences has just released a report, Art for Life’s Sake: The Case for Arts Education. It provides background on the arts in public education, presents the values of art education through research findings, and makes policy recommendations. I encourage you to review this work and join with us to move these ideas into action for the benefit of all students in Washington.

Thank you for all that you do in service of the arts in education,

Janet Hayakawa, Program Supervisor
The Arts - Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Janet.Hayakawa@k12.wa.us
Cell/Text: 360-764-6157

^{Art – cover art, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2021}

Updated K-12 COVID Requirements

The Washington State Department of Health released new guidelines on September 27, 2021. Information specific to The Arts starts on page 15. There is a change for performances, audience members – “family units” should now be spaced 6 feet apart.

House Bill 1356

Governor Inslee signed into law House Bill (HB) 1356 (2021) which prohibits the use of Native American names, symbols, and images as public-school mascots, logos, and team names in the state of Washington. The law went into effect on July 25, 2021. Inappropriate use of Native American names, symbols, and images as mascots, logos, and team names in all public schools are prohibited after January 1, 2022.

New! Early Learning Resource 

Created as a result of Second Substitute Senate Bill 5082, Social Emotional Learning Pathways crosswalks Social Emotional Learning standards, the Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines and Teaching Strategies GOLD® Objectives for Development & Learning. Social Emotional Learning Pathways examines each of the six Social Emotional Learning (SEL) standards through a continuum of development from birth through third grade.

New! Connecting The Arts & SEL

Arts educators from across the state developed this new resource to support the integration of social emotional learning (SEL) into content learning in The Arts. The document outlines the six SEL standards with a corresponding statement that elaborates how The Arts address SEL including related Arts Anchor Standards. See the document here.

_{Art – (left to right) “Divine Adolescence” by Yoni Rodriguez, “Fiery Woman” by Hannah R. Bomardner, and “Hope” by S. Holliday, Superintendent’s High School Art Show.}

Spotlight on National Hispanic Heritage Month

From September 15 – October 15 we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. Visit this website for links to exhibits and collections from The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. See the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kennedy Center for the Arts, and ALL ARTS for additional resources to support teaching and learning.

_{Photo – Detail of Hispanic Heritage Select Photos by David Valdez}

2021 Virtual Festival  

Now in its 25^th year, Men In Dance presents its 2021 Virtual Festival, free of charge, October 1-3 and October 8-10. The second weekend features works by a group of choreographers who all have strong connections to Seattle and the Pacific NW. For more information, see the Men In Dance website.

Healing Through Creativity

This collection of visual arts lessons, designed by Donalyn Heise and Adrienne Hunter, meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of all learners; to foster resilience in those who have experienced trauma and those who may experience trauma in their futures.

Download the document here.

Ultra-Technologists Create Art Exhibits

“Ultra-technologists” at teamLab want people to experience being immersed in art exhibits. An international art collective, this interdisciplinary group of artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians and architects seek to navigate the confluence of art, science, technology and the natural world through their collaborative work.

See samples of their art exhibits here.

Digital Presentation - Northwest Bookshelf

The 5^th Avenue Theatre pairs two stories by Pacific Northwest authors in a digital presentation featuring motion graphics from the books' original illustrations. Students will take a musical journey, meet zany characters, explore the world from new points of view, and discover the richness of the Pacific Northwest and its stories. For Kindergarten – 5^th Grade, 20-minutes. Curriculum materials are available. For free access visit here, select the scholarship option, claim tickets, and complete registration for access links.

Barbara Thomas: Expressions in Paper

Local award-winning artist, speaker, writer, and former director of the Northwest African American Museum, Barbara Thomas has two major museum exhibits in the area this season. She tells stories about race, childhood, and religion through her intricate paper cuts with light and hand painted color. “The Geography of Innocence” is at the Seattle Art Museum, and “Packaged Black” will be at the Henry Art Gallery. Read more here.

_{Photo – by Spike Mafford, University of Washington Magazine}

Matinees for Schools and Community Groups

Seattle Theatre Group produces several specially-priced matinees for school and community groups. To see this season’s offerings, click here. No school will be turned away because of cost. For more information, contact stgece@stgpresents.org.

Connect with TAT Lab: Oct 5^th, 4:30 - 6:00 pm

Join the Teaching Artist Training Lab for an informal online gathering for arts educators to celebrate the successes and reflect on the challenges in teaching and learning this year. Connect is designed to spark conversation, share strategies with peers, and think together moving forward as a state-wide community of arts educators. Sliding scale pricing from $0-$40.

Free Clock Hours are available. Register here.

WAEA Fall Conference – Oct 15^th – 16^th

The Washington Art Education Association is celebrating their 50^th Anniversary as an organization that inspires, supports and advocates for the Arts in Washington State. Participate in this free, virtual conference featuring keynote speakers, workshops, and WAEA awards. 7.5 Clock hours available.

Click here for more information.

Free Out of School Virtual Art Classes

Arts Corps provides a network of arts learning opportunities in King County through long-standing partnerships with elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as community centers and residential sites to deliver out-of-school arts programming. Learn more about FREE virtual after-school art classes via Zoom in King County.

Professional Learning Opportunity:

Deadline Oct 25th 

Take your teaching craft to the next level! Applications are now OPEN for the TAT Lab Core Program. In this 7-month program, participants explore learning plan design, learning frameworks, and teaching methods, with a focus on community building, creative thinking, racial justice, and social emotional well-being for both students and educators.

Learn more here.

Seeking Education Partners

The Breath Project is looking to connect with high school educators willing to incorporate a mock-trial assignment into their curriculum. A fictional lawsuit that takes place in an unnamed small town in the rural south. The suit for reparations is brought by the descendants of slaves against the descendants of former slave owners, both of whom are living in the same community. Stipends available. Email thebreathproject2020@gmail.com to learn more.

Middle School Music Grants

The Peter R. Marsh Foundation, headquartered in Camas, WA, is offering 150 Music Grants to middle school music teachers during the 2021/22 school year. A Music Grant has a value of $1,000 and is limited to one per middle school per year. View the Grant Guidelines and the Music Grant Request here.

Grants are limited to the first 150 qualified grant requests received.

OSPI Seeks Consultants for Arts Academies

OSPI announces the upcoming release (January 2022) of a Request for Qualifications and Quotations (RFQQ) to solicit proposals from arts organizations, teaching artists and others interested in participating with the Native Voices Arts Academy and the Voices from the Field Arts Academy. Both programs involve middle school students who qualify for the Migrant Education Program and their teachers with the integration of arts, culture and academic learning. See the announcements here.

Poetry Out Loud

Develop youth voices using the works of great classic and contemporary poets. Learning is aligned with arts learning standards in theatre, and Common Core Standards for English/Language Arts. Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition for high school students. Participation is free. Registration is open now through November 19, 2021.

^{Photo – 2021 Washington State Poetry Out Loud State Competition Broadcast. Photo by Pavel Verbrovski}

Wildlife Photographer Competition:

Deadline Dec 9 

The Natural History Museum (London) hosts an annual competition and exhibition highlighting the relationship between photography, science and art. Images can cover wildlife and the natural world, wild plants, animals, their natural environments, or illustrate our interaction with nature. There is no entry fee for photographers 17 years or younger. Click here for more information.

_{Photo – by Hui Yu Kim}