Happy New Year!   

I was inspired by a story I read about the outdoor clothing company Patagonia, who over the holidays closed their stores and offices for the last week of the year because their people “need a break.” They said, “. . . we do our best to not be bound by convention and to look out for people and the planet.”

What can we do in arts education to not be bound by convention and to look out for people?  Let’s take this up as a challenge to take a stand on something for which we believe, for which we value to improve our work in service of teaching and learning in the arts.

With gratitude,

Janet Hayakawa, Associate Director 
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 – “Boy in the Red Jacket” by K. Jones, Superintendent’s High School Art Show, 2017.}

Arts in Education Grants Open Soon

The Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) will open the following grant applications to support quality arts in education programs that serve students, families, and communities.  Click on the titles below for grant guidelines and how to apply.

• Arts for All Recovery Grant: Closes February 24: 
• Arts in Education Partnership Grant: Closes March 31 
• Creative Start Grant: Closes April 13

Launch of Arts Education for All Act       

Congresswomen Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), and Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM) introduced comprehensive legislation to increase access to arts education in October 2021. The Arts Education for All Act will support and encourage arts education and programming for young children, K-12 students, and youth and adults involved in the justice system. It will help to close existing gaps in access to arts education, which has the potential to improve the lifelong health and success of both children and adults.  Read the proposed bill (H.R.5581) here.  See a launch video here.

Lifetime Artistic Achievement Awards  

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts celebrates the 44^th Honorees for lifetime artistic achievements:  operatic bass-baritone Justino Diaz, Motown founder, songwriter, producer and director Berry Gordy, Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, stage and screen icon Bette Midler, and singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.  Watch the awards program here.  To learn more and see videos, click here.

Artist Sings About Looking Beyond Disability

Singer/songwriter James Ian collaborated with the spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)community to raise awareness about the disease.  Ian, who was diagnosed with SMA as a teenager wrote and performed “Spaces” to bring visibility to those with disabilities and to celebrate their talents.  For background information and to see the music video click here.  See a news story about “Spaces” here.

Portraits of Justice  

Internationally renowned Seattle artist, Alfredo Arreguin , has painted the official portraits for three justices on the Washington State Supreme Court.  Read about how this commission came to be and why this is particularly important for students of color.

Challenge Your Perspective Through Art

This documentary follows French visual artist JR as he builds large scale work featuring portraits of people who are often overlooked including those in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, a California supermax prison, and at the US-Mexico border.  This art, exhibited openly in the streets of the world aims to raise questions, and seek encounters between the subject and the passer-by.  See the film here.   

How Theatre Education Transforms 

Students’ Lives 

Theatre Counts is a special report prepared by the Arts Education Partnership. Reviewed research studies revealed theatre’s positive impact on student success including: promoting identity development and growth, building empathy and relationships among peers, and empowering participants to transform their understanding of their place in the world. 

Photographer Examines Social Justice

Photographer Marion Palfi (1907 – 1978) used her camera to work for equity, opportunity and justice for all people. A retrospective at the Phoenix Art Museum features more than 100 photographic prints and archival materials, many that have never before been exhibited or published.  See a video of the exhibit here.  Click here for biographical information and other images.

_{Photo – “In the Shadow of the Capitol, Washington, D.C.” by Marion Palfi, ca. 1946}

Intersections of Arts Education and Literacies

The Arts Education Partnership has produced this living and evolving resource exploring the different ways people make meaning, beyond just reading and writing.  Interact with art and text to navigate the relationships between art, art education and literacies.  

Building Justice and Equity Movements in the Arts   

The latest issue of the Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education has several articles that illustrate how organizing and building capacity works to create institutional and systemic change to develop, propel and sustain equity in art education.  Review the journal here.

Registration  OPEN – Regional High School

Art Shows  

Enter high school student art (2D & 3D) in a Regional High School Art Show.  Each Educational Service District across Washington sponsors an art show.  All regional shows will send finalists to compete in the 49th Annual Superintendent’s High School Art Show at the state level.

ESD 101 (Spokane)

ESD 105 (Yakima)

ESD 112 (Vancouver)

ESD 113 (Olympia)

ESD 114 (Bremerton)

ESD 121(Puget Sound)

ESD 123 (Pasco)

ESD 171 (Wenatchee)

ESD 189 (Anacortes)

^{Photo – “Traveling Light” by Dakota Durr, Ferris High School, ESD 101}

More Music Auditions – Deadline: Jan 7

Seattle Theatre Group is accepting video auditions for the 2022 More Music @ the Moore (MM@M) performance at the Moore Theatre.  Bands, ensembles, and soloists, ages 14 – 21 are encouraged to audition in a variety of style and genres including: world, cultural, popular, classical and contemporary music.  Selected artists receive payment, mentorship from industry leaders and more!  Click here for information.

Connect with Arts Educators from Across WA

Learn and share with colleagues at regular convenings.  Earn one clock hour for each session. To get notifications and updates email TheArts@k12.wa.us.

District Arts Administrators

Meet bi-weekly, Thursdays from noon – 1 pm, next session – January 13.  To register for clock hours, click here.

WA Arts Educator Collaborative (educators, teaching artists, administrators)

Meet once a month, Wednesdays from 4 – 5 pm, next session – January 19.  To register for clock hours, click here.

Anti-Racist Practices in Arts Education:

Jan 20, 4-6 pm

Explore both the historical context of white supremacy within arts/education/arts education and strategies to disrupt this system. This Teaching Artist Training Lab (TAT Lab) workshop will support a deepening understanding of principles pertaining to anti-racist teaching practices and will invite and guide participants to reflect and implement actionable strategies into their own practices. Sliding scale $0-$40, free clock hours. Space is limited. Register here.

Call for Theatre Proposals – Deadline: Jan 21      

The American Alliance for Theatre Education (AATE) invites submissions for the 2022 National Conference, July 28^th -- 31st.  This will be a hybrid event, the in-person sessions will be held in Providence, RI.  The conference will center around bilingual and multilingual theatre education.  Click here for more information.

Learn & Plan with Resources from PBS: Jan 24

Join staff from WA’s PBS stations on January 24th, 4-5 pm as they share free, ready-to-use, standards aligned digital resources for in-person and virtual learning on LearningMedia.  Explore these materials and interactive lessons to use with students.  The newest Ken Burns documentary, Muhammad Ali will be featured.  Click here to earn one clock hour.

Youth Art Month Flag Contest – Deadline: Feb 1

K-12 students are invited to celebrate the arts in a flag or banner design.  The 2022 theme is Art Heals Us.  The winning design will be honored at the OSPI High School Art Show, receive the Charlene Dixon Scholarship Award ($100) and be given a copy of their flag to hang in their school  To see past winners and for contest guidelines, click here.

OSPI Seeks Consultants for Arts Academies

OSPI announces the upcoming release (January 2022) of a Request for Proposals (RFP) 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.

Free Teacher Workshops

The Children’s Art Guild presents, Authenticity in the Creative Classroom, monthly workshops for dance, music, theatre, and visual arts educators.  Participants co-create lessons, processes and learning units that will let students explore creative possibilities.

Jan 18, Mar 1, Apr 5, May 17, June 14. Register here.

• WA Music Educators Association (WMEA) Conference and WMEA All-State and Jr. All State Yakima Convention Center – February 17 – 20, 2022
• WA State Thespians – Super State Event – March 26, 2022: Lewis & Clark High School (Spokane), Capital High School (Olympia) and Seattle area - TBD