Celebrate the Arts!

In Washington, we honor arts education during the month of May. This is in tribute to all of the students, educators, teaching artists, and community members who participate in arts education, and in the hope of engaging even more! See Governor Inslee’s Proclamation here.

Please join us in celebrating excellence in the arts at the 50^th Anniversary Awards Ceremony for the Superintendent’s High School Art Show on May 30^th—see information below.

Thank you for your support of the arts in education,

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

Artwork—“Star Balloons” by Audrey Stenger, acrylic on canvas, Superintendent’s High School Art Show, 2022.

Celebrate the Enduring Power of The Arts        

Join us at Benaroya Hall (Seattle) on May 30, 2023, 1- 3 pm as we celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the Superintendent’s High School Art Show. Students and teachers will be recognized for excellence in the visual arts, and there will be a showcase of the performing arts. Entry by ticket only (complimentary). Get ready to be uplifted and inspired!

Get your complimentary ticket here.

If you can’t participate in person, see the Art Show via Livestream, May 30^th @ 1 pm.

Artwork—“Escapism” by Toko Kameda, Superintendent’s High School Art Show, 2022

New Report: The Connected Arts Learning Framework

This report, led by Kylie Peppler and her team at the University of California, Irvine approaches arts learning from a perspective that seeks to create meaningful learning experiences based on student interests then connecting these to real-world issues and communities. The arts are put within this context to “discover how arts education can help young people build connections with their culture, identity, homelives, communities, professional artists and future aspirations.

New Series—”How Art Changed Me”

This new video series on PBS highlights the personal stories about the transformative nature of the arts on people’s lives. The series explores how the arts are a vehicle for dealing with everything from self-discovery to mental health issues. Each video is about 5-minutes in length.

Photo—George from How Art Changed Me, 2023.

Online Resources for Music Education

These free resources are drawn from programs created by the Hall’s Weill Music Institute. Tools will help educators refine skills and teach music in K-12 classrooms.

“Fat Ham” a Hamlet Remake 

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Fat Ham, a Pulitzer Prize winning play opened on Broadway in April 2023. This play is set at a cookout, has comedic moments, and is told through a Black, Southern, LGBTQ lens. Listen to this interview with Marcel Spears talking about the play and his Broadway debut.

Free Music Resources

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), is the music, sound, and event industry’s trade association.  See the NAMM website for videos with strategies and tips for effective music lessons, and The Music History Project, featuring interviews with legendary musicians.

SEL in Middle and High School 

Read about how to incorporate social emotional learning into the secondary classroom. This article from Edutopia shares strategies and links to research.

OSPI Resources 

Universal Design for Learning & The Arts – background information, videos, tips and tools

Arts Collection on the Washington Open Educational Resources (OER) Hub—standards-aligned lesson plans and resources.

Call for Proposals—Deadline May 12

The Arts Education Partnership (AEP) is seeking session proposals for the AEP Annual Convening, in Portland, OR, September 13-14. Priority content areas: Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, Collective impact and engagement, Policy and systems change, The Post-COVID vision and reality for arts education.

Reframing Rural Arts Education—May 18, 4:30 – 6:00 pm

Join Washington State Teaching Artist Training Lab (TAT Lab) for a conversation about teaching the arts in rural areas of our state. What can we learn from the voices and stories of rural teaching artists? How can we support each other? Led by TAT Lab faculty Tamar Krames and Orlando Morales, this virtual event is free and open to teaching artists, school-based arts specialists, and youth arts providers across Washington state. One clock hour available. Register here.

Call for Proposals—Deadline May 31

Dance Educators Association of Washington is accepting proposals for its 2023 Conference, September 9-10 at the University of Washington. Based on an Alvin Ailey quote, “Making dances is an act of progress; it is an act of growth, an act of music, an act of teaching an act of celebration, an act of joy” – the conference theme is Dance as an Act of . . .  Submit proposals here.

Youth Media Challenge—Through June 2023   

Engage student voice and choice while fostering civic engagement through this media challenge, open to middle and high school students. See what students from the Evergreen School in Shoreline have produced here. 

WA Youth Arts Leadership—Deadline July 16

Washington Youth Arts Leadership (WAYAL) Program is a yearly cohort of youth and young adults (ages 16-19) from across Washington State. Young artists in the program explore arts and arts administration careers with mentors in the field. Applications are open now.

Call for Student Designers

High school student designers and creatives are invited to apply to be considered for High Fashion High, a teenage fashion show at this Fall’s Bumbershoot (September 2 -3). Workshops and mentorships will help student designers improve their skills and learn more about the art and fashion industry.

Contact highfashionhighbubmershoot@gmail.com with questions, and click here to apply.

Call for Student Performing Artists

The U.S. Department of Education is issuing a “call” across the United States and its territories for student performing artists who are currently enrolled in elementary, secondary, or post-secondary schools 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.  Student performances can be, but are not limited to, bands/marching bands, color guards, soloists, choirs, dancers, poets/spoken word artists, and theatrical performers. Learn more and start a submission here.

Arts for All—Join the Movement!

OSPI, the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA), Inspire Washington,  Arts Ed Washington and the Creative Advantage have formed the Arts for All (A4A) Coalition to ensure that all PreK-12 students in Washington State have access to quality arts learning.  A4A seeks to achieve this by developing statewide arts leadership, collecting and analyzing arts education data, and supporting educators and teaching artists through professional learning opportunities. Sign up to stay informed.

  Save these Dates!

• 50^th Anniversary Superintendent’s High School Art Show, May 30, Seattle – get free tickets here. Art Show via Livestream, May 30^th @ 1 pm.
• WA State Elementary Music Professional Development Calendar organized by the Washington Music Educators Association