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News roundup & updates
May 18, 2017
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| Happy Arts Education Month and National Asian Pacific Islander Heritage (API) Month. In today's news roundup we feature information on opportunities for teaching artists and highlight the newest My Public Art Portal exhibition featuring API artists. There's also a brief update on the certified creative districts bill, signed by Gov. Inslee; information on how to apply to be the next Washington State Poet Laureate; and a reminder to nominate individuals and organizations for the 2017 Governor's Arts & Heritage Award. |
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On May 8, 2017, Governor Jay Inslee signed SHB 1183, the Creative Districts bill sponsored by ArtsWA Commissioner Representative Joan McBride. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission. |
Creative Districts legislation becomes law
The Legislature passed SHB 1183 on April 17, 2017 and Governor Inslee signed the bill into law on May 8th. The bill authorizes ArtsWA to develop and administer a certified creative districts program. Modeled after Colorado's successful program, creative districts certified by the state help to incentivize local communities to create hubs of economic activity around cultural activities and other non-arts, but supportive businesses.
"We're just beginning to work on an implementation plan that will involve stakeholders to help develop the criteria for the program." said ArtsWA Executive Director Karen Hanan. "We're also waiting for legislative approval of the operating budget, which hopefully will include the funds necessary to administer the program and to provide small technical assistance grants."
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May is Arts Education Month
At its May 2, 2017 board meeting, the ArtsWA board passed Resolution 17-002 in support of Arts Education Month in the State of Washington. The board recognized that "learning in and through the arts enables students to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, imagination and creativity, perseverance, alternative ways to communicate and express feelings and ideas, and cross-cultural understanding and empathy, which supports academic success across the curriculum as well as personal growth outside of the classroom."
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TAT Lab 2016-2017 participants and faculty, with a few special guests from the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service. Photo courtesy of TAT Lab staff. |
Opportunities for Teaching Artists
A primary objective of our Arts in Education program is to cultivate the field of professional teaching artists. Two ways we do this are through the Roster of Teaching Artists, and the Washington State Teaching Artist Training Lab - and applications are now being accepted for both opportunities. Both opportunities are open to teaching artists working in all artistic disciplines, in all parts of the state.
The ArtsWA Roster of Teaching Artists is a resource directory of high-quality teaching artists who are especially well suited for working with K-12 public schools. Rostered teaching artists are strong artists, as well as experienced educators, and are able to support classroom teachers by making connections between their art form and the Washington State standards in the arts. Guidelines and applications materials are on our website. Applications are due June 30, 2017.
The Washington State Teaching Artists Training Lab (TAT Lab) is a professional development program that supports teaching artists' capacity to partner effectively with K-12 schools and teachers. The program is suitable for experienced professional teaching artists as well as newer teaching artists seeking foundational knowledge. The training focuses on instructional design - how to craft strong learning plans to support student success - and how to incorporate 21st Century Skills and Habits of Mind as well as state standards in the arts. TAT Lab also focuses on social justice in education, and the role of arts educators in creating inclusive learning environments. The eight-month program includes eight days of in-person training, five teleconferences, and ongoing support and mentorship from faculty and peers. Certified K-12 teachers, particularly arts specialists, may also apply to participate in
the TAT Lab; clock hours are available
.
TAT Lab is a tuition-based program, with scholarships available; travel reimbursement is available for teaching artists from outside King County. The application deadline for the 2017-18 program is July 12, 2017. Early applications are encouraged: applicants who submit their materials by June 12 will receive a $50 early-bird tuition discount. TAT Lab values racial/ethnic diversity and geographic diversity: teaching artists of color and teaching artists who live and work outside of the Puget Sound region are encouraged to apply.
TAT Lab is a program of the Washington State Arts Commission and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, with major support from the National Endowment for the Arts, and hosted by Seattle Children's Theatre. Additional collaborating partners: Pacific Northwest Ballet, 4Culture, and the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.
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Seeking the next State Poet Laureate
Applications are now being accepted for Washington State's next poet laureate. The poet laureate serves to build awareness and appreciation of poetry - including Washington's legacy of poetry - through public readings, workshops, and presentations in communities throughout the state. The new laureate will serve from February 1, 2018, to January 31, 2020.
Washington joined several other states in appointing an official state poet laureate in 2007.
The position is sponsored by the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) and Humanities Washington, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee.
Current laureate Tod Marshall has held hundreds of poetry workshops and readings across Washington State since February 2016. Marshall, a Washington State Book Award-winning poet and Gonzaga professor, is in the second year of his two-year term. A list of his upcoming events is available via
Humanities Washington's website
and the
state poet laureate's blog
.
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Artist Romson Bustillo's painting The Ginger Root Prince is located in Ravensdale, Washington at Tahoma Junior High. The artwork is included in Comparing Pairs under the theme "My Heritage." Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission. |
Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Comparing Pairs
May is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage month. To celebrate, arts writer, consultant, and former ArtsWA grants manager Mayumi Tsutakawa chose artwork by 16 Asian and Pacific Islander (API) artists represented in the State Art Collection for the newest online exhibition at
My Public Art Portal.
"National recognition of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) American Heritage Day was set by Congress in 1978. Since then, it's grown to encompass a full month of arts and heritage activities, drawing attention to a plethora of API cultural communities and expressions in America," Tsutakawa explains. "Here I have chosen 16 API artists represented in our state public art collection to examine the wide bandwidth their work represents. I have indicated their ethnic backgrounds. I invite you to compare and contrast each pair of art works by API artists, using the themes I have chosen. Look at the titles, artist descriptions and the art work. How are they similar or different? Why did I chose this theme? These pieces are all sited in educational institutions in our state, from elementary schools to public universities and I hope they provide occasional inspiration for our endless diversity of students."
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Don't forget to nominate for the Governor's Arts & Heritage Awards
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The Washington State Arts Commission is committed to values of inclusion, diversity, equity, and creative expression. We believe in diverse forms of artistic expression, and we believe in access to arts and arts education for all individuals in our state. The arts can and should play a role in addressing inequities, modeling inclusion, and teaching empathy.
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