Welcome to Arts Ed Thread, PSAE’s quarterly newsletter. I am incredibly honored to begin my term as chair of this vital organization, but never thought I would do so in the midst of a pandemic that so greatly impacts arts education in schools across our state. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”  In the face of our current challenge, let us grow in creativity and problem solving so we may stand providing learning in and through the arts for all students in our state.  

Focus: Virtual and In-Person Strategies for Arts Teacher Recruitment and Retention

When: Wednesday, Feb 10*

Where: 10 a.m. Zoom Meeting (Meeting ID: 930 9249 7154 - Passcode: 905349)

1 p.m. Zoom Meeting (Meeting ID: 992 7403 6141 - Passcode: 175271) 

PSAE is accepting applications for the 13th year of its Rising Stars Series. Help us celebrate our actors, dancers, creative writers, musicians and visual artists by helping them apply for the opportunity to be recognized as a part of this esteemed series. Please note that plans are being developed to prepare for COVID contingencies.

Jeremie Smith, Principal

Melissa Willis, Principal

Stone Academy of Communication Arts, Greenville

Spartanburg School District One, Spartanburg

SCAC’s Arts Teacher Support grant is currently open for applications! This grant supports innovation in arts classrooms by providing arts teachers at K-12 public, private, or charter schools access to one-time funding for professional development and/or classroom supplies, materials, and equipment.

You can find more details about the Arts Teacher Support grant here, and if you have questions about the guidelines or application process, please contact me by email at [email protected].

Join us for our first virtual Arts Advocacy Week starting February 15! Tune in to new webinars focused on the nuts and bolts of the Statehouse, arts education highlights, conversations with arts leaders, and some fun content. All digital content is free! And you can donate $50 before February 5 and receive a free “Home Advocacy Kit” mailed to your house before it all begins!

First, a new ABC School Certification program launched. Moving forward, the designation of being an ABC School would be earned through a certification process based on practices, not on a grant application. ABC Certified Schools continue to receive ABC Advancement Grant funds from the SC Arts Commission. 

Second, we have redefined the ABC Network as an open community, driven by the belief that all SC students deserve equitable access to quality arts education. To serve this community, ABC Project invested in the creation of the ABC Mobile App! The app is completely free and available for both Apple and Android devices. You can join groups, receive notices and updates on upcoming opportunities, or post comments, questions, etc. Join today and be a part of the community. 

To learn more about the ABC Certified Schools program, download the ABC Certified School Guidelines and Application. For assistance to download and use the ABC App, download the ABC Mobile App, visit our website.

ABC Project also partnered with PSAE, SCMEA, SCAEA, SCDA and SCTA to create a one-stop-shop for arts in education professional development through Insight, a collaborative, virtual conference. To date, ABC Project alone has contributed over 20 pieces of content which can be found in PSAE and SCAEA conferences, the SC Arts Higher Education Forum and ABC “on-demand”... with more to come. While you might not have had the time or energy to attend in person, this is a great resource for summer PD!

We appreciate the positive teacher feedback we have received and are committed to continue through the spring semester! If you would like to learn about our current offerings, visit our website at scgsah.org/outreach. To be the first to learn about new resources we will be launching in the coming months, sign up for the Outreach Newsletter.

AASC was invited to participate in a project called Pieces of Peace by our colleagues from Borderless Arts Tennessee (formerly VSA Tennessee).

For more information about the project and participants visit, borderlessartstn.org.

In June 2020, AASC presented a 30 day countdown leading up to the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act. National, Regional and Statewide Partners in the Arts came together to engage in our countdown via video testimonials, related content and historical information to celebrate 30 years of ADA. The countdown took place on the AASC Facebook page and you can go here to review: https://www.facebook.com/artsaccessSC

In response to the request for contract proposal for the 2020-2021 VSA Arts Connect All--Workshop/Residency Program, from the Kennedy Center’s Arts Accessibility /VSA Program, ARTS ACCESS South Carolina was offered a contract in the amount of $14,650.00 to deliver services to students who quality for special education in South Carolina on behalf of the Kennedy Center. Classes can be inclusive or self-contained. Interested schools/educators must contact Executive Director, Julia M Brown-DuBose at 803.734.0445 or e-mail [email protected].