Published by the NEA in 2002, LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS: A GUIDE TO THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS AND ARTS EDUCATION details the Arts Endowment's continuing core involvement in arts education, through programs and research, such as Arts Learning Grants, Partnerships, Challenge America and Coming Up Taller.

In its introduction, the report describes how artists convey their insights, their hopes, and their aspirations in their work; and how these works remain essential to us as individuals and as a society -- in concert halls, theaters, museums and arts centers, literature, and cyberspace. Emphasizing that the arts are "the means by which we make sense of the world and our individual and collective experiences in it. They help us appreciate our rich cultural heritage in the United States and the cultures of others throughout the world," Learning Through the Arts states that:

"It is essential that our children and youth experience the arts at an early age, and often. Beyond the intrinsic role of the arts in the lives of our young people, recent studies increasingly point to connections between strong arts programs in schools-providing an enriched learning environment- and increased academic achievement by students. Research also suggests that arts education has a positive effect on young people's interpersonal skills, confidence, motivation to succeed, and preparation for work. The arts prepare young Americans not just for a livelihood, but also for life. For all these reasons, the National Endowment for the Arts was charged in its enabling legislation to 'increase accessibility to the arts through providing education to all Americans, including diverse cultures, urban and rural populations by encouraging and developing quality education in the arts at all levels.'"

Among the many NEA programs which Learning Through the Arts details are Arts Learning grants which are awarded competitively to arts and cultural organizations, school districts, youth service, and other community groups for school and/or community-based specific projects.

For instance, in 1991, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra partnered with the Milwaukee school system to begin the Arts in Community Education (ACE) program. Integrating the arts with other subject areas in a program designed to advance students' overall learning and development, this comprehensive arts education initiative addressed what had been a steady decline of music education in local schools.

At 24 public and private schools in eight school districts in the greater Milwaukee area -- with the partial support of the NEA -- the ACE program currently presents sequential instruction for grades K-8, in a curriculum which structures the arts and other subject activities for each grade level around a coordinating theme.

"In my 28 years of teaching, I cannot think of any program that has been more of a catalyst than the ACE program in bringing the entire school community together in appreciating the arts and finding ways to integrate the arts into all areas of the curriculum," the report quotes Fred Polansky, a music specialist at the Burdick Middle School in Milwaukee as saying.

In Brooklyn, in response to a wave of violence in their Williamsburg neighborhood, El Puente -- Spanish for "The Bridge" -- was founded in 1982 by Luis Garden Acosta and other community leaders, including dancer and educator Frances Lucerna. In an area where 59 percent of the children live below the poverty line, this arts and cultural center conducts a daily after-school program where students both study and create work in dance, theater, music, media, and the fine and graphic arts. The center works in collaboration with its associated public school El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice.

Last year El Puente received an NEA grant to support the development and implementation of Garments, an integrated arts curriculum related to local and international sweatshops.

The Garments project brings together more than 60 predominately low-income Latino and African-American students; El Puente teaching artists in the fields of visual arts, theater, and dance; and academic instructors at the Academy -- in an after-school curriculum which integrates historic and contemporary issues regarding sweatshops; artmaking in response to the issues; trips to museums and theater performances; and workshops with visiting artists. It will result in a documentary video, art exhibition, and performing arts production which will be shared with the community.

"The topic is especially pertinent to El Puente students as East Williamsburg is a major hub for the garment industry, well known for the prevalence of sweatshops. Students in grades 9-12 will use artistic expression to investigate issues of wages, labor, global economy, and fashion," Learning Through the Arts notes.

In Dallas, TX, The Writer's Garret, brings together writers and the communities in which they live and write. Among Writer's Garret programs, A Write Turn -- administered through ArtsPartners, a collaboration among arts and cultural organizations, the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, and Dallas public schools -- is a student-based creative writing curriculum aimed "at restoring the joy of literature to the literacy process." Serving mainly inner-city, low-income Latino and African American children in East Dallas, the program gives the students the opportunity to learn from writers in a workshop setting. An NEA Challenge America Grant is helping the program expand from grades 2-6 to include grades 7-12. "Making A Write Turn helps students focus on shared literary experiences through reading and writing poetry and prose as a way of validating both their own experiences in the world and their mastery of language," Arts Through Learning notes. "Through the study of creative writing, students obtain the tools for critical thinking and successful expository writing."

In Los Angeles, during the summer at The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, (LACMA) among other programs, a Teachers Academy augments visual arts education strategies and ideas for elementary school teachers -- encouraging a creative collaborative experience where teachers and museum staff exchange information and insights; providing in-gallery workshops and studio sessions with practicing artists. Salary points or university continuing credit for participation are a component of the program, and the program continues into the school year, offering museum programs for teachers, their students and the students families. In 2001, an NEA grant helped support the program's expansion so that more teachers and schools citywide could be included.

"....The academy helps teachers gain new insights and skills in visual arts education, such as developing strategies for looking at, thinking about, and discussing works of art; and learning how their students construct meaning through the creation of art," the Arts Endowment writes.

Learning Through the Arts also emphasizes the important work of the State Arts Councils which receive NEA support for their many programs and services which promote and support arts education -- helping ensure that the arts are basic to the education of children and young adults in grades pre-K through 12; expanding opportunities for children and young adults to participate in the arts, as well as increase their knowledge of and skills in the arts; and providing professional development opportunities for artists, arts professionals, and teachers.

Other successful NEA-supported projects and programs are detailed in the report, and it closes with a comprehensive list of arts learning partners and organizations.

In its arts education programs, the Arts Endowment supports: "schools that provide sequential, curriculum-based arts instruction, beginning in the earliest years-prior to kindergarten-and continuing through high school. To ensure quality in teaching and learning, students must have qualified teachers as well as regular engagement with excellent works of art and the artists themselves. Finally, all students should strive to achieve high levels of knowledge and skills in the arts."

And the Arts Endowment also supports "projects that provide children, beginning as early as the pre-school years, with the opportunity to learn by actual experience the techniques of music-making and the skills of drawing, painting, sculpting, and dance movement. Children should experience the techniques of writing poetry and the art of acting and playmaking. This builds appreciation for the skill, discipline, and sacrifice necessary for achievement. It helps children develop admiration for the skills and hard work of others."

Throughout the publication Learning Through the Arts, the Arts Endowment strongly sets forth the principle that:

"....all children, not only those considered artistically talented, deserve a comprehensive education in the arts, one that enables them to create, perform, and communicate in and through artistic media."

Sources/resources:

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS -- http://www.arts.gov
_Details about ordering LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS: A GUIDE TO THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS AND ARTS EDUCATION are available at http://www.arts.gov:591/forms-new/pub/aed_pub.html
_The report is also available in PDF form at http://www.arts.gov/pub/ArtsLearning.pdf
_Information on current grant application guidelines, examples of project grants, and descriptions of current and planned initiatives can be found on the Endowment's Web site at http://www.arts.gov/guide/.

"Arts Included as "Core Academic Subject" in New Education Bill" Arts Wire CURRENT -- http://www.artswire.org/current/2002/cur011502.html
January 15, 2002

A project of The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and its partners -- the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities -- the Coming Up Taller Awards recognize and support outstanding community arts and humanities programs which, through education and practical experience in the arts and the humanities, foster the creative and intellectual development of children and youth.

This year's semifinalists include programs such as the Berklee College of Music's Berklee City Music Program which gives both students and faculty in Boston schools the opportunity to use their musical talent and teaching dedication "to provide a foundation upon which urban youth can build skills to achieve higher education through music"; and Marwen which offers Chicago Youth a centrally-located studio for the study and exhibition of visual arts.

"Now, more than ever, all of us at Marwen reaffirm our commitment to teaching, to young people, and to the recognition that art promotes tolerance, respect, and the kind of communication from which hate cannot stem," they state.

Accompanied by a cash award, the Coming Up Taller Awards not only reward the projects selected with recognition but also contribute significant support to the continued work of the finalists.

In New York City, Coming Up Taller semifinalist Swat and Celebration Teams and Summer institute are programs of the National Dance Institute. (NDI)

"At National Dance Institute we expose thousands of children a year to the mystery of dance - some who are deaf, some who don't know left from right, and some who never thought they could (or would even want to) dance - and all of them are changed by the experience, some in small ways, others profoundly," Jacques d'Amboise, who founded NDI while he was a dancer with the New York City Ballet, says in a history of the program's early years on its web site at http://www.nationaldance.org

The SWAT (Scholarships for the Willing, Achieving and Talented) team includes dancers who face physical and emotional challenges. "Saturday SWAT Team rehearsals are hard work. For three hours straight the dancers are expected to focus on learning and rehearsing choreography. They will have featured roles in the Event of the Year, and they have to be prepared." the program notes.

Celebration Team dancers are a special group of dancers selected from the SWAT Team who perform both nationally and internationally. The Summer Institute provides selected dancers from NDI programs the opportunity to participate in free classes in ballet, tap, jazz, voice, and ethnic dance which are taught by NDI teacher/choreographers, musicians and guest artists.

"Hearing people hear the music while deaf people like me feel the music. When we come together it is successful because deaf can do anything," the program quotes a Celebration Team dancer as saying.

In North Carolina, DREAMS of Wilmington provides classes and programs to economically disadvantaged youth in Wilmington. The program believes that the arts have a special quality which can enhance the lives of marginalized young people, and they challenge students use their imagination and creativity to create works of art in their chosen field of theatre, dance, music, creative writing or visual arts.

On their website at http://www.dreamswilmington.org

they write:

The 50 Coming Up Taller semifinalists were chosen from more than 370 nominations from 47 states and the District of Columbia. Among the other selected programs are A Company of Girls, East End Children's Workshop; (ME) Community Arts Baltimore Clayworks; (MD) CreateNow, Asian American Writers' Workshop; (NY) Global Artways; (UT) and Young Artists at Work, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. (CA)

An independent national jury will recommend ten finalists to receive a $10,000 award, and these selections will be announced in the fall.

Sources/resources:

THE PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES -- http://www.pcah.gov

COMING UP TALLER -- http://www.cominguptaller.org

The Associated Writing Programs:
2003 AWP ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND BOOKFAIR

"AWP's annual conference is always an exciting opportunity for writers, teachers, and publishers to get together and share professional ideas and creative work. Personally, the conference allows me to feel connected to writers from all over." -- Maurice Kilwein Guevara, AWP Vice President and Conference Chair

With

• an extensive lineup of panels -- from "Three Dramatists in Search of a Panel: the Status of Drama in Creative Writing Programs and Beyond"; to "Castles on the Bog: The Undergraduate Literary Magazine"

• an extensive series of readings -- including "Authors from Carnegie Mellon University Press Series in Short Fiction"; "Atlantic Crossing: A Reading by Poets from Britain and Beyond;" "A Cappella: Mennonite Voices in Poetry" and "University of Maryland Faculty Reading"

Keynotes include a CLMP Keynote Address on Literary Publishing; a Pedagogy Keynote Address by Susan Perabo; and a Keynote Address by E.L. Doctorow.

The AWP supports over 21,000 writers at over 320 member colleges and universities and 60 writers' conferences and centers. Among many other panels at 2003 COnference will be:

• ON THE BRINK OF WAR: CHILDREN OF VETERANS AS WRITERS
  John Struloeff (moderator)
  Karen Head, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Jim Simmerman, Donald Anderson
  "Five writers, in the areas of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, discuss how being close to the military experience, especially as children of veterans, has affected their work. Representing varying backgrounds in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines, these writers consider the resonance of war experience and its effect on family life, including discussions of the social views arising from career military families as well as the special problems associated with writing about private family experiences in an effort to use art to explore public perceptions of war. Panelists will augment the discussion by reading from their work."

• REVISITING AND REVISIONING FAIRY TALES IN CONTEMPORARY POETRY
  Jeanne Marie Beaumont (moderator)
  Aliki Barnstone, David Trinidad, Andrea Hollander Budy
  "This panel will examine how poets have used fairy tales as a source for metaphor, landscape, and character while exploring such issues as sexuality, family, dysfunction, identity, illness, and aging. Panelists will discuss influential poets such as Anne Sexton and Olga Broumas and read exemplary poems to show how poets transform traditional material."

• OUT OF RICE--NEW ASIAN-AMERICAN WOMEN POETS
  Jennifer Kwon Dobbs (introductions)
  Ava Chin, Siel Ju, Kristin Naca
  "Four aesthetically diverse young Asian American women poets celebrate the poetry of their older sisters, the previous generation of Asian-American women poets, and read a brief sample of their own work to put in context the question, 'So, sister, where do we go from here?' What aesthetic choices are available today and what new ones are being opened up as we speak? Some answers to that question may involve honey Dijon and iambic pyromania."

• THE SUPPLE TONGUE: INDIAN-AMERICAN WRITERS
  Pramila Venkateswaran (moderator)
  Ralph Nazareth
  "....The presenters of this panel, through their own experiences as Indian-American poets as well as examples from the work of other Indian-American poets, address the radical uses of language, thought, and identity in Indian-American writing, including a discussion of how Meena Alexander, Chitra Divakaruni, Ginu Kamani and others reclaim language and self from the colonial education that shaped them, and how immigrant, multiple identities energize use of images, cultural idioms, and form."

• WHAT A STATE POET LAUREATE DOES
  Fleda Brown (moderator)
  Marilyn Nelson, Mary Crow, William Kloefkorn, Michael Collier
  "The newest state poets laureate have been widely published poets, taking a more active role in states arts advocacy and teaching. This panel of state laureates will discuss their philosophy of their jobs, what they are doing now and what they are planning, as well as some of their frustrations with the position."

• A CELEBRATION OF WEST VIRGINIA WRITERS
  James Harms (moderator)
  Irene McKinney, Maggie Anderson, Ann Pancake
  In partnership with the WVU Press, the MFA Program at West Virginia University presents writers featured in a new anthology of contemporary West Virginia writing edited by Irene McKinney and published by WVU Press in Fall 2002.

• POETS FROM PITTSBURGH
  Jeffrey Thomson (introductions)
  Jim Daniels, Lynn Emmanuel, Terrance Hayes, Tony Hoagland
  "Pittsburgh, the 'ruined city of steel' that Jack Gilbert evokes and Gerald Stern reveals, is rich with poetic tradition, a kind of blue-collar poetic intelligence. The city reveals many other voices, as four poets from the Pittsburgh area read their work."

• 2ND ANNUAL AWP OPEN POETRY SLAM
  Mike Carlin (moderator), Regie Cabico (co-moderator)
  "Competitive performance poetry dates back to the ancient Greek and Neronian Games. Continuing this tradition and building upon the enthusiasm of the first annual slam, held during last year's conference, AWP invites all to participate in this year's event with National Poetry Slam champion Regie Cabico and professional slam poets from the Baltimore/DC area."

For more information on the BookFair and the Conference visit the AWP website at http://www.awpwriter.org

BUILDING ARTISTIC COMMUNITIES CONFERENCE

"The richness and diversity of the South's cultural community, which includes 38 of the Guild's member schools, will serve as a backdrop for this year's event."

Hosted by The Neighborhood Music School of Georgia State University, community arts school movement leaders will meet in Atlanta, GA at THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE NATIONAL GUILD OF COMMUNITY SCHOOLS OF THE ARTS.

Poet, playwright, artists-in-education specialist, and author Alice Lovelace, Executive Director of the Atlanta Partnership for Arts Learning, will deliver the opening keynote address on increasing access to the arts through the development of broad-based partnerships. Her publications include THE KITCHEN SURVIVAL ALMANAC; REMEMBERING MY BIRTH: NEW AND COLLECTED POEMS; and SHACK STORIES: AN ART BOOK, which toured with the exhibition COAST TO COAST: WOMEN OF COLOR NATIONAL ARTISTS' BOOK PROJECT.

Lewis Feldstein, President of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, will deliver the Herbert Zipper Keynote Address, sharing his views on the concept of social capital and the role the nonprofit sector plays in strengthening communities.

Small group workshops and panel presentations will be organized around the themes of Advocacy, Partnerships, Partnerships and Sustainability.

The Conference will also host A Special Workshop on WHY AND HOW TO START A COMMUNITY SCHOOL. Noting that since 1992, more than 100 new community schools of the arts have been established in 30 states, the conference presents this workshop to share the experiences of school directors who have founded successful community schools of the arts and address questions about the process of assessing the need for a community arts school; organizing people around the need; and developing the funding and the human and facilities resources needed to begin.

"It is difficult to generalize community schools of the arts: some are large, some are small, some are urban, some are suburban, some are rural, some are old and established, some are new, but all provide high quality, accessible arts instruction to members of the community they serve. Community schools of the arts provide: Safe havens and supportive environments for the creative expression of young people and adults," they note.

Other conference highlights include a visual arts exhibition; a tour of art programs for youth in Atlanta; and performances and concerts showcasing the talents of young artists from community schools in the Guild's Southern chapter.

The mission of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, which currently has 317 member institutions is "to foster and promote broad access to high quality arts education designed to meet community needs. It provides service, advocacy and leadership for a diverse constituency of community arts education organizations. These organizations reach out actively to their communities, strengthening and enriching the life of any student who has the desire to learn. Their core mission is to offer high quality instruction in the performing, literary and visual arts to all persons, regardless of age, aptitude, race or ability to pay."

Sources/resources:

NATIONAL GUILD OF COMMUNITY SCHOOLS OF THE ARTS -- http://www.nationalguild.org/
(click on "what's new" for Conference information)

The Guild has moved its headquarters to New York. Its address, phone and fax numbers effective August 24 are:
520 Eighth Avenue,
3rd Floor Suite 302
New York, NY 10018
Phone: 212/268-3337
Fax: 212/268-3995

Alice Lovelace
"Deeper Than Skin or Gender: Community Arts and Cultural Diversity"
COMMUNITY Ars was lifted. So were the prohibitions that had historically barred women from producing, acting or writing for the English stage. This period, a fresh start for the newly re-opened theaters, became a heyday for women playwrights, with production statistics that far upstage those for women writing today. Even so, the works and the women who created them have not come down to us in any full measure. This imbalance in theater history has not only deprived the contemporary stage of great material, it has also likely contributed to the minority status of women working in theater today. The First 100 Years will explore the lives and works of Women Playwrights of the 17th & 18th Century, and will seek to foster a new appreciation for and some depth of understanding of the Classics and the history of Women in theater."

The First 100 Years will explore the work and dramatic lives of professional women playwrights who began writing for the English stage in the 17th & 18th Century.

"This project is all about service to contemporary theater artists that might help them in their work, help them create new work based on these plays and playwrights and also fix or address a fundamental issue of the imbalance in theater history that has left women playwrights in particular feeling like there is no real tradition for women writing for the stage," Co-Director Gwynn MacDonald told Arts Wire. "In fact the tradition goes back 340 years (for English language dramatic lit) when these pioneers wrote the smash hits of their day 30% of the plays produced were by women whereas today the figure is a fraction of that!"

As detailed below, the project has three parts: A Symposium; a Reading & Discussion Series; and a Wrap-up Panel.

• I. Symposium: THE FIRST 100 YEARS THE PROFESSIONAL FEMALE PLAYWRIGHT IN ENGLISH LITERATURE
  In the Symposium -- to be held in New York City on Saturday, October 26, 3 PM in the American Airlines Theatre (see top of this listing for address) -- readings, and discussions, key questions will be raised that will help in future study of these women, future productions of their plays, and new works inspired by each

  The Symposium is free but, space is limited and those interested in attending MUST RSVP. Call 212-315-3852 or email ticket requests to Duchessofnewcastle@yahoo.com

  The Symposium is funded in part by New York Council for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Theatre Program Technical Assistance Fund

• II. The 2002-03 READING & DISCUSSION SERIES will look at the work of five English Women Playwrights of the 17th & 18th Century. The series will take place over ten months. It will focus on the works of:

  Aphra Behn (1640-89)
  Susanna Centlivre (1669-1723)
  Hannah Cowley (1743-1809)
  Elizabeth Inchbald (1753-1821)
  Joanna Baillie (1762-1851)

  "Four of the these five playwrights were guaranteed productions every time they wrote a new play. But the group as a whole was selected because they represent a variety of distinct voices and styles that show the development of the female playwright over a century," the project notes.

  Each unit of this series will be dedicated to the work of a single writer. An introductory discussion about the playwright, her time, and her dramaturgy will lay the groundwork for readings by actors of two to three plays and discussion generated by the readings.

• III. Wrap-up panel

• Additionally there will be a window installation up in October at the Drama Book Shop (250 West 40th Street) by costume designer Loren Bevans and scenic designer David Barber. It will feature a period costume made out of from plays by these women. "We are getting facsimiles of the manuscripts and the period costume will be made out of paper and that paper will be sheets (copies of course) from the plays! " Gwynn MacDonald explains.

Gwynn MacDonald is the Artistic Director of The Juggernaut Theatre Company. She directs and produces theater, television, film and radio. She last directed the North American premier of Argentinean playwright Javier Daulte's CRIMINAL for the Immigrants Theatre Project, and produced Juggernaut's production of LAPIS BLUE BLOOD RED by Cathy Caplan which was mounted in conjunction with the Metropolitan Museum's exhibit of Artemisia Gentileschi and her father Orazio's paintings from the Baroque period. She is one of New Georges' Roaring Girls and a member of the Lincoln Center Director's Lab.

Mallory Catlett is a freelance director and dramaturg. In the past year, she has been an artist-in-residence at Chashama while developing a new production of AS YOU LIKE IT; directed a production of Shepherd and Chaikin's SAVAGE/LOVE now playing in Seattle; and just completed dramaturgical work on BLOOD IN THE SINK, a new play by Josh Ben Friedman, currently in previews at Urban Stages. She is an Associate Member of Juggernaut Theater Company in New York, Screaming Flea in Vancouver and member of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas

More information about the series will be available as it develops on the JUGGERNAUT THEATRE COMPANY's website at http://www.juggernaut-theatre.org

To RSVP for the free Symposium, call 212-315-3852 or email ticket requests to Duchessofnewcastle@yahoo.com

Resources:

_"Despite Notable Successes, Women Directors and Playwrights are Under-represented in the Theater, NYSCA Report Finds"
_Alexis Greene: WOMEN WHO WRITE PLAYS: INTERVIEWS WITH AMERICAN DRAMATISTS
_Cynthia L. Cooper: Some Solutions to the Problems Presented by the NYSCA report
Arts Wire CURRENT -- http://www.artswire.org/current/2002/cur032602.html
March 26, 2002

FUTURE SOUNDS II

Paul Epstein - MOVING VOICES
Mark Hagerty - HIGH OCTANE
Arthur Jarvinen - EGYPTIAN TWO-STEP
Michael Torke - TELEPHONE BOOK
Arturo Marquez - OCTETO MALANDRO
Paul Epstein - Relache Commission

"Dark Dances Dance in the dark as Relache performs concert versions of recent works written for dance and inspired by dance along with a world premier by Paul Epstein"

The Relache Ensemble will be joined by Group Motion Dance Co. for two pieces choreographed by Manfred Fishbeck.

Since 1977, the Relache ensemble has created opportunities for the performance of new music in unusual or underserved venues -- sharing constituencies and developing an audience.

Other upcoming programs include:

FUTURE SOUNDS III: (January/February 2003)
"Electric Aether Feel electricity course through the aether with a program of works written for live acoustic ensemble and various electronic instruments, old and new." The program includes a high-voltage electro-acoustic, world premiere commission by Fred Frith."

For complete information, visit http://www.relache.org/

Host organizations -- in Phoenix, Arizona; Macy, Nebraska; Denver, Colorado; Roswell, New Mexico; Twin Falls, Idaho; Portland, Oregon; Grinnell, Iowa; Montpelier, Vermont; Louisville, Kentucky; Newport, Washington; Bangor, Maine; and Charleston, West Virginia -- are seeking composers to partner with them to create original musical works reflecting their communities' histories, cultures, and hopes for the future. Each composer will be selected by the host organization to work in the community with various groups; to write the commissioned piece; and to help local musicians prepare the new work for performance.

The postmark deadline is October 1, 2002

The Forum will provide the commissioning fee for each project. The fee covers a residency of up to six weeks; (not necessarily consecutive) travel to the host community; the creation of a new work; and assistance with other costs. The community host will provide housing and local transportation, and arrange residency activities.

Among the communities seeking composers are:

BANGOR, MAINE
"An orchestral work with sections for chorus and dance, celebrating the theme of "Back to the River: Discovering Bangor's Roots." The work will be performed at the new waterfront amphitheater."
Hosts: Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Maine Folklife Center, University of Maine Oratorio Society, Bangor Area Children's Choir, Bangor Public Library, Bangor Region Arts and Cultural Council, Robinson Ballet Company and Thomas School of Dance, University of Maine Museum of Art, Hudson Museum, and Maine Discovery Museum.
Performers: Bangor Symphony Orchestra with guest singers and dancers.

CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA
"A work for chamber ensemble and massed choirs from throughout West Virginia. The work will celebrate the opening of the new facility of the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences."
Hosts: Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences; West Virginia Symphony; area jazz and traditional music ensembles; West Virginia University at Parkersburg; and the communities of Charleston, Parkersburg, Lewisburg, Buckhannon, Morgantown.
Performers: Student and professional choirs from throughout the state accompanied by a chamber ensemble drawn from the West Virginia Symphony or other local ensembles.

DENVER, COLORADO
"An oratorio drawing inspiration from traditional Mexican musical forms to tell the story of the Westside Hispanic community of Denver"
Hosts: El Centro Su Teatro, Denver Inner City Parish, and La Escuela Tlatelolco.
Performers: The professional musicians of El Centro Su Teatro and students from neighborhood schools.

MACY, NEBRASKA
"A concert band work celebrating the traditions and heritage of the Omaha Tribe and representing its views for the future of its people."
Hosts: The Omaha Tribe, The Omaha Nation School, and Lied Center for the Performing Arts. Performers: A band comprised of current and past members of the Omaha Nation School Band.

ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO
"A work for band that commemorates the sacrifices made during WWII by New Mexicans at the surrender and subsequent internment of American and Allied troops at Bataan in the Philippines."
Hosts: REACH 2000, N.O.T.E. Council, Roswell Independent School District, and Roswell Museum and Art Center.
Performers: An honor band comprised of Roswell and Goddard High Schools students.

For complete details about all of the communities which seek composers, visit http://www.continentalharmony.org/calls.cfm

AMERICAN COMPOSERS FORUM -- http://www.composersforum.org

When the U.S. Forest Service celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2005, Community Conservation Chautauquas will be held around the country in partnership with arts and humanities -- celebrating and exploring connections between conservation and the arts. Among the preliminary events being planned are a 2003 conference of artists, writers, scientists and land managers.

"State and federal cultural agencies and other partners are exploring mutual projects that bring the arts and community to the forefront of contributions to the conservation field," The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) explains in a call for examples of programs, such as residencies, performances, and exhibitions, which illustrate how public land managers can utilize the arts and humanities as an interpretive tool for public land managers and how the arts and humanities help communities envision their relationship with the land.

For more information visit the NASAA web site at http://www.nasaa-arts.org/artworks/arts_conserve.shtml

The Forest Service is hosting CONSERVATION & THE ARTS a web of artists, educators, agencies, and citizens dedicated to forging new connections between Conservation and the Arts at http://www.fs.fed.us/conservation-arts/

Opportunities for Individuals and Artists

CAA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FELLOWSHIPS

The College Art Association's Professional Development Fellowship Program helps M.F.A., terminal M.A.,and Ph.D. students bridge the gap between graduate study and professional careers.

"By offering our support at this critical juncture in scholars' and artists' careers, we hope to make timely degree completion more viable and employment opportunities more accessible. In turn, by nurturing outstanding scholars and artists at the beginning of their careers, we hope to strengthen and diversify the profession as a whole. Each fellow receives support over a period of two years," they state.

For information and application forms, visit http://www.collegeart.org/caa/career/fellowship.html

A leading professional organization for art historians, visual artists, curators, and arts administrators, College Art Association (CAA) serves a membership of 14,000 individuals and 2,000 institutions in the United States and internationally.

For more information about the College Art Association, visit http://www.collegeart.org
Membership -- http://www.collegeart.org/caa/membership/index.html

The National Education Association (NEA) Foundation awards grants of $2,000 to enable fine arts teachers to create and implement fine arts programs -- including painting, sculpture, photography, music, theater, dance, design, media, or folk arts -- which promote learning among at risk students.

Funds may be used for resource materials, supplies, equipment, transportation, software, and/or professional fees. Arts specialists at the K-6 grade levels should apply through the local NEA affiliate organizations who implement their work.

Founded in 1857 "to elevate the character and advance the interests of the profession of teaching and to promote the cause of popular education in the United States," the National Education Association remains committed to its original mission -- expressed in its current mission statement as:

"To fulfill the promise of a democratic society, the National Education Association shall promote the cause of quality public education and advance the profession of education; expand the rights and further the interest of educational employees; and advocate human, civil, and economic rights for all."

The NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education (NFIE) "envisions a future in which public education in America provides all of its students with a world-class education. NFIE empowers public education employees to innovate, take risks, and become agents for change to improve teaching and learning in our society."

Applications for the Fine Arts Grant Program must be received by February 3, 2003. For complete details, visit the NFIE web site at http://www.nfie.org/programs/finearts.htm

For information on how to join the National Education Association, visit http://www.nea.org/join.html

The Society for Photographic Education (SPE) West Region Conference is seeking proposals for panels and imagemakers on the theme of "A Sense of Place".

They are also seeking panel proposals which address teaching issues, writing grants, approaching galleries, commercial portfolio development, alternative practices/careers. In addition, proposals by image-makers whose work does not perfectly match this year's theme are welcome.

The conference is co-sponsored by and scheduled to be held at the California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland campus on the weekend of November 15-17, 2002.

A (maximum) one page proposal should include a description of the proposed presentation or panel and a short bio on the participant(s), as well as a maximum of 20 slides, resume, other support materials, a SASE and if available, a current email address.

They also ask that proposals estimate the length of the presentation. (Imagemakers should be about 25-40 minutes, panelists about 15-25 minutes)

The deadline for receipt (not postmark) is October 1, 2002.

PROPOSALS SHOULD BE SENT TO:

Society for Photographic Education
West Region Conference
843 Bay Street, #11
Santa Monica, CA 90405

The Society for Photographic Education (SPE) is a nonprofit, national membership organization dedicated to providing a forum for the understanding of new and traditional photographic media as a means of expressing creativity and cultural insight.

Send questions regarding SPE membership to hfrieser@yahoo.com

SPE WEB Site -- http://www.spenational.org

TEACHERS & WRITERS Magazine, a literary and educational bimonthly, is seeking essays and articles for two new series: "The Literary Anatomy" and "Passwords".

"The Literary Anatomy" will publish articles which offer an unusual approach to the teaching (and understanding) of a specific a literary form, genre, or device. They are looking for articles which include a concise but compelling history of the given form/genre/device and a unique method of teaching it to students of any age-range.

"Passwords" will publish essays which offer an unexpected approach to a specific author and culminate with a writing exercise translating that approach into action. "We are particularly interested in concise, intellectually stimulating articles on authors who may not traditionally be taught in the public school curriculum," they note. "Possible subjects might include Sherwood Anderson, Fernando Pessoa, Zora Neale Hurston, Jose Saramago, W. G. Sebald, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Christopher Smart, Sarah Orne Jewett, Robert Duncan, Jean Toomer, and Mina Loy."

Authors selected for publication will receive a modest honorarium and contributor's copies. All rights revert to the author upon publication.

Complete information is available on the Arts Wire Current "Calls" page at http://www.artswire.org
(Note that after the current week, calls are moved to http://www.artswire.org/current/morecall.html

TEACHERS & WRITERS COLLABORATIVE web site: http://www.twc.org
Membership - http://www.twc.org/member.htm

Opportunities for Artists

To encourage college students to write for the stage by providing them the opportunity to engage in the complete playwriting process, playwright and screenwriter Michael Kanin (1910-1993) arranged for a series of awards to be given to student writers whose plays are produced as part of the KENNEDY CENTER AMERICAN COLLEGE THEATER FESTIVAL. New plays or musicals by undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. Plays may be a collaboration, adaptation, company-written play, or a play based on factual materials and should constitute a full evening of theater.

For more information about this award, other awards including Lorraine Hansberry National Playwriting Award, and about the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, visit http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/actf/

To submit "calls" for either artists or organizations, send email to jmalloy@nyfa.org

Deadline: for Oct-19-20 event,Artwork for Atlantic Avenue storefronts and boutiques, Walk The Windows, Brooklyn, NY

Deadline: October 1, 2002,New plays, O'Neill Playwrights Conference

Deadline: October 4, 2002 (Letter of Intent), New England artists and and cultural organizations,LEF Foundation

Deadline: for next issue,New York artists and writers - graphics, photography, textson "Urban culture in New York City", ARTOARTE

Deadline: October 20, 2002,Video,MEDIA[LESS]MEDIUM, The Mills Gallery at the Boston Center for the Arts

Deadline: December 31, 2002,Artists - all media - work dealing with these contemporary female icons, FROM PUFF TO BUFF, Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock, NY

Deadline: November 15, 2002, Essays and articles, TEACHERS & WRITERS MAGAZINE - Essays for Two New Series

February 28, 2003BR>Fiction and poetry,LEGIBLE Open competition,

"....In continuing to respond to the needs of artists and arts organizations, the next phase of NYFA's effort is designed to strengthen professional and personal capacities to move ahead and rebound."

NEW YORK CITY ARTS ADMINISTRATORS - register by October 1 for Leaders Circles(tm) and Managing Your Organization's Money, the first two programs of The NYFA Leadership Initiative. This initiative is designed to provide a range of innovative and low-cost learning opportunities to arts leaders.

Leaders Circles(tm) are small, highly focused learning groups of between 5-7 members who come prepared to work on individual goals or problems related to their organizations such as coping with staff burnout or planning a new program. This kind of learning is called "peer coaching." Leaders Circles(tm) are facilitated by trained professionals and composed of members with comparable levels of responsibility from organizations of similar sizes. Circles will be held monthly for two to three hours beginning with an orientation session in October and running through April 2003.

Managing Your Organization's Money is a workshop series for arts leaders and administrators of small arts organizations who want to learn from an expert and their peers. This kind of learning is called "peer training." The first hour of each three-hour session is devoted to learning from a trainer while the remaining two hours are devoted to the listening and coaching of each participant on a given specific topic. Seven sessions, including an orientation, will be held monthly beginning Thursday, October 17, 2002 and run through April 2003.

Both programs will support you and members of your staff in

• keeping up with developments in your field;
• networking with colleagues who face similar challenges and opportunities;
• experimenting with new ideas before "taking them public";
• achieving personal goals;
• receiving support and coaching from peers; and
• taking actions!

Future programs of The NYFA Leadership Initiative will continue in 2003 and include Leaders Circles (tm) and workshops for individual artists, as well as long-term management assistance for arts groups.

Janice L. Shapiro, NYFA's Senior Program Officer for Services, is the designer and director of the Initiative.

Find out more online at http://www.nyfa.org/leadership/index.htm

Online registration forms, due by October 1, are available on the individual workshop sites listed below:

Leaders Circles(tm) -- http://www.nyfa.org/leadership/leaders_circles.htm

Managing Your Organization's Money -- http://www.nyfa.org/leadership/myom.htm

To date, the Mellon Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Hearst Foundation have generously provided funding for The NYFA Leadership Initiative.

NYFA WEB SITE -- http://www.nyfa.org

Details about these and other jobs are available on Arts Wire's Web Site at http://www.artswire.org/current/jobs.html

To submit jobs to Arts Wire, email them to joblist@artswire.org Please send a text file in the body of the message. (ie no attachments and no HTML) There is no fee for posting job listings. The deadline is Friday for the next week's listings. (which usually are posted on Monday) For the most part, job listings are not edited. The contents of the postings are the responsibility of the originating agency.

PRESIDENT/CEO, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, (Staten Island, NY)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Gemini Ink of San Antonio, (San Antonio, TX)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Pro Arts, Inc, , (Oakland, California)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, The Arts Alliance of Haverstraw, (Haverstraw, NY)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, The Guilford Handcraft Center, (Guilford, CT)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Southern Exposure, (San Francisco, CA)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Center for Art in Translation, (San Francisco, CA)

ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, Tenure-track, Graphic Design, Western Michigan University, (Kalamazoo, MI)

DIRECTOR, Makor/Steinhardt Center of The 92nd Street Y, (New York, NY)

MANAGING DIRECTOR, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, (Pittsburgh, PA)

OPERATIONS MANAGER, Performing Arts Chicago, (Chicago, IL)

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING, The Center for Contemporary Arts, (Santa, NM)

COORDINATOR OF FINE ARTS FACILITIES AND INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Scottsdale Community College, (Tempe, AZ)

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, The Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA), (Santa, NM)

PROJECT CURATOR FOR REINSTALLATION, The Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, (Chicago, IL)

STUDIO MANAGER, Ceramic Department, Craft Students League, YWCA, (New York, NY)

FINE ARTS GALLERY ASSISTANT, (20th century contemporary art gallery), (New York City, NY)

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, Actors Theatre of Phoenix, (Phoenix, AZ)

MARKETING MANAGER, Marketing & Communications, Brooklyn Academy of Music, (Brooklyn, NY)

BUSINESS MANAGER, Performing Arts Chicago, (Chicago, IL)

GRANTWRITER/DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE, The American Music Center, (New York City, NY)

DEVELOPMENT GRANT WRITING, The Fort Worth Dallas Ballet, (Dallas, TX)

PRODUCTION & MARKETING ASSISTANT, The Egg, (Albany, NY)

PART-TIME MARKETING/PR ASSISTANT, BRIC/Brooklyn Information & Culture, (Brooklyn, NY)

RAISER'S EDGE DATABASE MANAGERS, (museum and non-profit clients), (New York City, NY)

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, The Museum of Modern Art, (New York, NY)

ADMINISTRATIVE & DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE, Working Playground, (New York City, NY)

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE, Count Basie Theatre, (Red Bank, NJ)

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT, Young Concert Artists, (New York, NY)

KITCHEN MANAGER (part time), The New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture, (New York City, NY)

REGISTRAR (Queens location), Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, (Brooklyn, NY)

SECURITY MANAGER, New Museum of Contemporary Art, (New York City, NY)

CUSTODIAN/PORTER (part time), New York Studio School for Drawing, Painting and Sculpture, (New York City, NY)

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT (PART TIME), Capital Projects Department, (Brooklyn, NY)

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT, Brooklyn Academy of Music, (Brooklyn, NY)

BOOKKEEPER - relistedty, NY)

CHELSEA GALLERY INTERNSHIP(New York City, NY)

A growing list of links to job resources for artists and arts administrators is available on Arts Wire's Web Site at http://www.artswire.org/current/jobres.html