A new educational program from the Kentucky Arts Council is offering teachers and school administrators the opportunity to bring quality Kentucky-based visual and performing artists into schools as part of its Showcasing the Arts grant.
“Our goal with this new program is to provide opportunities for as many children as possible to experience superior examples of performance and presentation,” said Lori Meadows, arts council executive director.
“This is an exciting addition to our existing arts education grants, for many reasons. For teachers and school leaders, this program will also help schools understand the standards set forth in the Kentucky Academic Standards for the Arts and the Visual and Performing Arts Program Review.”
In 45- to 50-minute sessions artists will perform or present their work and engage students in the reflective process. Sessions will include a demonstration of the artists’ work, an explanation of the training process required including the time it takes to learn the skill and time for students to ask questions.
Thirty-one participating artists have been selected for inclusion in the newly created Showcasing the Arts Directory, drawing from adjudicated members of the Performing Artists and Teaching Artists directories. Those artists will demonstrate their art forms and share their own creative processes with students, following the four processes in the new Kentucky Academic Standards for the Arts: creating, performing/producing/presenting, reflecting and connecting.
Any Kentucky school, public or private, that supports preschool through 12th grade may apply for Showcasing the Arts. Schools must provide a performance space, technical arrangements and travel reimbursement for the artists. The arts council pays the artist fees.
The deadline to apply for Showcasing the Arts is Oct. 1.
(story provided by the Kentucky Arts Council)
