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Art in Action is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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Student artwork inspired
by Claes Oldenburg
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One of the many joys of my relocation to the Bay Area is just how easy it is to access the region's amazing cultural and recreational opportunities. A few weeks ago, for example, I had the opportunity to visit the amazing Hess Collection in Napa. This three-story winery and art museum, high on a mountaintop overlooking the valley, houses some incredible works art -- Robert Rauschenberg collages and combines, colorful Frank Stellas ( both in our Program 8 lessons), and powerful works by Francis Bacon, Anselm Kiefer and Gerhard Richter. But what really caught my eye was a poster by a group of 2nd grade students that had recently visited. They had made beautiful little drawings to show their appreciation and had written a letter from the class to thank the museum for the milk and cookies that were provided on the tour. (I was surprised to learn they had milk at a winery -- it wasn't offered with my tasting...)
This got me to thinking about how art education is often seen: as the milk and cookies of the school day. On the one hand, it is delightful that many students (and teachers) look forward to art as a welcome snack break from the other hard work of the day, but on the other, it is the sentiment that art is just a snack that leads to it being the first subject to be cut in an era of shrinking school budgets.
The metaphor is apt too, perhaps, in the fact that a snack break is seen as sustenance, but not necessarily nutrition -- that, like cookies, art is a treat that students are lucky to have. From our perspective at Art in Action, this couldn't be further from the truth. A comprehensive visual arts education is much more like a serving of colorful fruits and vegetables that are packed with vitamins crucial to growth and development. Art provides essential nutrients to help the growth of skills like creative problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration and a visual vocabulary. Through this nourishment, students gain confidence and show growth in their own abilities. They find new ways to approach history, social studies, literature, and geography. A visual arts education, then, is clearly a crucial part of a balanced educational diet. I encourage all of you to remind your schools and communities of the nutritional value of the visual arts as decisions are made about the place for art in the curriculum.
As we get ready for another exciting school year of Art in Action with thousands of students at hundreds of schools nourishing themselves with our comprehensive, hands-on, Common Core curriculum-aligned, art education program, we hope you will continue to join us on our mission to enrich children's lives through art. Click here to find more resources on the value of art education to your school, community and children.
Jeffrey Dollinger, Executive Director
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We Are Growing
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A number of schools are expanding the Art in Action curriculum into additional classrooms this fall. Principals and teachers recognize that Art in Action lessons align with the Common Core State Standards and are easily integrated with other classroom subjects, creating a dynamic classroom learning experience for their students.
In Program 5, Art in Action teachers integrate visual arts with language arts, social studies, and math in our Faith Ringgold lesson as students learn about the history of the Underground Railroad, discover how to tell stories through the codes that can be embedded in a quilt, and focus on geometry concepts like parallel and diagonal lines and pattern repetition.
The following schools are expanding this year:
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Daly City, CA
St. Peter and Paul Salesian, San Francisco, CA
Living Wisdom, Palo Alto, CA
Contra Costa Christian School, Walnut Creek, CA
For information on expanding Art in Action at your school (or bringing it for the first time), contact jonelle@artinaction.org.
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Register for Fall Training
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Already signed-up as an Art in Action school? Our on-site Fall Training Schedule is available online  now. In these sessions you will:
-Learn how to teach critical thinking through art discussions
-Learn tricks and tips for each lesson
-Receive hands-on practice using the lesson-specific art materials
-Explore how to best utilize online training and support
-Build your art community with colleagues and new friends
Register now
New - Train via Webinar
Can't attend training at our Art in Action headquarters? Try our new webinar training. An Art in Action trainer will review all 12 lessons in a program level, share tips and best practices, show links to resources, and answer questions. Register here
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Friends of Art in Action Tours
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Join us for a private tour of these blockbuster art shows.
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Congratulations Summer Art Contest Winners
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Brandon, 4th grader, Meadow Heights School, San Mateo, CA - artwork inspired by our lesson on Charles Demuth.
Aaron, 4th grader, Redwood Shores Elementary, Redwood Shores, CA - artwork inspired by our lesson on John Audubon.
Keleigh, 5th grader, North Hillsborough School, Hillsborough, CA - artwork inspired by our lesson on Wayne Thiebaud.
Do you want to see your child's artwork featured on our Facebook cover photo and win a $10 gift certificate to School Specialty for school or art supplies? Send your child's Art in Action artwork to contest@artinaction.org today!
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Refer a new school; receive a $100 gift card!
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As Art in Action continues to grow, we need your help in bringing this amazing program to more schools. Thanks to the generosity of The Container Store®, we are pleased to offer this great incentive: if you refer the Art in Action program to a new school and they purchase the program, we'll give you a $100 gift card to The Container Store® (while supply lasts). For more details, email Sales Manager, Jonelle Teevens, or call 650.566.8339 x204.
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School District Workshops
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Now your school district can learn how easy it is to teach art and integrate it with core classroom subjects through our free district workshops. We'll come to your district to share best practices, tips and advice and will highlight how Art in Action provides the tools to create an effective visual arts program. Interested in learning more? Please contact Jonelle Teevens or Kelly Bravo or call 650.566.8339 .
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Vote Now for Art in Action!
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Art in Action is excited and proud to be a finalist in Red Tricycle's 2013 Totally Awesome Awards, in the category of "Most Awesome Art Classes for Kids."
Help show your support for AiA by casting your VOTE NOW. Voting is only open through August 15th, so please vote right away. Help us spread the word to your family and friends on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites!
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