Summer 2011 Edition 

Music and Art Teacher Survey

As part of our goal to make quality, sequential arts education a reality for all K-12 public school students in DC, the DC Collaborative, in partnership with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, is working to connect schools with effective tools and resources to improve arts learning. As part of this work, we have developed a music and art teacher survey.

The survey is one in a series of measurements regarding access to quality arts instruction at the school level. It will help inform decision making, planning and directing the provision of  resources dedicated to arts learning. This survey has been circulated to music and visual arts teachers but please forward it to any music or visual arts teachers teaching in DC public schools that you may know.

 Survey for DC Music and Arts Teachers 

Upcoming Members Meeting

Members mark your Calendar!  The next DC Collaborative Members Meeting is scheduled for September 22nd. from 1-2:30pm at Source Theater: 1835 14th Street NW.

Presenters include Edith Harvey, Director of Improvement Programs at the U.S. Department of Education. Edith oversees a variety of grant programs, including Arts in Education.  We hope to see everyone there!

RSVP here on eventbrite! You don't need to bring the printed ticket, we just need to know who is coming.

Identifying High-Quality, User-Friendly Resources

Vetting Project

The DC Collaborative is developing an on-line database of resources in the field of arts and humanities education that will make available user-friendly, high-quality tools and information. The staff is reviewing resources published by arts education researchers and organizations.  These tools, which include data reports, guidebooks, and skills maps are valuable resources for a variety of audiences, from school administrators and teachers to local, state and federal-level policy makers and everyone in between.  The result will be a go-to site for user-friendly guides and tools that have been vetted for quality, utility and evidence. The vetting process will allow the DC Collaborative to identify the most up-to-date, well-founded, and useful resources, with the goal of creating an accessible online database.  Eventually, anyone with an interest in the field of arts education will be able to navigate our database to access hundreds of tools and resources, all coded for key words and vetted by a criteria adapted from the assessment workgroup of the U.S. Department of Education-funded national comprehensive center network.

vetting criteria form

Member Spotlight  

Tudor Place!

We are pleased to feature DC Collaborative member Tudor Place Foundation which operates a historic property located in the heart of Washington's Georgetown area. Tudor Place was built by Martha Washington's granddaughter, Martha Custis Peter, and her husband, Thomas Peter and opened to the public in 1988. Firmly rooted in the community, Tudor Place Foundation's mission is to educate the public about American history and culture. Tudor Place offers a wide variety of school programs year round. These programs include: Story Time in the Garden, Code Green: Garden Detectives, Georgetown History Adventures, Art Through Time, Historical Detectives, and Explore the Civil War. Tudor Place also offers a number of year-round professional development and teacher workshops such as: Teaching with Primary Sources, Hands on History, Explore the Civil War, Women's History Tour and Workshop, and a Customized Teacher Workshop.

The historic house is open for tours Tuesday - Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 12 - 3 p.m.  Self-guided tours of the 5.5 acre historic gardens are available Monday - Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 12 - 3 p.m. Visit the website to find a calendar of wonderful events at Tudor Place,1644 31st Street Northwest Washington D.C., DC 20007.

 

The DC Collaborative welcomes its newest members in FY11!

DC International FIlmfest: DC International Filmfest advocates that filmmakers are storytellers, each with their own rich story to tell. This year they have an extraordinary array of films from Scandinavia to South Korea and from Italy to Iran. They all tell stories that perplex, dazzle, and inspire people with quiet dignity, grace and beauty.

National Postal Museum EdLab: The EdLab at the National Postal Museum is a current, three-year initiative incorporating new technologies and 21st century skills into classroom teaching. The program provides teacher workshops that connect Smithsonian collections to classroom content using new media tools. This year the museum is celebrating its 15^th Birthday!

The Cameroon American Council: The Cameroon American Council is a newly created membership association which strives to build the capacity of the hundreds of Cameroonian community organizations based in the United States. The Council envisions an enriched world powered by global understanding, appreciation and collaboration in four core program areas: arts and culture, Water, Sanitation & Health (WASH), professional development, and women's empowerment.

The Saartjie Project: The Saartjie Project is a theatre ensemble exploring race, gender and power through storytelling and performance. By operating from a women centered perspective and as members of the African Diaspora, this organization creates spaces to tell stories that often go untold.

Ballet Teatro Internacional: (BTI) is a nonprofit company specializing in transformational dance training programs since 2008. These programs use the power of dance to positively transform the lives of youths. BTI aims to ensure that youths in the Washington, DC area and Latin American countries have access to free or low cost long-term dance programs focusing on modern dance techniques, choreography, and leadership.

Board Member Gail Murdock

Gail Murdock

The DC Collaborative is pleased to feature board member Gail Murdock in this month's board member spotlight. 

Gail is  the Arts Integration coordinator and a Pre k 4 teacher  at Peabody Elementary School in Washington, DC, and is an accomplished teacher leader regarding approaches to integrating the arts across the curriculum. 

Gail specializes in collaborative approaches to teaching and strengthening school climate through the arts. Peabody Elementary is partnered with The Phillips Collection where Gail is also actively involved with the "Teach with O'Keefe" arts education program and has visited Georgia O'Keefe's Ghost Ranch in New Mexico as part of the professional development component of the initiative. Gail and Katie Cushman, Peabody Art teacher, recently presented on the Peabodys' participation in the program at the Teaching Through the Prism for Arts Integration forum recently held at The Phillips Collection. 

Gail also served on the DC Collaborative's gala committee for the April 8, 2011 Inaugural Gala and participated in the recent Art Buzz Jewelry Trunk Show as a featured jeweler. We thank Gail for her dedicated service as a board member!

The DC Collaborative had the pleasure of coordinating a painting workshop with students ranging from grades 5-9 at Martha's Table Community center in July. Martha's Table is a wonderful community resource located on 14th street in the U Street Corridor area that is dedicated to finding solutions to poverty through both education and family strengthening programs. It is a vibrant place where during our visit, summer programs were in full-swing with enrichment and learning experiences. During the school year programming includes after-school programs that provide educational content and food to students, food assistance for families, a soup-kitchen that feeds the homeless 365 days a year, and Martha's Outfitters which makes clothing available at a low cost for community members.

During our visit, students worked with watercolor, acrylic or pencil and paper to experiment with painting techniques. Using imagery from a still life of flowers or their imagination, the students experimented with dry brush, scumbling, impasto, blending and wash techniques! Resulting student artwork was featured in the 2011-12 Arts for Every Student (AFES) Catalogue.

Upcoming Member Events

Class Acts arts and Young Audiences of Maryland bring you an Artist Showcase and Family Festival in September! This exciting showcase will feature more than 35 artists, with performances in music, theatre, dance, and visual arts. Attend the festival and you'll also have access to an informative "Scheduling and Funding Resources" workshop!

                When: Saturday, September 24th from 9:00am-3:30pm

                Where: BlackRock Center for the Arts

                                12901 Town Commons Drive

                                Germantown, MD 20874

Tickets: this event is FREE- your donation supports nonprofit arts programs

***Pre-register by September 1 and triple your chances to win one of two $100 program discounts for your school or community organization!

For more info visit Class Acts and YAMD online. 

Educator Opportunities

Thank you to our Summer Interns!

Donate Now! 

The Corcoran Gallery of Art and Corcoran College of Art + Design seeks an Associate Director of Individual Giving with strong fundraising and relationship building skills, as well as exceptional organizational and analytical skills. This professional will seek gift commitments of $5,000 to $25,000 and steward in-kind donations such as art.  He or she will enhance relationship with existing members and donors with a goal of increasing giving levels, while simultaneously seeking prospects new to the institution. The Associate Director of Individual Giving will be accountable for meeting fundraising goals and for helping to identify individuals for the Corcoran's major donor program. Application details

The Corcoran Gallery of Art and Corcoran College of Art + Design is hiring a Dean of Enrollment.  This position is responsible for developing, implementing, and advancing a coordinated and coherent program of enrollment management for the enrollment, academic record keeping, and financial units of the College. Responsible for oversight of enrollment functions of the College including supervision of undergraduate and graduate recruitment, enrollment services, course enrollment management, Business Office (financial aid and student accounts) and student data gathering, analysis and reporting. Working with both the administrative and academic sides of the College, the DEM develops recruitment, marketing, enrollment and retention strategies to help secure the enrollment goals of the institution.  Application details

The Washington Performing Arts Society is looking to hire a new Director of Development. This leadership role will focus on a strategic development plan and fundraising campaign in order to support the organization's mission and goals. Qualifications include a college degree, 7 to 10 years of fundraising experience, communication skills, and experience in the performing arts is preferable. Submit a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to Debra Harrison, or visit the website for more information.

The Washington Performing Arts Society seeks a new Director of Education.  This position manages the youth and adult educational programs of WPAS, consistent with the mission of the organization, as well as the vision and priorities set by the President. Supervises and evaluates Education department staff (currently 3 full time), consultants (currently 2), and interns. Debra Harrison, or visit the website for more information.