E-News: April 2014 Edition

April 2014

Celebrating 15 years of Providing Access to Arts and Humanities Learning Opportunities

Notes from the Executive Director

Louise Kennelly with students

Informing DC Policymakers

It is that time of year again, when it is especially important to speak up about the importance of robust City funding for the arts and humanities in DC.

It is imperative that we make our voices heard so that policy makers have the input they need to make the most informed decisions. Currently, City Council members are considering levels of funding for the DC Commission of the Arts and Humanities. An increase of funding from a proposed $16 million to at least $20 million level is critically needed as local grants from the Commission help sustain so many of our members' education programs. An increase could extend current programs and support new grantees, possibly allowing for longer grant cycles. Hearing from you on the ways public funding would impact the quality and reach of your programs will inform policymakers in their decision-making process.

We need a more reliable dedicated public funding stream for the arts and arts education in Washington DC. Many of you participated in Arts Advocacy Day yesterday, providing testimony and/or meeting with Councilmembers and their staff members. The need to hear from you is ongoing this spring; please consider encouraging your stakeholders to relay the impact increased support would have on the many important contributions your programs make to a vibrant DC.

Contact information for your elected representative in the DC Council is below:

http://www.dccouncil.us/files/user_uploads/event_testimony/Council%20Listing%20-%202014.pdf

City Council members on the Finance and Revenue Committee --chaired by arts-supporter Jack Evans -- and which oversees the arts funding are as follows:

COMMITTEE ON FINANCE AND REVENUE

Jack Evans, Chairperson- jevans@dccouncil.us

Marion Barry- mbarry@dccouncil.us

Muriel Bowser- mbowser@dccouncil.us

David A. Catania- dcatania@dccouncil.us

David Grosso- dgrosso@dccouncil.us

DC Collaborative Events

June Members' Meeting

Please join us for a panel discussion and tour of the Civil Rights Act Exhibition at the Library of Congress!

Date: June 19, 2014

Time: 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Location: Library of Congress

What does the Civil Rights struggle look like today? Please join us for our Members' Meeting featuring a panel discussing regarding the importance of an education rich in the arts and humanities, the DC Vote and other civil rights issues of today. Members will also get to tour the Civil Rights Act Exhibition!

AFES Update

April AFES Update

Membership Applications for the 2014-2015 school year are out!

We are pleased to announce that the Arts for Every (AFES) and Professional Development (PD) Applications for 2014-2015 school year are out! We are looking forward to another great year of working with our members to ensure that DC public and charter school students receive an education rich in the arts and humanities.

Members are invited to apply for the AFES and PD Programs. Contact us at info@dccollaborative.org to apply and be featured in the Arts for Every Student and Professional Development catalogues. The Application Deadline is June 2nd!

View our Catalogues from Last Year:

Member Feature

Congrats to the Members that were Awardees in the City Fund and the NEA 2014 Spring Cycle!

City Fund: The Community Foundation announced grant awards to 58 nonprofit organizations for the first round of grantmaking from the City Fund on April 16. The $15 million City Fund seeks to advance the three broad goals as outlined in Mayor Gray's One City Action Plan: grow and diversify the District's economy; educate and prepare the workforce for the new economy; and improve the quality of life for all.

NEA: District non-profits and DC agency partner were awarded 33 grants totaling $2,528,709 from the National Endowment for the Arts Spring 2014 Cycle (announced April 16th). The NEA awarded more than $74 million to arts to nonprofits nation-wide!

Congrats to the DC Collaborative Members and Partners that were Among the Awardees!

City Fund:

Atlas Performing Arts Center
Building Bridges Across the River t/a THEARC
Center for Inspired Teaching
Cultural DC
DC Jazz Festival
DC Wheel Productions, Inc. / dba Dance Place
National Building Museum
Patricia M. Sitar Center for the Arts
Project Create
Step Afrika! USA, Inc.
The Shakespeare Theatre
Young Playwrights' Theater, Inc

Complete List

National Endowment Arts Spring 2014 Cycle:

District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities

D.C. Wheel Productions, Inc. (aka Dance Place)

Daniel Phoenix Singh & Company (aka Dakshina)

National Building Museum

Step AfrikA! USA Incorporated (aka Step Afrika!)

Washington Bach Consort (aka WBC, The Consort)

Young Playwrights' Theater, Inc. (aka YPT)

Complete List by State

The DC Collaborative is pleased to be among those receiving the City Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts grants.

DCPS Annual Art Show Opening Reception

Get Ready for the Inaugural Civili-Tea Citywide

Creative Expressions Contest

Contest Deadline-June 3, 2014

ABOUT THE CONTEST

The High Tea Society will be holding its Inaugural Civili-Tea Citywide Creative Expression Contest this spring, in collaboration with PEPCO, DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative and the Council of Churches of Greater Washington. The judging will take place at the PEPCO Art Gallery, where the entries will be displayed from June 12-14. The winners will be announced at a reception on Friday, June 13. Monetary prizes and certificates will be awarded. The theme is
"share instances of civility in your life and express concerns about the incivility you see and experience."

FEATURING ARTIST DAVID C. DRISKELL

David C. Driskell is an artist and former professor of art at the University of Maryland, where he was a Distinguished University Professor of Art. He works primarily in collage, mixed media and print making. As a scholar, he is a world expert in African American Art. He is the winner of several awards and fellowships including three Rockefeller Foundation Fellowships and a Harmon Foundation Fellowship.

ABOUT THE HIGH TEA SOCIETY

The High Tea Society, founded in 1997 by former DC Superior Court Judge Mary Terrell, is a non-profit, organization created to provide educational and cultural enrichment activities for inner city students who attend the District of Columbia Public Schools, including public charter schools.

ELIGIBILITY

The citywide Creative Expression competition will be open to District of Columbia youth in 5th grade-10th grade.

GUIDELINES

Guidelines for this contest can be found HERE .

Entry Form can be found HERE.

DEADLINE

Entries must be submitted by JUNE 3, 2014.

For more information, please contact Judge Mary at marytea1997@yahoo.com, the Rev. James Stephen Terrell at jstephent@gmail.com, or the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative at info@dccollaborative.org.

Applications will be available on the websites of the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaboration, the Council of Churches of Greater Washington and the High Tea Society.

DCPS Annual Art Show Opening Reception

DCPS Student Art Show and Opening Reception

DCPS invites you to attend!

About the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative:

More than 70 members strong, the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative (DC Collaborative) provides equitable access to quality arts and humanities education for all DC public and chartered public schools for the growth of the whole child. Working with its partners, since its founding in 1998, the DC Collaborative produces such exemplary programs as Arts for Every Student and the Arts Education Initiative. View our Member's roster.

For more information on the DC Arts and Humanities

Education Collaborative, Please visit our website.

If you would like to include something in our next

member e-news, please email us!

DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative

1001 G Street, NW Suite 1000W

Washington, DC 20001

p. (202) 879-9327

f. (202)393-5705