In January, Governor O'Malley received the Public Leadership in the Arts Award from Americans for the Arts, a leading national arts advocacy organization. Gov. O'Malley is the first Maryland governor to receive the award. He received it in part due to his championing of the arts in the schools. This is significant because Maryland schools have ranked first in the nation for five consecutive years. The strong presence of the arts has contributed greatly to the quality of education for Maryland youth. Theresa Colvin, Executive Director of the Maryland State Arts Council noted, "In the 21st century economy of innovation and ideas, the arts in schools foster creativity, a job skill that continues to grow in demand.....Arts education provides the critical thinking, communications and innovation skills that will give our students a competitive edge in the modern workforce."
Pathways is proud to be part of the success of Maryland
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Mural arts at Crossland Re-Entry
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education and the innovative use of the arts as an avenue for learning and life skills development. For our students, the arts are a powerful tool for overcoming many obstacles. Visual arts, drama, poetry, and dance offer alternative means of self-expression, which opens a door to self-understanding. At the same time, the arts provide creative motivation for learning in language arts, social studies, and science.
In the 1996-97 school year, Pathways formalized the use
of the arts in our schools and created the Alternative Therapies Program.That year, Pathways received two Maryland State Arts Council grants to fund workshops in writing and visual arts, and offered a fine arts elective course for credit that included individual drawing, painting, and sculpture. The Alternative Therapies Program has flourished ever since. Pathways has applied for and received four or five arts grants every year from the Maryland State Arts Council and several county arts councils and the Washington Post. More than 50 artists have worked with our students, offering workshops in everything from mosaic, fabric art, mask making, sculpture, mural arts to drumming, drama, modern dance, and hip hop.
This year, for example, seven arts residencies will be happening at Pathways schools, carried out by six teaching artists and in part funded by the Maryland State Arts Council and the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County.
David Cunningham, who received our Partner in Education Award last year, is returning to Crossland Re-Entry in a visual arts residency that will have
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Kevin Martin leads the steel drum workshop at AACB
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the students making a mural with the theme "building community through trust."
Award winning slam poet Chris August is at DuVal Re-Entry using slam poetry to improve communication skills and build self-confidence.
Kevin Martin, founder of Rock Creek Steel Drums, is teaching drumming as well as musical notation and an introduction to the culture of the Caribbean at Springville and Anne Arundel.
Eileen Carson is using percussive dance at Northwood to foster multiculturalism and a deeper understanding of the American immigrant experience, Arianna Ross is using story-telling to improve communication and job readiness at Edgewood, and Carien Quiroga is creating a glass mosaic mural with the students at Springville that will highlight elements of symbolism in South African rock art and Ndebele culture.
Stories of the arts and their importance in the learning and development of Pathways students abound throughout our schools: the young artist who was encouraged to sell his detailed, realistic paintings at Fed-Ex field during Redskins games by participating in Pathways Young Entrepreneur Program; the group of students who learned dances from India and performed them for diplomats at the Indian Embassy; the student poet who during a workshop with poet Carol Peck, wrote, "Strength is when God gives you the power to wake up....strength is when you can look a lion in the eye and say, 'I'm not afraid', strength is when you can say you are responsible for your own actions; strength is me..."
Evidence of this kind of self-awareness and creativity will be on display at the Second Annual Student Art Show on April 24. Come see for yourself how the arts are flourishing at Pathways and enhancing learning and personal growth every day. The announcement is
below, illustrated with the painting done by Pathways students of our school's panther mascot.
