In Today’s News

Two articles

In the Maine Sunday Telegram, 18 December, 2 notable articles this week:

Rick Nickerson

The first article, written by Bob Keyes, is about Music Teacher Rick Nickerson who is one of 10 national finalists for the music educator Grammy Award. Many of you know Rick who has taught at Windham High School for 30 years and is totally committed to his students and community. I posted the initial story at THIS LINK. From one of Rick’s colleagues: “He brings what I like to call vibrant energy to the building,” said Thomas Noonan, who teaches English at Windham. “His students feed off of it, and it informs the whole school and the community. We’re all very happy for him.” This story paints a picture of Rick and what it means for him being a teacher – its not about him but the important work he does teaching, not only music – but life. The $10,000 prize for the winner will be announced in advance of the Grammy Awards TV broadcast on February 12.

Arthur Fink

The second article in the Sunday paper was written by the award winning writer Bill Nemitz, Photographer’s work with ‘short-lived children’ a personal mission is a story about the heart. Photographer Arthur Fink has been taking photos for a volunteer group called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep for 40 years. Arthur is contacted when an infant is going to die to take pictures for the family. He lost his own infant Sarah, whose heart did not function properly 43 years ago when she was six days old. This article tells the story of the amazing work that Arthur does as a photographer. One mother said afterwards: “Arthur caught some very beautiful moments. That was the first time that any of us were able to hold her,” Nicole said. “We all got to share that moment together. And he captured all of that.” Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep calls it ‘bereavement photography‘.  Arthur says: “I just call it love being shared.” I want to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU ARTHUR! You can read the article by CLICKING HERE.

In Today’s News

Maine Sunday Telegram

Read the following articles in the Maine Sunday Telegram and Portland Press Herald:

• Student jazz fest a harmonious convergence and yesterday Four high school jazz ensembles judged tops in Maine, both written by J. Craig Anderson at http://www.pressherald.com/2016/03/12/musicians-from-30-maine-high-schools-compete-at-jazz-festival/.
• In the Audience section of today’s paper http://www.pressherald.com/2016/03/13/students-artistic-expressions-celebrated-across-maine-in-march/. Students’ artistic expressions celebrated Across Maine in March written by Bob Keyes. This article covers
  • Poetry Out Loud finals being held on Tuesday, March 15, 3:00 PM at the Waterville Opera House. The competition itself is organized nationally by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation and administered at the state level by the Maine Arts Commission.
  • Eighteen schools competing in the state Drama Festival March 18 and 19, Camden Hills Regional High School (schools with 525 students or more) and at Stearns High School, Millinocket (schools with 525 or fewer students). The Maine Drama Council works with the Maine Principal Association to provide this opportunity for students/schools and the community. For more information https://sites.google.com/site/medramacouncil/home/.
  • Portland Museum of Art Youth Art Month exhibit with 100 artworks by 80 students. For more information http://www.portlandmuseum.org/exhibitions/youth-art-month.
  • Maine College of Art showing the state high school Scholastic Art Award winners.

From the Portland Museum of Art’s Youth Art Month exhibition, “Teenage Angst” by Caitlyn Duffy, a 12th grade student of art teacher Chris Crosby at Gorham High School. Courtesy photo

In Today’s News

Gibson Fay-LeBlanc

Recently named Portland’s Poet Laureate Gibson Fay-LeBlanc is not only a poet but a hockey player as well. Read about him in today’s Maine Sunday Telegram Audience section in an article written by Bob Keyes at http://www.pressherald.com/2015/06/28/portlands-newest-poet-laureate-writes-about-playing-hockey/. The Maine Arts Commission Poetry Out Loud program has been fortunate to have Gibson participating during the last few years.

Photo by Whitney Hayward/Staff Photographer, Maine Sunday Telegram

In Today’s News

Portland Press Herald

Maine Arts Commission aims to be more responsive, written by Bob Keyes for the Lifestyle section.

AUGUSTA — The Maine Arts Commission, which distributes about $500,000 annually, is working to become more responsive to the arts community with a retooled grants program and the hiring of a new assistant director whose expertise involves running a small arts organization.

Read the entire article at http://www.pressherald.com/2015/02/10/maine-arts-commission-aims-to-be-more-responsive/.

The Arts Connect Naturally

STEM/STEAM and other connections

Recently a comment was posted to the blog that was made by a person who is not trained as an arts educator nor an artist. It was in response to the post called Reaching Students Through STEM and the Arts which was posted on January 11, 2010. Not sure why the individual didn’t comment on the several other STEM/STEAM posts that have been made since that date. The comment made me pause since I have seen two other articles of note this week. One that connect the Arts to STEM in Education Week and one from the Maine Sunday Telegram about students at Waynflete School in Portland collaborating to create 23 – 7 feet tall and 4 feet wide trees.

First a look at the Ed Week article called STEAM: Experts Make Case for Adding Arts to STEM written by Erik W. Robelen. Mr. Robelen provides examples of schools across the country where the arts are connecting with STEM. One example is “the Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership, with support from a $1.1 million Education Department grant, is working with city schools to help elementary students better understand abstract concepts in science and mathematics, such as fractions and geometric shapes, through art-making projects.”

“Educators are finding where the arts intersect with the STEM fields to enhance student engagement and learning, and educators are finding that it helps unlock creative thinking and innovation.”

Doesn’t sound like anything new to me or to arts educators who have been connecting curricula to deliver arts education in practice for years. In fact, arts educators understand the connections and our understanding is much greater than just to other content as stated in the Maine’s 2007 Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction.

Standard E – Visual and Performing Arts Connections:

1. The Arts and History and World Cultures
2. The Arts and Other Disciplines
3. Goal-Setting
4. Impact of the Arts on Lifestyle and Career
5. Interpersonal Skills

The work at Waynflete this month is a great example of the value of connecting content. The outcome is an exhibit called “Arboretum”. This is taken from the December 4th article written by Bob Keyes: Students conducted all kinds of research about trees, including their environmental impact, their ecological value, their role as habitat for animals and the sacred nature of trees in certain religions. Jeff Tarling, the city’s arborist, came in to talk to the students about trees in Portland, and why some survive and others do not.

As part of the process, Waynflete art teacher and gallery director Judy Novey challenged the students to create something artistic from their research. She urged them to think about the form and rhythm of trees, and to visually represent their research through their work.

These students did not approach their work as an art project at all. It had more to do with science and culture than anything with a creative quality. But as they worked through their tasks, the students said they felt their creativity willing itself to the fore.

When I reflect on my teaching the most successful and memorable work was when students had no idea what classroom they were sitting in nor what subject they were focusing on but it was the magic of learning that was taking place. Life-long learning that becomes embedded in the way we think. The culture of the classroom and school is transformed.

So, I ask you… should we be connecting with the STEM movement currently taking place in education, should we encourage our students to think beyond STEM to help them think and create artistically?