Arts Education Advocacy Day Recently students, educators, community members and decision makers participated in Arts Education Advocacy Day at the State House in Augusta, Maine. The Belfast Area High School students who spoke that day were very articulate about the value and importance of the arts and arts education on a personal level and beyond themselves. Heidi O’Donnell is their teacher who worked with her honor society students to create clay pins. Heidi O’Donnell with pins that the Belfast Area High School Honor Society students created Below are two of the speakers talks. The first one ..read more

Youth Art Show ..read more

April 27, UMaine campus REGISTER AT THIS LINK Maine Art Education Association Spring Conference 2024 Connecting Through the Arts Saturday, April 27th, 2024 8:00-3:00PM  Collins Center for the Arts University of Maine Orono We invite you to attend the 3:30-6:00PM MAEA Art Educator of the Year Awards Ceremony in order to celebrate quality arts education staff and programs! This year’s conference highlights accessibility to quality fine arts programming and offers visual art opportunities for district’s that have state certified art educators as well as for those schools without art educator ..read more

Thought provoking 2024 spring journal The Union of Maine Visual Artists (UMVA) publish the Maine Arts Journal online four times a year. The Maine Arts Journal provides a plethora of incredible essays by and about artists, interviews, UMVA member submissions, poetry, UMVA updates about its current projects, local chapter, and more. In this issue of the Maine Arts Journal, contributors think about The Unconscious, the Unknown, the Unsaid. The education column of the journal is called Insight/Incite and veteran Boothbay Region High School art teacher Manon Lewis has contributed to this ..read more

Stretching and thinking back Maine Arts Assessment Institute, summer 2011, phase 2, Maine College of Art + Design Over the past few months I’ve been working on a talk that I am giving called The ARTS at the Center at the New England League of Middle Schools conference in Springfield, MA. I have 60 minutes to speak about arts education to a room full of about 400 middle school educators. Perhaps half will be arts educators. To prepare I’ve looked at current and past research, I’ve scanned files, I’ve read papers and documents, I’ve found photos, and I’ve spoken to several educators. Every time ..read more

Sarah Ikumu This needs no introduction other than to say I’m not sure how I missed this amazing performance by 15 year old Sarah Ikumu in 2017 ..read more

Opportunity to shout about it! March is a wonderful time of year to educate more broadly. Every day visual and performing arts teachers do what they were trained to do – teach! Whether you teach or support arts education in another way, March is an opportunity to advocate for the importance of quality arts education for all. Aren’t we fortunate to have a month designated to advocate for our profession?! Full Chorus from Catching Fireflies, a book of images by Argy Nestor combined with the poems of Jean Feldeisen. The book, prints, and cards are available at https://sites.google.com/view/anesto ..read more

Indicates Wellness Some of you know that I’m working on the planning of my town’s, Union, Sestercentennial celebration – 250 years! Many hands and minds have been planning since September of 2023. Yes, planning has been underway for 17 months. The culmination of the work will take place on July 19, 20, 21, 2024. I’m excited that the Union Elementary School is involved in several ways. One way is a dance residency with Chrissy Fowler and Belfast Flying Shoes. Students are learning traditional contra dances during physical education classes. Dance halls were located in our town so its a great w ..read more

Well deserved award! It is so exciting to see that veteran music educator Pam Kinsey has been recognized for her dedication to teaching and “always going beyond” the minimum. Pam is certainly a ‘high flyer’ and has been selected to receive the NFHS 2023-24 Music Outstanding Educator Award! Pam has been a teacher leader with the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative turned Maine Arts Leadership Initiative turned Maine Arts Education Partners in Leadership. She served on the leadership team for many years planning professional development opportunities for Maine Visual and Performing Arts Educat ..read more

Winter Break! It’s here, for some of you teachers its the long awaited winter break – yahoooo! I’m certain for all of you starting a week off today, it is a well deserved winter break. Whatever you do, I hope it is filled with relaxation and fun! Let go of school and find the calm, as in a morning sunrise on the glistening snow. I found the piece below a good reminder to take the time to breathe deeply and take care of yourself. Even if its only for moments during the next week of winter break, please take the time! And, remember, what ever you’re doing is enough! This was part of a list of 1 ..read more