Back to School - Do Your Kids Have Art?

I've noticed flyers starting to advertise back to school sales so as your kids go back to school ask yourself - do your kids have art classes?

When budgets are tight one of the first things school boards will cut is your child's art class. Followed closely by your child's music time. Too often, these are thought of as "extras" and the current feeling is that not enough kids are doing well in English and Math so let's cut the "extras" and get down to "basics."

This the wrong thing to do. Children who have art and music routinely do better in school than those who don't and this has been proven time and time again.

What will you do if your child's arts classes are cut?

1. Write to your school board. Don't get nasty, just state the facts. If you need statistics and case studies to back up your arguments Google search arts advocacy or go straight to the Americans for the Arts site and start there by following their links. (See my hot links at the right.)

2. Convince others to write letters and write to your local newspaper. School boards hate bad publicity so keep pushing until you get coverage.

3. Volunteer. There are art programs out there that can be taught in the classroom. They just need the volunteers. The program is furnished, all you have to do is present it to individual classes. The teacher will stay in the classroom with you while you teach (they have to if you're not a trained teacher.) Try it, you'll like it.

Walmart Supports the Arts

In general, I hate Walmart. I hate its vendor policies where suppliers are supposed to cut prices to the point where they go out of business. I hate their policy of undercutting the local stores until they go out of business. I hate that they treat their own employees like slaves, paying them minimum wage and expecting them to work overtime for nothing.

Despite all that irritates me about that company, (and I didn't cover all my grievances) I came across this article and thought it worth sharing. If you have made money off the backs of others then you should, at the very least, give something back.

Alice Walton, daughter of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, unveiled plans in May for a $50 million art museum and cultural center to be built within walking distance of downtown Bentonville, Ark., long-time home of the mega-retailer.

Situated on 100 acres donated by the Walton family, the 100,000-sf museum will house galleries, a library, a 250-seat lecture hall, classrooms, and administrative offices. Sculpture gardens, walking trails, and outdoor areas for concerts and public events will interweave the museum buildings, which will showcase Alice Walton's collection of paintings and sculptures by American artists from the American Revolution to the modern era.

Nude Brits

Nothing like a good laugh, and here's one that's art related. (And to my relatives in Newcastle, I apologize...)

About 1,700 men and women have appeared naked in Tyneside in the name of art.
Starting at a chilly 0400 BST, they posed at four locations in Newcastle and Gateshead, donning plastic white ponchos to cross the River Tyne.
New York photographer Spencer Tunick enlisted the volunteers for Naked City, his first large-scale UK installation.
It follows his nude photo shoots in New York, Barcelona, Belgium and Brazil. "There is a sensual element to it, but it's not a sexual experience," he said.

For the whole story, click here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4689421.stm

The Show Must Go On

Difficult to even think of posting anything in view of what's happened in my home country--until I came across this article. I think I should paste this phrase above my computer to remind me to keep the proverbial stiff upper lip and carry on. Because to alter my behavior because of misguided, to say the least, terrorists, would be to acknowledge they have won.

LONDON -- Thursday's terrorist attacks that struck at the heart of London -- causing over 50 deaths and numerous casualties in three bombs on subway trains on the Piccadilly and Circle Lines, plus a city center bus that was entirely destroyed -- inevitably had a knock-on effect on the theatre industry.For the first time since the Blitz during the Second World War, every West End theatre cancelled its performances that day. Several shows that were due to perform matinee performances cancelled those first; then, as the police urged everyone to stay away from central London, evening performances were cancelled, too. All public subway and bus transport in central London was suspended in the immediate wake of the attacks, making it impossible for performers or audiences alike to get to the theatres in any case. Some theatres, like the Royal Court, automatically refunded all patrons who had booked. Others are seeking to exchange tickets for future performances.There were reports of shows outside the West End making an attempt at going ahead as usual, but sometimes in unusual circumstances. At the Arcola, a fringe theatre in North London, for instance, a preview performance of their new production of an adaptation of Raymond Carver short stories entitled "Carver" went ahead, but one actor couldn't get there -- so had to be replaced by someone reading from a script. But the show(s) must go on. On Friday, Richard Pulford -- chief executive of the Society of London Theatre (the West End equivalent of the League of American Theatres and Producers in New York) -- announced, "Like the rest of London, theatre people will not be intimidated by terrorism. They are absolutely determined that life shall go on as normal. Tonight they will take to our stages, man our box offices and care for our audiences as they always have. London is the theatre capital of the world and will remain so despite yesterday's atrocities."

http://www.backstage.com/backstage/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000976775

Percentage for Art Programs

While the requirements vary in communities that support public art displays, a typical financial commitment is about 1 percent. Sarasota County allocates .85 percent from its capital improvement budget for public art at new and existing government facilities.

I took this from an article discussing Sarasota County, Florida's, requirement that developers pay a percentage of their fees to fund public art.

Some may feel government is forcing culture down people's throats. Others, like me, feel that why not make our public surroundings as beautiful and as interesting as possible? If you live in a suburb of a major metropolitan area like I do where developers are down at the bottom of the popularity list as those that desecrate farm land for cookie-cutter houses, then why not force them to donate a percentage of their huge profits for the public good?

Some areas call this type of deal a "Percentage for Art" program. If you have a program like this in your area, please let me know how it works for your community.

For the rest of the article, click here:
http://www.venicegondolier.com/NewsArchive3/070305/vn4.htm

Live 8 Concerts

I just couldn't let this weekend pass without commenting on the Live 8 concerts.

Marketing departments and non-profit organizations have long known the power of celebrity endorsements to bring recognition to their product or cause. The trick is to choose the right celebrity, the one whose personal life doesn't eclipse what you're trying to promote.

So, as an arts advocate, a baby boomer, and a transplanted Brit, I say, "you rock!" to Sir Elton, Sir Paul, Bono and Geldoff.

Happy Fourth of July to all my friends and family on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Price of Theater Tickets

We have two honest-to-goodness theaters within 15 miles of my house, both historic places. The Woodstock Opera house is partially city-owned and most of the attractions are local theater groups. The Raue Theater attracts more national acts but at Chicago prices. I would love to go to the theater more, but prices make it a rare occasion.

Contrast that with Northern Illinois University’s Orchestra, Jazz Band and, of all things, an internationally respected Steel Drums Band. During the school year you can often get into shows for free or at nominal rates. Just 45 minutes from my house I would rather go there than Chicago.

On the other hand, maybe theaters would get more of an audience if they did what the Signature Theater is doing:

The Signature Theater Company, the Off Broadway troupe known for devoting entire seasons to a single playwright, has laid out its plans for its 15th-anniversary season. It will include a new play by August Wilson, old plays by August Wilson and a one-man show by August Wilson, starring August Wilson.
But perhaps its most interesting element - besides Mr. Wilson, of course - is its other constant: a $15 ticket for each and every seat.
The deal, announced yesterday by the company's artistic director, James Houghton, is a result of a three-year courtship between the Signature and Time Warner, which is underwriting the tickets.
"Time Warner's major philanthropic goal is to make arts accessible," Mr. Houghton said. "And we have always felt there's a kind of civic responsibility to make theater affordable."
At $15 the Signature tickets will run about the price of a movie and soda. (And a small soda at that.) Most Off Broadway companies, looking at declines in corporate, public and private giving, have steadily raised prices in recent years, with seats now regularly going for $50 or more. (The Signature generally charges $55.) On Broadway, orchestra seats commonly go for $100, while premium tickets can reach nearly $500.
The deal was met with admiration among other nonprofit leaders, who usually rely on ticket sales to provide at least half of their yearly budgets.

For the rest of the article, click here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/23/theater/newsandfeatures/23sign.html?