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Brett Neiman & Julie MacCarthy

Greetings!
From Julie MacCarthy, ART Associate Director
and Brett Neiman, Program Manager

As the season of Winter comes to an end, here in Chicago, we celebrate the arrival of Construction season on the Dan Ryan Expressway. But in this issue, we also celebrate our partners in the Arts: you, our readers, the classrooms and after-school programs we're currently serving, and the fantastic friends listed in section one below. We hope to form a lasting partnership with each and every one of you.

Another partner in the arts, that has recently joined the A.R.T. staff, is Jerry Harris. Jerry will be visiting many of your schools in the coming months to see how A.R.T. may best serve you in the coming school terms. Jerry is a Chicago artist and educator, a painter who is still in the classroom as a substitute teacher. He has taught at Proviso East, Proviso West, and is currently helping out at Dunes Charter School in Miller, IN. A proud father, Jerry is a welcome addition to the A.R.T. staff. Please join us in welcoming him to our arts and education community.

As always, if you'd like to submit an article, photo, or story idea, please email it to Brett at bneiman@artresourcesinteaching.org. Thanks!

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Table of Contents ~ Winter 2007
Click on a link below to go directly to the article.

1. A Celebration of Our Partners
2. A Transition in Leadership
3. A Message from Mario
4. Tamiko's Talk
5. The New Office of Fine Arts at CPS
6. Generations of Connections
7. News and Notes
8. Grants & Opportunities
9. Our Nation's Museums
10. Resources
11. Our Partners

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1. A Celebration of Our Partners


The A.R.T. artists and staff work closely with a number of CPS Clusters, independent organizations, and charter schools each year. Like all relationships, these partnerships are dynamic and their success is contingent on communication, flexibility, mutual respect and common goals. We are proud of the relationships we have developed with the following groups and of the ensuing benefit to the students and teachers whom we serve:


The Fine and Performing Arts Magnet Cluster Program (FPAMCP) -
Mario Rossero

The CPS Office of Academic Enhancement (OAE) - Abigayil Joseph, Anna Shane, Cheryl Armstrong-Belt, Tamiko Nettles, Youlanda Royster

Logan's Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA) - Lissette Moreno-Kuri

Northwest Neighborhood Federation (NNF) - Gloria Pinto

The Village Park Magnet Cluster - Cheryl Armstrong-Belt

The Calumet Heights Burnside Magnet Cluster (CHB) - Tamiko Nettles

The South Shore North Magnet Cluster (SSN) - Tamiko Nettles

Chicago Charter School Foundation - Meghan Schmidt, Tony Chalmers, Karen Hooper, Tim Riff, LaDonna Kelly, Liz Beck, and Kelly Kujava

Catalyst Howland Charter School - Sharon Morgan and Michael Neis

Children's Home and Aide Society (CHASI) - Andrea Brooks

GearUp - Jeanne Lopez-Valdez


We thank them all for their continued dedication to the betterment of Chicago's elementary schools and students.

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2. A Transition of Leadership

As many of you may know, our friend and colleague, Chris Mallette who served as the Cluster Coordinator for the CHB and the SSN Clusters has taken an executive director’s position as Executive Director of The Juvenile Intervention Support Center. Tamiko Nettles has assumed Chris’ responsibilities. While we were very sad to see Chris leave CPS, we are pleased that Tamiko has assumed her new position in such a gracious and organized fashion. As you will note, we will now feature Tamiko’s Talk in the slot that Chris’ Corner formerly occupied.

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3. A Message from Mario
Mario Rossero, Administrator, Fine and Performing Arts Magnet Cluster Program

I appreciate this opportunity to sit down and write this article as both the administrator for the Fine and Performing Arts Magnet Cluster Schools in CPS and especially as a public school art teacher at heart. Many of you know me pretty well, but what I'd really like to share is a story about one of my favorite lessons I ever taught, which may also tell you a little more about me.

I recently led a workshop for a college class of art education students. I was asked to present on a lesson I used to teach my fourth graders, "The Puppet Music Video Project." When planning my delivery of this talk, I really thought about what the kids learned from this project. Collaboration came up immediately, as did experimentation, interdisciplinary connections, and student popular culture. After viewing the videos, the art education students talked about how they were really drawn to the aesthetics of the puppets, the group choreography, and especially the choices made when matching up music to visuals. I share the lesson story below.

Fourth graders working on the "Puppet Music Video Project" were grouped in teams of 4-5 students. They chose an image from art history with characters that they could make puppets out of. One example was a Romare Bearden image of three jazz musicians. Students built puppets from plaster, found objects, and fabric to look like the musicians in the painting. They then painted the background from the Bearden artwork to act as their backdrop. Students chose music to match their artwork, sometimes it was hip-hop, sometimes it was classical. We had a stage in the front of the room, where they could hang their backdrop and perform their choreographed moves to their chosen music. I managed the camera and videotaping, while the rest of the class acted as either film crew or audience. The videos created from this lesson are at once smart, funny, bizarre, and always multi-layered. The kids loved this so much that it became a yearly tradition.

The best thing about the whole lesson, though, was the reaction that the younger students had to the puppets when entering the art room. They just lit up with excitement. One second grader requested to take my example puppet, a miniature Andy Warhol, home to visit his family. This started a whole system of artist puppets going home with students on a rotational basis. Borrowing the puppets acted as a reward, a behavior management system, and a tool for teaching how to make art a part of everyday life. It was a very cool "happening" in my art room. Please feel free to ask for a viewing of these videos anytime and thanks for the chance to share my story.

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4. Tamiko's Talk
Tamiko Nettles, Chicago Public Schools, Cluster Coordinator, Voluntary Public School Choice Grant

Hello Fellow and Future A.R.T. Sponsors,

My name is Tamiko Nettles. I am the new Cluster Coordinator who has had the distinct honor to replace a great CPS employee you all know and love, Mr. Christopher Mallette! I won't be able to tell you coaching tips or talk about family trips to Disneyland, but I hope to keep things in the upbeat and cheery position that Chris started!

In my former life, I was a teacher in the Parochial and Chicago Public School system, advisor for Chicago Teaching Fellows, After school Program Director, and Mentor for CPS students. I am from Atlanta, GA and have thoroughly enjoyed my stay here in the Windy City admidst the ups and downs of weather, personalities, and energy! Although I am no longer teaching in the classroom, I am still enlightened and inspired daily by the Principals, MCLTs, Sponsors like A.R.T., and present CPS Coworkers!

I hope that you will tune in for updates about me and activities that my cluster schools are doing in future newsletters! When you get a chance, please look at City Central cluster's website, one of the clusters that I work with, at the cps magnet website!

I look forward to talking to you soon!

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5. Get to know The Office of Fine Arts

The Office of Fine Arts is a new addition to the Chicago Public Schools. Their goal is to provide more students with access to a quality arts education, and with meaningful arts experiences inside and outside the classroom (Just like A.R.T.!). They are also a resource for teachers, principals and arts partners on sequential arts curricula, arts integration, professional development for teachers and principals, arts partnerships, and arts certification. The Office of Fine Arts is also passionate advocate for greater funding in arts education.

The Office of Fine Arts' long term goals is to increase the number of arts specialist teachers in Chicago Public Schools, establish appropriate discipline-based learning strategies, and increase the amount of dedicated funding for arts education within CPS, city- and state-wide, and nationally. They take as their charge the language of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 that identifies the arts as "core academic subjects."

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David Roche, Director

David Roche is the Director of the Office of Fine Arts. Before coming to CPS, David was Executive Director of the Old Town School of Folk Music. He has served as Vice President of the Chicago Board of Governors for the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Artistic Director for the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, adjunct professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and culture critic for New America Media Online. Holding a Ph.D. in music from the University of California, Berkeley, David has also taught elementary and middle school in Alameda County, California.

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Nancy A. Cortes, Visual Arts Curriculum Supervisor

Nancy A. Cortés, the office's Visual Arts Curriculum Supervisor, joined the staff after 11 years as Senior Program Specialist for Arts and Culture at the Chicago Park District, where she worked with cultural partners to bring special arts offerings to neighborhood parks. Prior to that time, she worked at the Chicago Historical Society developing visual and performing arts programs, and as an educator for the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum. She has served on various city arts panels and cultural advisory committees and attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

William McClellan, Music Curriculum Supervisor

Celebrating 33 years with CPS, William Braddan McClellan is the office's Music Curriculum Supervisor. Bill is also chief administrator of the nine CPS All-City Performing Groups, and the coordinator of all CPS music contests. Bill was a member of the US Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, and was a band director at both the elementary and high school levels. He is a product of CPS's Wendell Phillips High School, and holds degrees from Northeastern Illinois State College, Vandercook College of Music, and Roosevelt University.

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N. Charles Thomas, Arts Grants Supervisor

Arts Grants Supervisor, N. Charles Thomas, served in a variety of administrative roles in New York City before coming to Chicago and CPS. He has written about the arts for publications such as Time Out Chicago, Time Out New York, Classical Singer, and the New York Times. Charles has produced two solo vocal recordings, and has performed in jazz, theatrical, and classical contexts in the US and in Europe. He is a graduate of Yale University and the New England Conservatory of Music.

Rosalinda Fierro, Office Manager

Currently in her third year of service at CPS, Rosalinda Fierro is our Office Manager. Rosalinda provides executive assistance to the director; processes payroll, purchase orders, and reimbursements; and acts as internal liaison for the department. Prior to joining the Office of Fine Arts, Rosalinda served as an administrative assistant in the Office of Literacy.

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Crystal Gerner, Administrative Assistant

Crystal Gerner is the office's Administrative Assistant. She is currently working towards her master's degree in school counseling at National-Louis University. She attended Oswego High School and was a member of the Wind Symphony as well as the marching band, where she served as captain of the flag corp. While attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Crystal was a member of the nationally-ranked UW Cheerleading Squad that performed alongside the University Marching Band.

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Emily Hooper Lansana, Theater/Literary Arts Curriculum Supervisor

Emily Hooper Lansana is the office's Theater/Literary Arts Curriculum Supervisor. Before coming to CPS, Emily served as Arts-in-Education consultant for eta Creative Arts Foundation, and has taught at Columbia College, Chicago State University, the University of Chicago, and DePaul University. She has also worked as Director of Education at New York's Lincoln Center Theater. Emily serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Black Storytellers and as President of the Chicago Association of Black Storytellers. She received her BA in Theater Studies with a certificate in Teacher Preparation/Education from Yale University, and an MA in Performance Studies from Northwestern University.

Frank R. Quinn, Arts Business Supervisor

Dalila has taught at Montefiore for the past five years. She is a multi-talented, passionate educator and artist who looks to infuse new life in old and tired forms. She recently has introduced projects of Origami into her classroom and has been using it with her students to reinforce principles of Geometry. In addition to visual art, Dalila is profoundly influenced by the poetry - the voice of the soul. She enjoys reading and motivating and empowering others, especially her family.

6. Generations of Connections
A.R.T. and Sullivan School

A.R.T. and our artists have a long tradition of partnership with many schools in the Chicago Public School system. But when researching some of these partnerships for an upcoming Annual Report, generously funded by the Taproot Foundation, we discovered a unique one that spans generations.

At Sullivan School (8331 South Mackinaw Avenue), A.R.T. has found numerous connections:

> One of our former veteran artists, Ian Weaver, attended Sullivan as a youngster

> The children of A.R.T. Artist David Geary currently attend Sullivan School.

> David is currently conducting workshops for parents at Sullivan School, and David's wife is an active member of the Sullivan community.

> A.R.T. Artist Monica Kelsie had Sullivan's art teacher, Debbie Noland, as her second grade teacher. Many years later, Monica served as a babysitter for Ms. Noland's children, AND Monica is conducting a residency at Sullivan School this year!

As most A.R.T. Artists are Chicago natives, we often find similar connections between our artists and the schools served by Art Resources in Teaching. Schools with a long-standing commitment to the arts nurture the artistic soul and naturally look to organizations like A.R.T. to bring stimulating learning experiences to their students. A.R.T. is fortunate to have such a talented corps of artists who understand that the arts are an essential bonding agent to bring schools and their communities together.

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7. News and Notes
Happenings and events from around our community

In December of 2006, Gail Wolf, a veteran staff artist for A.R.T., completed a distinguished commission as part of Chicago’s 1% for the Arts through the Chicago Cultural Affairs Department. Gail created four large, acrylic paintings that depict scenes of library life that come alive on canvases roughly 48” x 96” in size. The four large canvases were installed on December 22, 2006 and in their new, permanent home at the Austin/Irving Chicago Public Library. Congratulations Gail!


In January, A.R.T. Artists Heather Stumpf and Cecelia Vargas led a workshop for teachers in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization on how to make compelling, interactive, and educational presentation boards. More than 25 teachers worked in groups to complete boards based on the themes all learners in their program should strive for. The teachers learned quickly and came up with many engaging, fun and colorful ideas in presenting the themes. Special thanks to Tracey Stelly for hosting this workshop!

We've just been made aware of a great website/newsletter that you may be interested in. It's called Catalyst Chicago, an independent reporting of school reform, and a sister publication of The Chicago Reporter. Not receiving it? Well, click here to check it out!

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8. Grants & Opportunities
Below is just a small list of artist and grant opportunities. If you know of others, please email us at and we will include them in our next eNewsletter.

Teachers are invited to apply for a National Education Association Fine Arts Grant Program. Click here for guidelines and an application.

Donors Choose - www.donorschoose.org - Public School teachers can submit project proposals for materials or experiences that help students learn.

For additional Requests for Proposals (RFPs) in Education, visit the Foundation Center website.


The National Endowment for the Humanities is announcing a new grant opportunity that will supply interested schools with large prints of American art works, along with a resource book. According to their website: As part of its We the People program, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is collaborating with the American Library Association (ALA) to present the pilot version of a new program called We the People Picturing America. This program introduces young people to some of America's art treasures and is designed to promote the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture in K-12 schools.

The application deadline is fast approaching (March 19th), and more information, as well as an application, can be found here.

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9. Our Nation's Museums
Below is a list of web addresses for International Art Museum's found across the U.S. Log on someday to find a host of great resources and images to share with your students. Or plan on visiting one on your summer break!

J. Paul Getty Museum
Los Angeles, CA
http://getty.edu/museum

Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles, CA
http://lacma.org

The Museum of Contemporary Art
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.moca-la.org

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco, CA
http://www.sfmoma.org

Salvador Dali Museum
St. Petersburg, FL
http://www.salvadordalimuseum.org

Honolulu Academy of Arts
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.honoluluacademy.org

The Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, IL
http://www.artic.edu

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Chicago, IL
http://www.mcachicago.org

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Boston, MA
http://www.mfa.org

The Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit, MI
http://www.dia.org

Walker Art Center
Minneapolis, MN
http://www.walkerart.org

Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
Santa Fe, NM
http://www.okeeffemuseum.org

Brooklyn Museum of Art
Brooklyn, NY
http://www.brooklynmuseum.org

The Frick Collection
New York, NY
http://www.frick.org

Solomon R. Guggenheim
New York, NY
http://www.guggenheim.org

International Center of Photography
New York, NY
http://www.icp.org

The Jewish Museum
New York, NY
http://jewishmuseum.org

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York, NY
http://metmuseum.org

New Museum of Contemporary Art
New York, NY
http://www.moma.org

Whitney Museum of American Art
New York, NY
http://www.whitney.org

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, OH
http://www.clemusuart.com

Gilcrease Museum
Tulsa, OK
http://www.gilcrease.org

Portland Museum of Art
Portland, OR
http://www.moca-la.org

Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia, PA
http://www.philamuseum.org

The Andy Warhol Museum
Pittsburgh, PA
http://www.moca-la.org

Dallas Museum of Art
Dallas, TX
http://www.dm-art.org

Contemporary Arts Museum
Houston, TX
http://www.camh.org

The Menil Collection
Houston, TX
http://www.menil.org

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Houston, TX
http://www.mfah.org

Seattle Art Museum
Seattle, WA
http://www.seattleartmuseum.org

The Corcoran Gallery of Art
Washington DC
http://www.corcoran.org

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Washington DC
http://www.hirshhorn.si.edu

National Gallery of Art
Washington DC
http://www.nga.gov

Smithsonian American Art Museum
Washington DC
http://www.nmaa.si.edu

National Museum of the American Indian
Washington DC
http://www.si.edu/nmai

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10. Resources
Below is a list of resources that teachers might find valuable. If you have additional resources you'd like to share, please email us your listings.

Potential Exhibition Sites for Student Artwork
Libraries, local restaurants, and coffee shops often have nice bare walls that would benefit from your students' artwork - not to mention a bit of space for a culminating event or reception. Contact your Alderman or Chamber of Commerce for more ideas of locations in your area - and remember to invite these local officials to all events!

Creative Reuse Warehouse
222 East 135th Place
Chicago IL 60627
Tel (773) 821-1351
Fax (773) 821-7462
info@resourcecenterchicago.org
This non-profit environmental education organization has led the way in demonstrating innovative techniques for recycling and reusing materials.

www.iLoveSchools.com
Every year the average teacher spends nearly $600 from their own pocket to buy classroom materials. iLoveSchools.com acts as a matchmaking service between donor and teacher to help alleviate this burden.

www.blogger.com
When you run out of wall space, or just want the whole world to see what your students have been doing, go to blogger.com where teachers (or students) can create an on-line gallery.

American Drapery Cleaners and Flame-Proofer
2239 W. Roscoe
Chicago IL 60618
Tel 1-800-819-4200
A great source for fire-retardant cloth and flame-proofing services (for creating banners, murals, stage sets, etc.)

Gray's Learning Tree
4419 N. Ravenswood
Chicago IL 60640
Tel 773-769-3737
www.thelearningtreechicago.com
Purveyors of a marvelous selection of tape and other items. The strong white tape sticks to many surfaces and yet doesn't leave a residue or stain. Great for hanging artwork without ruining your walls!

American Science and Surplus
5316 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60630
Tel (773) 763-0313
www.sciplus.com
American Science & Surplus offers a unique mix of industrial, military and educational items, with an emphasis on science and education. They supply a wide range of unusual and hard to find items (some say bizarre stuff) to the hobbiest, tinkerer, artist, experimenter, home educator, do-it-yourselfer, and bargain hunter.

Art Resources in Teaching
105 W Adams Ste 3300
Chicago, IL 60620
Tel (312) 332-0355
www.artresourcesinteaching.org
Art Resources in Teaching (A.R.T.), a not-for-profit organization, is Chicago's oldest and largest educational organization dedicated to providing vibrant visual arts residency programs to school children in the Chicago area. A.R.T. Teaching-Artists make art come alive for students and teachers by establishing connections between academic subjects and the visual arts with lively discussions, slide presentations, and hands-on art projects. Students learn about the relationship of art to history, culture, and creative expression through media such as painting, sculpture, photography, and others. Residencies range in length from one-day workshops to sixteen session residencies and are designed to address Chicago Academic Standards and Frameworks and IL State Goals and build children's capacity for creative thinking.

Click here to go to additional links on the A.R.T. website

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11. Visit Our Partners and Friends of the Arts
If you'd like to add your website or organization to this list, please email us and we will include them in our next eNewsletter (if appropriate and if space allows)

Chicago Public Schools
Crow Canyon
Chicago Artists Resource.org
Marwen
Gallery 37
Art Institute of Chicago
Mara Tapp and "Cool Classics"