Here is a wonderfully insightful piece I found on HuffingtonPost.com. It really captures all of us moms (and dads) who have gotten our kids to sports practice AND to some kind of arts or music lesson on top of it. Don't miss this. It gives you heart. Hopefully, the politicians we elect are the same kind of parents and will begin supporting art funding whole-heartedly.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/benjamin-krevolin/hockey-moms-make-room-for_b_137648.html
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Elect Pro-Art Candidates
The advocacy group Americans for the Arts has identified seven key races across the country that could have a positive impact on the arts. Check out their list complete with supporting statements, then elect one of these candidates if he or she is yours!
http://mail.google.com/mail/#inbox/11d45431b67577f1
Here is a list of all the candidates the Arts Action Fund has contributed to across the country. Let's get our country moving ahead in teaching creativity and supporting American innovation once again.
http://www.artsactionfund.org/pdf/special_reports/2008/pac_contributions08.pdf
http://mail.google.com/mail/#inbox/11d45431b67577f1
Here is a list of all the candidates the Arts Action Fund has contributed to across the country. Let's get our country moving ahead in teaching creativity and supporting American innovation once again.
http://www.artsactionfund.org/pdf/special_reports/2008/pac_contributions08.pdf
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Anti-gang Measure Promises Afterschool Art Programs
If you live in Los Angeles County, you received a glossy flyer in support of Prop A - a minimally priced anti-gang tax. The proponents for the measure include our top law enforcement officers Sheriff Lee Baca and Police Chief Bill Bratton, as well as Mothers Against Gang Violence. Aren't we all against it?
I have some small experience in this arena, so I'm interested in what Prop A will provide. One is my involvement in dealing with gang activity in Washington state, and the other is in being an early provider of afterschool art programs for seven years.
First off, I must digress for a moment to make a comment about the glossy color image on the Prop A flyer. It shows an elementary-aged child showing off her art creation in order to persuade you to vote for the measure. I had to shake my head though, for the girl is holding a glued-together popsicle stick box. Oh, dear. As if this is a fine example of what children will receive in an art program funded by the $3.00 per month tax every home owner will pay. It's an okay craft project for the Brownie troop, but certainly not what a skilled art educator would be teaching. I suppose the ad agency folks that staged this didn't have a better examples at their disposal.
Unfortunately, to me the popsicle stick box exactly typifies what people think of when it comes to elementary art programs. No wonder school personnel think art programs are less than educational if that's the only kind of craft project they ever experienced when they were school-aged. It stands to reason then why administrators don't think kids should spend precious school time pulled away from test prep -- even for 50 minutes per week. I'm not really knocking this fun project, because kids love it, but it doesn't begin to encompass the scope of a comprehensive art program.
Okay, enough soapbox. I don't know that anyone can knock having children and young people productively engaged in those critical hours of 3-6 p.m. Maybe that's where we should focus our right-brain, creative education programs. It's truly something to think about, LA. I'm just curious who will be guiding this new bureaucracy. I haven't been able to find that out.
But back to the gang issue and why we need to act big. After we left LA and moved to Washington, I was appointed by the mayor of our community as the chair of the Mayor's Youth Commission. I enjoyed this position for five years. The commission was charged with overseeing anything concerning youth that city government was involved with in our city of 80,000. Coming from LA, I had a heightened awareness of gang issues. (Indeed, having attended Otis at the old MacArthur Park campus, I was cautious about safety. I had the dubious distinction of being robbed down in the basement dark room, which led to the school finally getting a security guard. I filed a report with the Rampart Station, and my credit card was eventually found on the person of a gang member who'd been enjoying it. I went to court in Watts to press charges.)
So, up in seemingly remote Washington, I was a bit surprised when bits of gang graffiti began to appear. The police and supposed gang experts said it was just wanna-be's and copycats -- not the real thing. (In fact, the belief of the LA cops in my day had been that gangs didn't move outside of their own neighborhoods -- I'd been concerned that since they had my driver's license they'd know where I lived. Now we know that they are very mobile.) But back to Washington: we got a new member on the commission who came from LA and had worked with the Hispanic gangs starting in the 1950s, and then with the black gangs in the 1970s. He knew his stuff. He said he saw evidence all round town of the Crips and Bloods. They traveled unhindered up and down I-5.
We organized neighborhood meetings in order to alert the community. This gentleman stood up and told parents that he would be happy to come to their home and tell them if their child was involved in a gang. He told school principals they had gang members walking right under their noses in the hallways. It was that obvious to him. But nobody believed him. And within two years we had our first drive-by shooting at a local high school, gang-related beatings, etc. It gets rooted quickly when left uncheck.
So now we're back here in LA. And gangs certainly haven't stayed confined to South Central or east LA. Instead of being a problem "over there," it's become an incidious spiderweb across the entire region. The folly of that kind of thinking 25 years ago resulted in not ever addressing the underlying causes. As we all know, the ignored problems festered, than exploded. It seems that communities and neighborhoods once remote and supposedly untouchable are defaced.
Let's support the effort to address this region-wide problem with a region-wide, coordinated response.
During my tenure on the Youth Commission in the mid 90s, there was mounting evidence that afterschool programs were a very promising solution to the problem of latch kids and working parents. But there wasn't much out there, and certainly no outside funding for them. Youth sports programs were dependent upon parents getting the kids to practice and games. They couldn't absorb unattended kids or those in need of transportation. The "Y" hadn't yet begun offering its school programs.
I hired some artists and we took an art program to several schools. This came right on the heels of our district axing the art teacher position at my daughter's school when the first rounds of state testing were dropped on the district. Later when we moved to northern CA I provided a similar program. The biggest problem was that we basically only reached those who could afford to pay our reasonable fees, except for when PTA's provided scholarships for specific kids. So the idea of making art programs widely available to LA kids wins big with me!
This is information is taken directly from the VOTE YES ON PROP A in Los Angeles county:
ANALYSIS
A recent citywide poll indicated that gang and juvenile violence ranked as a top concern for area residents. In fact, a staggering 80% of voters said that gang and juvenile violence was a very serious problem that needed to be addressed. If passed, this initiative will have a dramatic impact benefiting children and neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles by taking kids off the streets and keeping them away from gangs, guns and drugs.
Consider the facts:
There are currently more than 700 gangs and over 40 thousand gang members in Los Angeles.
In 2007, the LAPD reported a 14% increase in gang crime. In the Valley, gang crime is up 4% in the West Valley area and up 11% in the Mission area.
We spend $1.67 million on each gang murder. It costs $218,000 per year to incarcerate a juvenile.
Prevention and intervention programs are needed to complement the addition of more police officers. Chief Bratton has said: “We cannot arrest our way out of this problem.”
Students who take advantage of after school programs like LA’s BEST are 20% more likely to stay in school.
80% of prison inmates are high school dropouts.
If we can keep 120 kids out of jail, we will save the $30 million cost of the measure. If we can prevent 1,000 kids from being jailed, the measure will save $250 million.
THE INITIATIVE
Mothers Against Gang Violence is the principal proponent of an initiative on the November 2008 ballot that will provide $30 million each year to ensure that every student in Los Angeles has an opportunity to participate in safe after school, job training, mentoring, and apprenticeship programs.
Only funds programs that have a proven track record of successfully boosting academic achievement, reducing high school dropout rates and preventing youth from joining gangs or using drugs.
Guarantees a dedicated funding stream for critical programs that focus on gang prevention, job training and after school programs—without the possibility of being redirected to the general fund or other administrative expenses.
Funds apprenticeship and mentoring programs so that at-risk youth obtain job training and learn important life skills and lessons about respect, discipline, and personal responsibility.
Provides additional funding for after-school and community-based programs such as LA’s BEST, to increase opportunities for safe and supervised activities during the critical hours of 3-6pm, which will keep kids out of the streets and out of trouble.
Provides in-school programs such as GAP (Gang Alternative Program) that expands dropout prevention programs and establishes a citywide 4th grade curriculum that has been phenomenally successful in keeping kids away from gangs. Additionally, it funds a program to escort students to and from school that will keep young people safe from gang recruitment.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Will only fund programs that provide kids with real alternatives to gang involvement, programs with actual success.
A Citizen’s Oversight Committee will oversee and make recommendations to the Mayor and City Council about which organizations receives funding.
The measure requires annual City Controller audits to ensure that all taxpayers’ funds are used effectively, efficiently and as promised to fight gang violence in Los Angeles.
Programs that receive funding are required to demonstrate effectiveness, which will be measured by long-term success of kids participating in the programs or an actual reduction in gang violence. Programs that cannot demonstrate effectiveness and not shown to reduce gang violence will not be eligible to receive funds raised by this measure.
Funding comes from a $36 annual parcel tax on each property, with exemptions for low-income property owners, and senior citizens, which comes to $3 a month.
Click on the VOTE YES link to get more information:
http://www.voteyespropa.com/
I have some small experience in this arena, so I'm interested in what Prop A will provide. One is my involvement in dealing with gang activity in Washington state, and the other is in being an early provider of afterschool art programs for seven years.
First off, I must digress for a moment to make a comment about the glossy color image on the Prop A flyer. It shows an elementary-aged child showing off her art creation in order to persuade you to vote for the measure. I had to shake my head though, for the girl is holding a glued-together popsicle stick box. Oh, dear. As if this is a fine example of what children will receive in an art program funded by the $3.00 per month tax every home owner will pay. It's an okay craft project for the Brownie troop, but certainly not what a skilled art educator would be teaching. I suppose the ad agency folks that staged this didn't have a better examples at their disposal.
Unfortunately, to me the popsicle stick box exactly typifies what people think of when it comes to elementary art programs. No wonder school personnel think art programs are less than educational if that's the only kind of craft project they ever experienced when they were school-aged. It stands to reason then why administrators don't think kids should spend precious school time pulled away from test prep -- even for 50 minutes per week. I'm not really knocking this fun project, because kids love it, but it doesn't begin to encompass the scope of a comprehensive art program.
Okay, enough soapbox. I don't know that anyone can knock having children and young people productively engaged in those critical hours of 3-6 p.m. Maybe that's where we should focus our right-brain, creative education programs. It's truly something to think about, LA. I'm just curious who will be guiding this new bureaucracy. I haven't been able to find that out.
But back to the gang issue and why we need to act big. After we left LA and moved to Washington, I was appointed by the mayor of our community as the chair of the Mayor's Youth Commission. I enjoyed this position for five years. The commission was charged with overseeing anything concerning youth that city government was involved with in our city of 80,000. Coming from LA, I had a heightened awareness of gang issues. (Indeed, having attended Otis at the old MacArthur Park campus, I was cautious about safety. I had the dubious distinction of being robbed down in the basement dark room, which led to the school finally getting a security guard. I filed a report with the Rampart Station, and my credit card was eventually found on the person of a gang member who'd been enjoying it. I went to court in Watts to press charges.)
So, up in seemingly remote Washington, I was a bit surprised when bits of gang graffiti began to appear. The police and supposed gang experts said it was just wanna-be's and copycats -- not the real thing. (In fact, the belief of the LA cops in my day had been that gangs didn't move outside of their own neighborhoods -- I'd been concerned that since they had my driver's license they'd know where I lived. Now we know that they are very mobile.) But back to Washington: we got a new member on the commission who came from LA and had worked with the Hispanic gangs starting in the 1950s, and then with the black gangs in the 1970s. He knew his stuff. He said he saw evidence all round town of the Crips and Bloods. They traveled unhindered up and down I-5.
We organized neighborhood meetings in order to alert the community. This gentleman stood up and told parents that he would be happy to come to their home and tell them if their child was involved in a gang. He told school principals they had gang members walking right under their noses in the hallways. It was that obvious to him. But nobody believed him. And within two years we had our first drive-by shooting at a local high school, gang-related beatings, etc. It gets rooted quickly when left uncheck.
So now we're back here in LA. And gangs certainly haven't stayed confined to South Central or east LA. Instead of being a problem "over there," it's become an incidious spiderweb across the entire region. The folly of that kind of thinking 25 years ago resulted in not ever addressing the underlying causes. As we all know, the ignored problems festered, than exploded. It seems that communities and neighborhoods once remote and supposedly untouchable are defaced.
Let's support the effort to address this region-wide problem with a region-wide, coordinated response.
During my tenure on the Youth Commission in the mid 90s, there was mounting evidence that afterschool programs were a very promising solution to the problem of latch kids and working parents. But there wasn't much out there, and certainly no outside funding for them. Youth sports programs were dependent upon parents getting the kids to practice and games. They couldn't absorb unattended kids or those in need of transportation. The "Y" hadn't yet begun offering its school programs.
I hired some artists and we took an art program to several schools. This came right on the heels of our district axing the art teacher position at my daughter's school when the first rounds of state testing were dropped on the district. Later when we moved to northern CA I provided a similar program. The biggest problem was that we basically only reached those who could afford to pay our reasonable fees, except for when PTA's provided scholarships for specific kids. So the idea of making art programs widely available to LA kids wins big with me!
This is information is taken directly from the VOTE YES ON PROP A in Los Angeles county:
ANALYSIS
A recent citywide poll indicated that gang and juvenile violence ranked as a top concern for area residents. In fact, a staggering 80% of voters said that gang and juvenile violence was a very serious problem that needed to be addressed. If passed, this initiative will have a dramatic impact benefiting children and neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles by taking kids off the streets and keeping them away from gangs, guns and drugs.
Consider the facts:
There are currently more than 700 gangs and over 40 thousand gang members in Los Angeles.
In 2007, the LAPD reported a 14% increase in gang crime. In the Valley, gang crime is up 4% in the West Valley area and up 11% in the Mission area.
We spend $1.67 million on each gang murder. It costs $218,000 per year to incarcerate a juvenile.
Prevention and intervention programs are needed to complement the addition of more police officers. Chief Bratton has said: “We cannot arrest our way out of this problem.”
Students who take advantage of after school programs like LA’s BEST are 20% more likely to stay in school.
80% of prison inmates are high school dropouts.
If we can keep 120 kids out of jail, we will save the $30 million cost of the measure. If we can prevent 1,000 kids from being jailed, the measure will save $250 million.
THE INITIATIVE
Mothers Against Gang Violence is the principal proponent of an initiative on the November 2008 ballot that will provide $30 million each year to ensure that every student in Los Angeles has an opportunity to participate in safe after school, job training, mentoring, and apprenticeship programs.
Only funds programs that have a proven track record of successfully boosting academic achievement, reducing high school dropout rates and preventing youth from joining gangs or using drugs.
Guarantees a dedicated funding stream for critical programs that focus on gang prevention, job training and after school programs—without the possibility of being redirected to the general fund or other administrative expenses.
Funds apprenticeship and mentoring programs so that at-risk youth obtain job training and learn important life skills and lessons about respect, discipline, and personal responsibility.
Provides additional funding for after-school and community-based programs such as LA’s BEST, to increase opportunities for safe and supervised activities during the critical hours of 3-6pm, which will keep kids out of the streets and out of trouble.
Provides in-school programs such as GAP (Gang Alternative Program) that expands dropout prevention programs and establishes a citywide 4th grade curriculum that has been phenomenally successful in keeping kids away from gangs. Additionally, it funds a program to escort students to and from school that will keep young people safe from gang recruitment.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Will only fund programs that provide kids with real alternatives to gang involvement, programs with actual success.
A Citizen’s Oversight Committee will oversee and make recommendations to the Mayor and City Council about which organizations receives funding.
The measure requires annual City Controller audits to ensure that all taxpayers’ funds are used effectively, efficiently and as promised to fight gang violence in Los Angeles.
Programs that receive funding are required to demonstrate effectiveness, which will be measured by long-term success of kids participating in the programs or an actual reduction in gang violence. Programs that cannot demonstrate effectiveness and not shown to reduce gang violence will not be eligible to receive funds raised by this measure.
Funding comes from a $36 annual parcel tax on each property, with exemptions for low-income property owners, and senior citizens, which comes to $3 a month.
Click on the VOTE YES link to get more information:
http://www.voteyespropa.com/
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The Call is Getting Louder to Embrace Creativity Education in Schools
Another call from an expert to reinstate arts to the schools. Sir Ken Robinson says its imperative to make us competitive in the 21st century. Apparently, the Brits have injected a billion dollars into their education system to improve the teaching of creativity. Singapore, South Korea, and China are reinventing their teaching strategies and testing -- opting instead to emphasize the teaching of creativity. They've decided that curriculum based solely to satisfy test scores is counterproductive to innovation. Ahem!
We can't lag so far behind! That would definitely be a creative disconnect. After all, wasn't it the alarm sounded 25 years ago by the report "A Nation at Risk" comparing our students' test scores against these same countries that sent us in our current direction? We've now arrived at this incredibly intense testing frenzy as if it's going to get our country ahead ... and what has it really gotten us? If we don't pay attention to what the rest of the world is now doing, we're off in left field. We need to be in the right field, providing more right brain education.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=6d37953d-0486-43d0-8cc4-c70f389f4b06
We can't lag so far behind! That would definitely be a creative disconnect. After all, wasn't it the alarm sounded 25 years ago by the report "A Nation at Risk" comparing our students' test scores against these same countries that sent us in our current direction? We've now arrived at this incredibly intense testing frenzy as if it's going to get our country ahead ... and what has it really gotten us? If we don't pay attention to what the rest of the world is now doing, we're off in left field. We need to be in the right field, providing more right brain education.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=6d37953d-0486-43d0-8cc4-c70f389f4b06
Taking Art-Making Away From Kindergarteners is Anti-Education
So, I was having another one of those headshaking conversations with a kindergarten teacher that makes me crazy. She mentioned that a LAUSD supervisor had told kindergarten teachers she didn't want to see cutting and pasting or art-type projects displayed on the walls. Teachers were only to put up real "work."
O my gosh!
As parents know -- and supposedly well-trained educators who've completed child development coursework -- the work of five-year-olds is cutting, gluing, drawing, painting, and gaining those fine motor skills in the right and natural way. You can't get to fluid writing until you provide those opportunities consistently.
Now, kids who have had this normally at home during their preschool years are prepared for the "rigor" of kindergarten. But, our schools are full of children who have not even made marks on paper. The teachers see the result of this every day. Yet their hands are tied. Instead of doing what they know is right, they are forced to make young children try to perform beyond their abilities. It just doesn't work. These kids need double the amount of cutting and drawing opportunities to make up for the deficit.
You know the catch phrase -- we need education reform. True reform means providing education that is developmentally appropriate. Kids learn through art-making. It develops half their brain power, their hand power, their focusing power...which must be in place to master the school-type subjects.
We get more for our education bucks when we provide systematic art education. I've personally seen it work. Just because California hasn't been doing it, in no way means it doesn't work. We have to teach young kids in the way they learn best. Through art. That way, teachers have a better chance of helping kids learn subjects that aren't so natural or of interest to them -- and get those all-important test scores that are important to...adults.
In other school districts that spend less per student, but still have their art programs, they know they can't get rid of them even in tight financial times. There's value in giving kids even 50 minutes per week of art instruction. It's really is so little time out of the frenzy of test prep, so it seems easily expendable. But schools get a big bang for that focused instruction devoted entirely to right brain thinking. It ripples out into the rest of the school day.
O my gosh!
As parents know -- and supposedly well-trained educators who've completed child development coursework -- the work of five-year-olds is cutting, gluing, drawing, painting, and gaining those fine motor skills in the right and natural way. You can't get to fluid writing until you provide those opportunities consistently.
Now, kids who have had this normally at home during their preschool years are prepared for the "rigor" of kindergarten. But, our schools are full of children who have not even made marks on paper. The teachers see the result of this every day. Yet their hands are tied. Instead of doing what they know is right, they are forced to make young children try to perform beyond their abilities. It just doesn't work. These kids need double the amount of cutting and drawing opportunities to make up for the deficit.
You know the catch phrase -- we need education reform. True reform means providing education that is developmentally appropriate. Kids learn through art-making. It develops half their brain power, their hand power, their focusing power...which must be in place to master the school-type subjects.
We get more for our education bucks when we provide systematic art education. I've personally seen it work. Just because California hasn't been doing it, in no way means it doesn't work. We have to teach young kids in the way they learn best. Through art. That way, teachers have a better chance of helping kids learn subjects that aren't so natural or of interest to them -- and get those all-important test scores that are important to...adults.
In other school districts that spend less per student, but still have their art programs, they know they can't get rid of them even in tight financial times. There's value in giving kids even 50 minutes per week of art instruction. It's really is so little time out of the frenzy of test prep, so it seems easily expendable. But schools get a big bang for that focused instruction devoted entirely to right brain thinking. It ripples out into the rest of the school day.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Otis Art College Celebrates Its Big 9-0!
The Los Angeles art institution founded by Otis Chandler of the LA Times turned 90-years-old today. That's some tradition. But is an art education relevant today? You bet it is! Otis is expanding. It's rigorous. It's students are in demand as innovators in the creative industries.
As an alum, I was impressed listening to the presentations made by each department. The college has really grown since I was there over two decades ago. There's a recognition of the variety of opportunities and industries worldwide craving creative talent, so the majors available have expanded impressively. But two Otis hallmarks have remained intact that drew me to it initially: all students spend their first year taking a foundation in basic art fundamentals, and instructors work in the industry rather than spouting outdated theory. Students learn from the pros bringing the latest techniques to the classroom. It's an awesome arrangement.
But here's what I wondered. One department chairman mentioned offhandedly that few Californians were in his program. Of course, when I hear something like that my ears prick up! Also, I was struck by the high caliber of student ability at the freshman level. How many students coming from California high schools could step right into the program? We are cutting our kids off from fantastic opportunities by cutting out part of their K - 12 education.
I think we should reject the wornout argument trotted out by CA districts that the arts cost too much. Not that I want to harp on the point, but Texas districts provide full programs based on far less funding per pupil than the state of CA gives. They have to deal with the same expensive issues such as immigration, special education, and testing -- hey, it's their model of testing that's been imposed on the rest of the country. Even so, they include elementary art and music rooms in buildings each district raises itself without state funds. LAUSD is building new schools for the first time in eons, but they don't include art and music rooms, or gyms. It's not even in their thinking to build for a future when they might have more money in their coffers. That's not tax dollars well-spent, in my opinion.
I think we need an uprising.
As an alum, I was impressed listening to the presentations made by each department. The college has really grown since I was there over two decades ago. There's a recognition of the variety of opportunities and industries worldwide craving creative talent, so the majors available have expanded impressively. But two Otis hallmarks have remained intact that drew me to it initially: all students spend their first year taking a foundation in basic art fundamentals, and instructors work in the industry rather than spouting outdated theory. Students learn from the pros bringing the latest techniques to the classroom. It's an awesome arrangement.
But here's what I wondered. One department chairman mentioned offhandedly that few Californians were in his program. Of course, when I hear something like that my ears prick up! Also, I was struck by the high caliber of student ability at the freshman level. How many students coming from California high schools could step right into the program? We are cutting our kids off from fantastic opportunities by cutting out part of their K - 12 education.
I think we should reject the wornout argument trotted out by CA districts that the arts cost too much. Not that I want to harp on the point, but Texas districts provide full programs based on far less funding per pupil than the state of CA gives. They have to deal with the same expensive issues such as immigration, special education, and testing -- hey, it's their model of testing that's been imposed on the rest of the country. Even so, they include elementary art and music rooms in buildings each district raises itself without state funds. LAUSD is building new schools for the first time in eons, but they don't include art and music rooms, or gyms. It's not even in their thinking to build for a future when they might have more money in their coffers. That's not tax dollars well-spent, in my opinion.
I think we need an uprising.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Are the Arts "Academic?"
I've been thinking over the years about having an elementary charter school for the arts. Last spring I took a more serious look into it - visiting other charter schools and interviewing the movers and shakers behind a couple of successful ones to learn about their personal involvement. It was exciting to find a group of eager funders who wanted to put money towards seeding some Los Angeles charter schools. They were actively recruiting founders who didn't have education backgrounds. Really, it was surprising.
With a masters in education, principal certification, and teacher appraiser certification, I thought I was a shoe-in. Ha! My idea for an art-based school couldn't even make it past the initial screening process. I was told straight out: art is not academic, it isn't college-preparatory, it can't get funded. Why would you waste time teaching creativity in school?
My, my.
So, no matter that I who have worked in schools and taught thousands of kids, successfully proposed to a school board and implemented a middle school pilot program integrating art across the curriculum, and have a husband who is a school administrator, was told I didn't have an "academic" school proposal. No wonder it's so easy to cut school art programs when the guys at the top haven't a clue about the academics of art education.
Friends, we have a lot of work to do to if we're going to change this huge misperception.
By the way, if you want to to keep the little bit of funding the legislature has given towards art education for the last three years, there's a "thank you" letter getting sent around. Please sign it. And kindly ask your friends to sign it, too.
Give your legislator a hug. With the latest dismal Wall Street news, there will surely be some very hard choices ahead. Let's try and keep the funding we've got!
Here's the link to California Alliance for the Arts' Thank You Letter. If the link doesn't work, copy and paste it into your browser. Send you letter now!
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5155/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=710
With a masters in education, principal certification, and teacher appraiser certification, I thought I was a shoe-in. Ha! My idea for an art-based school couldn't even make it past the initial screening process. I was told straight out: art is not academic, it isn't college-preparatory, it can't get funded. Why would you waste time teaching creativity in school?
My, my.
So, no matter that I who have worked in schools and taught thousands of kids, successfully proposed to a school board and implemented a middle school pilot program integrating art across the curriculum, and have a husband who is a school administrator, was told I didn't have an "academic" school proposal. No wonder it's so easy to cut school art programs when the guys at the top haven't a clue about the academics of art education.
Friends, we have a lot of work to do to if we're going to change this huge misperception.
By the way, if you want to to keep the little bit of funding the legislature has given towards art education for the last three years, there's a "thank you" letter getting sent around. Please sign it. And kindly ask your friends to sign it, too.
Give your legislator a hug. With the latest dismal Wall Street news, there will surely be some very hard choices ahead. Let's try and keep the funding we've got!
Here's the link to California Alliance for the Arts' Thank You Letter. If the link doesn't work, copy and paste it into your browser. Send you letter now!
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5155/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=710
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Importing Creative Talent Instead of Growing Our Own
Over twenty years ago or so, I got acquainted with the man who was hiring talent at Warner Brothers. As fellow artists and art teachers, we bemoaned what was happening way back then! California's Proposition 13 (freezing property tax at 1978 prices) had been gutting money available to the schools. As a result, he was not able to hire enough US-born talent for the studio's entry level program.
At that point, we were about 10 years into the loss of public school art programs. He said that he almost never, if ever, hired someone from California. I was shocked. A fabulous Los Angeles institution not able to give good-paying jobs to Los Angeles residents! They could find talent from the east coast, but mostly they had begun importing it from India. Imagine that. And it was so expensive for the studio to do that -- $50,000 at 1988 prices! They paid for the visa, helped to buy a home, brought the wife along, etc. I wanted to scream about it from the roof tops. We were cutting our own children off from an education that would provide them wonderful jobs in the creative industry right here. And then complained loudly about foreign talent "taking" the jobs instead.
Has anything changed in the intervening years??? Even Google couldn't find enough creative US educated workforce, and woefully cast an eye offshore. Dear Californians, are you getting the point? Creativity must be taught the same as spelling, or reading, or math. It's not something you grab out of the air.
To the immense credit of the Warner Brothers talent scout, he scraped together a demanding graphic arts program at his local high school in an underserved area of Los Angeles. He knew what the kids needed in their art program before they could even be considered as an intern. Those students had to work extra hard outside of school to make up for the lack of art education from K-10th grade before he got hold of them. They were off to the zoo on the weekends to draw. They took life drawing at the community college at night. It was draw, baby, draw! But he was getting some success for those high schoolers who were driven to make it. Who could help but cheer for them all!
But it shouldn't be so hard. When we recognize that art education provides the foundation for an unbelievable number of industries and jobs that define Los Angeles, we'll start to put it on par with science and math and fund it. The talent's already here; it needs to be educated. It's cheaper to provide meaningful training to work in the creative industries than to let that young talent be idled, unfulfilled, and frozen out from contributing their brain power to fuel our creative economy.
We can change the mindset here. Creativity is about thinking broadly -- looking at things in a different way. Yes, millions have benefited from the windfall Prop 13 has given them over three decades, pocketed their personal pots-of-gold, and not paid their fair share towards our infrastructure. But now that we're seeing the crumbling results thirty years later, we know something's got to be done. Frankly, we crave it. We want thriving, livable communities. We must pay up in order to provide creative schools that prepare students for the well-paying jobs that are right here -- and should belong to them.
At that point, we were about 10 years into the loss of public school art programs. He said that he almost never, if ever, hired someone from California. I was shocked. A fabulous Los Angeles institution not able to give good-paying jobs to Los Angeles residents! They could find talent from the east coast, but mostly they had begun importing it from India. Imagine that. And it was so expensive for the studio to do that -- $50,000 at 1988 prices! They paid for the visa, helped to buy a home, brought the wife along, etc. I wanted to scream about it from the roof tops. We were cutting our own children off from an education that would provide them wonderful jobs in the creative industry right here. And then complained loudly about foreign talent "taking" the jobs instead.
Has anything changed in the intervening years??? Even Google couldn't find enough creative US educated workforce, and woefully cast an eye offshore. Dear Californians, are you getting the point? Creativity must be taught the same as spelling, or reading, or math. It's not something you grab out of the air.
To the immense credit of the Warner Brothers talent scout, he scraped together a demanding graphic arts program at his local high school in an underserved area of Los Angeles. He knew what the kids needed in their art program before they could even be considered as an intern. Those students had to work extra hard outside of school to make up for the lack of art education from K-10th grade before he got hold of them. They were off to the zoo on the weekends to draw. They took life drawing at the community college at night. It was draw, baby, draw! But he was getting some success for those high schoolers who were driven to make it. Who could help but cheer for them all!
But it shouldn't be so hard. When we recognize that art education provides the foundation for an unbelievable number of industries and jobs that define Los Angeles, we'll start to put it on par with science and math and fund it. The talent's already here; it needs to be educated. It's cheaper to provide meaningful training to work in the creative industries than to let that young talent be idled, unfulfilled, and frozen out from contributing their brain power to fuel our creative economy.
We can change the mindset here. Creativity is about thinking broadly -- looking at things in a different way. Yes, millions have benefited from the windfall Prop 13 has given them over three decades, pocketed their personal pots-of-gold, and not paid their fair share towards our infrastructure. But now that we're seeing the crumbling results thirty years later, we know something's got to be done. Frankly, we crave it. We want thriving, livable communities. We must pay up in order to provide creative schools that prepare students for the well-paying jobs that are right here -- and should belong to them.
Friday, October 3, 2008
ArtsVote Releases Comparison of Obama-McCain Arts Positions
Americans for the Arts Action Fund artsusa.org>
With only 32 days left to Election Day, now is the time to act and show your support for the arts!
| Arts Positions of the 2008 Presidential Candidates | ||
Sen. Barack Obama | Sen. John McCain | |
| Campaign has met with Americans for the Arts Action Fund to discuss policy issues. | Yes | Yes |
| Campaign has published policy proposals on the arts and/or arts education. | Yes | No |
| Candidate has made statement on federal support of the arts. | Yes | No |
| Candidate has made statement on federal support of arts education. | Yes | Yes |
| National party platform includes statement on the arts and/or arts education. | Yes | No |
| Candidate has pro-arts Congressional record. | Yes | No |
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Otis Data Proves It: Creativity is Big Business in Los Angeles
Some would say creativity is THE business of Los Angeles. Otis College of Art and Design has got the data to prove what tourists have always known -- the LA brand is a powerful economic draw and engine.
Otis College commissioned the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) to compile and analyze the "2008 Report on the Creative Economy of the Los Angeles Region." Maybe it's no surprise that a 90 year-old art education institution such as Otis recognizes that creativity and innovation are what will define and drive the 21st century. Good news for Angelenos: we don't have to try to invent a creative community from scratch. We're already here. It's robust, but rather unrecognized for the powerhouse that it is. That was the most surprising message, given how many jobs and tax revenue it generates.
For number crunchers, the data is undeniable. This is not frill or fluff. As was mentioned time and again, this is serious business. Almost a million jobs are directly and indirectly based on creative industries! This is mind-boggling. Each direct job in the creative industry supports 1.6 indirect jobs. The interconnecting web supports the entire region, even down to containers being unloaded at the port in San Pedro.
An impressive panel of business and community leaders, moderated by KCET's Val Zavala, shared personal insights about "Imagining a Creative Future." The CEOs of Mattel, Inc. and Hurley International (a subsidiary of Nike), the Mayor of El Segundo, and the directors of the California Arts Council and L.A. County Arts Commission were clear about the potential and needs of the creative community. Instead of being ignored by our government agencies, they need to play a bigger role in planning and using us. Considering the significant portion it generates in the 17th largest economy of the world, government and business leaders need to help ensure the future of L.A.'s creative community.
One of the biggest creative disconnects mentioned: the lack of art education in our K-12 schools, while the college and university opportunities are renowned. I aplauded the clarion call of Laura Zucker, Executive Director of L.A. Arts Commission: quadruple the effort to provide art education to the students in the region's 80 school districts. What a concept: educate our own kids to actually get some of these creative jobs, rather than importing talent from other countries. How are the schools in India and Russia and Asia providing a creative education superior to ours?
The second biggest creative disconnect: Los Angeles gives far less to support its creative community than other major cities such as New York, Seattle and Chicago. According to Arts For LA , we rank lowest in public, private, corporate, and individual support for the arts. Isn't it time we changed that? Wow. If you think we're a powerhouse now, just imagine what we can be with some fuel!
You can download the full report at: www.otis.edu
You can support the advocacy movement to improve our creative economy at www.artsforla.org
Otis College commissioned the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) to compile and analyze the "2008 Report on the Creative Economy of the Los Angeles Region." Maybe it's no surprise that a 90 year-old art education institution such as Otis recognizes that creativity and innovation are what will define and drive the 21st century. Good news for Angelenos: we don't have to try to invent a creative community from scratch. We're already here. It's robust, but rather unrecognized for the powerhouse that it is. That was the most surprising message, given how many jobs and tax revenue it generates.
For number crunchers, the data is undeniable. This is not frill or fluff. As was mentioned time and again, this is serious business. Almost a million jobs are directly and indirectly based on creative industries! This is mind-boggling. Each direct job in the creative industry supports 1.6 indirect jobs. The interconnecting web supports the entire region, even down to containers being unloaded at the port in San Pedro.
An impressive panel of business and community leaders, moderated by KCET's Val Zavala, shared personal insights about "Imagining a Creative Future." The CEOs of Mattel, Inc. and Hurley International (a subsidiary of Nike), the Mayor of El Segundo, and the directors of the California Arts Council and L.A. County Arts Commission were clear about the potential and needs of the creative community. Instead of being ignored by our government agencies, they need to play a bigger role in planning and using us. Considering the significant portion it generates in the 17th largest economy of the world, government and business leaders need to help ensure the future of L.A.'s creative community.
One of the biggest creative disconnects mentioned: the lack of art education in our K-12 schools, while the college and university opportunities are renowned. I aplauded the clarion call of Laura Zucker, Executive Director of L.A. Arts Commission: quadruple the effort to provide art education to the students in the region's 80 school districts. What a concept: educate our own kids to actually get some of these creative jobs, rather than importing talent from other countries. How are the schools in India and Russia and Asia providing a creative education superior to ours?
The second biggest creative disconnect: Los Angeles gives far less to support its creative community than other major cities such as New York, Seattle and Chicago. According to Arts For LA , we rank lowest in public, private, corporate, and individual support for the arts. Isn't it time we changed that? Wow. If you think we're a powerhouse now, just imagine what we can be with some fuel!
You can download the full report at: www.otis.edu
You can support the advocacy movement to improve our creative economy at www.artsforla.org
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Otis College of Art and Design Zeroes in on LA's Creative Engine
Today my alma mater hosted an impressive morning gathering at the Skirball Cultural Center. Art nonprofit organizations, mayors, business CEOs, cultural commissioners, educators, fine and performing artists came to hear Otis College of Art and Design President Sammy Hoi give an eye-opening presentation. It definitely woke up anybody feeling sleepy due to the early hour. One wondered, will artists and designers rescue the economy?
We've been hearing more and more about the creative economy. Some communities -- Austin, TX, Fairfax, VA and Asheville, NC come to mind -- have made a conscious commitment to invest in their creative economies. They are drawing in those types of folks to form a lively community. In fact, the first-ever "National Conference on the Creative Economy" for the business community was held in Fairfax in 2007, drawing such popular economic speakers as Richard Florida and Thomas Friedman.
Now at long last, the original city built on creativity has our own report. Otis has headed a study tying actual numbers to the financial engine that creativity-based jobs generate in the Los Angeles region. If there's any doubt about this importance, putting dollar figures to it brings clarity. That an art college has taken the lead to identify this for the city made me proud. I was very surprised that it hadn't been generated by the Chamber of Commerce or the Mayor's office.
There's plenty of good news to report. But of course, as a long-time art educator, I wring my hands over the lack of substantial school art programs. That was brought up as recommendation in need of overhaul. It just astounds me that Texas not only has maintained their programs, but in the districts where I worked, they wouldn't have thought of building a new elementary school without an art room. In the last district where I was, they always build two art and two music rooms in each elementary school!! And that's not only in the richest part of town, but in every neighborhood. Folks, we can do this here! We've got a magnificent creative economy to maintain.
Okay, enough of the soap box. Let me share some of the items that jumped out at me during the two hour presentation.
We've been hearing more and more about the creative economy. Some communities -- Austin, TX, Fairfax, VA and Asheville, NC come to mind -- have made a conscious commitment to invest in their creative economies. They are drawing in those types of folks to form a lively community. In fact, the first-ever "National Conference on the Creative Economy" for the business community was held in Fairfax in 2007, drawing such popular economic speakers as Richard Florida and Thomas Friedman.
Now at long last, the original city built on creativity has our own report. Otis has headed a study tying actual numbers to the financial engine that creativity-based jobs generate in the Los Angeles region. If there's any doubt about this importance, putting dollar figures to it brings clarity. That an art college has taken the lead to identify this for the city made me proud. I was very surprised that it hadn't been generated by the Chamber of Commerce or the Mayor's office.
There's plenty of good news to report. But of course, as a long-time art educator, I wring my hands over the lack of substantial school art programs. That was brought up as recommendation in need of overhaul. It just astounds me that Texas not only has maintained their programs, but in the districts where I worked, they wouldn't have thought of building a new elementary school without an art room. In the last district where I was, they always build two art and two music rooms in each elementary school!! And that's not only in the richest part of town, but in every neighborhood. Folks, we can do this here! We've got a magnificent creative economy to maintain.
Okay, enough of the soap box. Let me share some of the items that jumped out at me during the two hour presentation.
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