2008 MASS/Alliance Winter Conference

The Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education worked in partnership with the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents (MASS) to host a winter conference, titled Successful Leadership: A Natural Art, January 28-29, 2008, at the Hilton Hotel in Jackson. The MAAE offered a full day of conference sessions focused on arts education for school administrators from across the state. MAAE sponsored activities included four concurrent sessions, keynote address by Dr. John Woodall, Director of the Unity Project, and an evening reception. In addition, the MAAE arranged for program cover design, performances by two student groups, a student speaker at the Legislative Luncheon, an exhibit of visual art, and provided student-made centerpieces for the luncheon that were given as door prizes to those attending. The day’s agenda highlighted the positive impact of the arts and art education on student learning.

Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Leadership Meeting

The Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education is a member of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network, a national organization of state alliances dedicated to a common purpose: promoting arts education. Once a year representatives of the MAAE attend the conference of the KCAAEN in Washington, D.C. Four members of the MAAE attended the conference in February 2008. Since 2003, an MAAE member has served on the KCAAEN’s Network Leadership Committee, the administrative component of the national group. In addition, two other members serve on committees at the national level. Such representation is a significant honor and responsibility for the MAAE. Mississippi has benefited immeasurably from its partnership with the Kennedy Center.

Day at the Capitol

The MAAE annually joins the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) and other arts advocates to sponsor a Day at the Capitol, a time set aside for visiting with state legislators, held this year on March17, 2008, in Jackson. Significant budget cuts statewide in recent years have stimulated the need for a special response in support of arts programs. In preparation, the MAAE and others worked with the MAC to encourage public awareness and a positive legislative response by direct contact, and/or e-mail and letter-writing.

Arts Front & Center Forum

The Arts Front and Center Forum, convened by the MAAE April 4, 2008, at the MSU Riley Center in Meridian, brought together a large and diverse audience from across the state. The purpose of the Forum was to address the widening gap between instructional practices in America’s public schools and what is needed in the 21st Century global economy. Doug Herbert, Special Assistant for Innovation and Improvement at the U.S. Department of Education and former Director of Arts Education at the National Endowment for the Arts, was keynote speaker for the event. Those who attended the Forum were informed about the benefits of arts education and how they might be more effective in preparing students who are imaginative, creative, and innovative and who are ready for the 21st Century workforce. Participants also addressed ways and means of reducing Mississippi’s significant dropout rate and how the arts may lend themselves to improving graduation rates. Meeting in break-out groups, participants reflected on these issues and other questions, reviewed the status of what is being done in their schools and communities with regard to the arts, and reported on their discussions. Information gathered from these sessions will be summarized and will form the basis for action strategies and recommendations that promote increased student access to the arts. The day’s activity also included a luncheon, a student choral performance, and a young artists’ exhibit of visual art that showcased pieces created by 75 students from 17 schools.

MAAE Arts Education Awards

Each year, the MAAE honors schools, cultural institutions, programs, and individuals for their positive contributions to arts education in the state. The eighth annual Arts Education Awards Recognition program was held during the Arts Front and Center Forum, April 4, 2008, at the MSU Riley Center in Meridian. Awards presented: School of Excellence Award; Thad Cochran Distinguished Arts Educator Award (5 individuals honored); Exemplary Arts Service Award; Higher Education Award; and Outstanding Administrator of the Year Award. The MAAE believes this awards program will not only continue to grow, but will also increase public awareness of high quality arts education programs across the state and the accomplishments of students who are the beneficiaries of them.

Regional Meetings

The MAAE participated, by invitation, in a series of meetings hosted by five Regional Education Service Centers across the state. These centers provide ongoing professional development workshops and support to school districts, schools, teachers and other personnel within their regions. The purpose of the MAAE’s interaction with the regional service centers was to increase administrators’ understanding of the ways that arts education can address critical issues in K-12 education. Topics considered included ways to reduce the dropout rate, increase student achievement, and prepare a 21st Century workforce capable of building strong local communities throughout the state. The MAAE reported on programs and solutions that have been found to foster student engagement and that include the arts as an important component of a comprehensive education.

Kennedy Center / National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute

Christopher Rodgers of Oxford was selected to participate in the 2008 Kennedy Center/National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute currently being held in Washington, D.C. through July 28. Process: students who are juniors/seniors in high school or freshmen/sophomores in college may submit applications and audition tapes for consideration. Applications are reviewed and up to five students from the state may be nominated, though only one is selected. The MAAE sponsors student participation in the institute with the assistance of arts patrons. This program has stimulated communication among musicians across the state about opportunities available to students at the national level.

DANA Foundation Artists’ Training Workshops

In 2007 the MAAE received a large-scale Rural Initiatives Grant from the DANA Foundation. The award supports a project designed to increase student access to arts education. The MAAE is offering professional development training for teaching artists who wish to work with teachers in K-12 classrooms. To date, the MAAE has completed four in a series of six training sessions that are being held in north, central and south Mississippi. Several workshops are being conducted in partnership with the Mississippi Arts Commission’s Whole Schools Initiative. Performing and visual artists are selected for the workshops through an application process. The goal of the series of workshops is to increase the number of artists included in the Mississippi Arts Commission’s Arts in Education Roster.

Mississippi Department of Education Summer Education Conference

The MAAE promotes and participates in Mississippi Department of Education’s Summer Conference, the state’s largest education conference, which was held June 2-5, 2008, in Biloxi at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center. The strong partnership between the MAAE and MDE provides an opportunity for the MAAE to work directly with large numbers of teachers within a broad venue.

Network for Arts Education in Mississippi

The MAAE has been invited by the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) to participate, on a regular basis, in discussions with other arts education leaders from across the state. The purpose of these meetings is to seek a better understanding of the status of arts education in the state and to explore how the major players might work together to raise awareness and impact of the arts, particularly in the legislature.

Mississippi Arts Commission Whole Schools Initiative

The MAAE works closely with the Whole Schools Initiative (WSI) and its host institution, the Mississippi Arts Commission, by providing speakers, Field Advisors, presenters, and by promoting partner events. The WSI provides a venue for MAAE advocacy and membership activities at its annual Whole Schools Institute, a week-long gathering for over 300 teachers, administrators, and stakeholders. The 2008 WSI will be held at the University of Mississippi, July 20-24. This federally recognized arts education model continues to bring favorable attention to the state, and has inspired school districts outside the program to seek ways to implement the model in their own districts.

Ongoing — Arts Education Advocacy

The primary work of the Alliance is arts advocacy which takes many forms, from face-to-face presentations at state conferences to print publications to one-on-one contact at the grass roots. Means to advocate to a statewide constituency has been broadened over the years to include an advocacy and research website (www.msartsalliance.com) and advocacy alerts (mail, e-mail, phone, fax), in addition to the more traditional approach through brochures and newsletters.

Ongoing —MSArtsAlliance.com

This well maintained website provides up-to-date advocacy tools and information at http://www.msartsalliance.com. A photo gallery celebrates accomplishments in Alliance programming. In addition, links to state arts organizations and institutions, Mississippi community colleges and four-year institutions are available. Further, links to arts education resources connect the visitor to numerous national resources via the Internet. Individuals who wish to attend various MAAE-sponsored programs may also register online through access to the website. The website has become a major means of disseminating information for the Alliance.

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