Tim Mikulski

Share Your Arts Education Story at Arts Advocacy Day

Posted by Tim Mikulski, Mar 11, 2013 4 comments


Tim Mikulski

Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, DC is less than a month away and with the recent sequester cuts and still-looming budget battle to come, it is vitally important that members of Congress hear how important the arts are to you and your community in person.

Even the staunchest supporters of a tight fiscal policy believe in the value of arts education. In this new video, Senior Director of Federal Affairs and Arts Education Narric Rome provides a quick snapshot of the importance of federal arts education advocacy:

Arts Advocacy Day will take place April 8—9 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park and the Cannon House Office Building on Capital Hill.

In addition, the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy will be an inspiring speech and performance by Grammy Award®-winning musician Yo-Yo Ma at The Kennedy Center at 6:30 p.m. on April 8. Tickets are included for Arts Advocacy Day participants and are still available to the public.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to add your voice to the chorus of those asking Congress to support the arts and arts education!

4 responses for Share Your Arts Education Story at Arts Advocacy Day

Comments

March 14, 2013 at 9:05 am

All excellent examples. Thanks for adding your story, Greta.

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March 13, 2013 at 11:38 pm

Let's see. Just today, a 3rd grader with autism finally participated, and quite successfully, in a music residency, after four days of observing. Other special needs students are working together in music and movement activities designed to encourage successful listening, collaboration, and supporting one another. Kindergarteners are learning songs with words in Spanish, Japanese and ASL, and spontaneously sharing the songs at home. They are also learning to control their bodies and be mindful of others (in a class of 32!), through music and movement. A few weeks ago, a 5th grader with ADHD (he freely informed me) experienced the thrill of success as he performed with focus and enthusiasm with his classmates. Afterwards, he repeatedly exclaimed, "I am a REALLY GOOD performer!" and "People are telling me what a great job I did!" Last year, a kindergartener who previously did not speak in class found it "safe" to participate in music, first using percussion instruments in a group, and eventually raising his hand and offering verbal comments and instrumental demonstrations. These are not isolated stories. Every teaching artist and arts specialist has multiple stories such as these, because the arts connect in ways that "standard" classroom activities do not. And students need exposure to ALL the arts: some connect to music, others to visual arts, theatre, or writing. What is YOUR experience, either as a student or as a teaching artist/arts specialist?

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March 13, 2013 at 8:29 am

Thanks for sharing, Paul!

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March 12, 2013 at 12:31 pm

32 years ago i left the fashion clothing business in minnesota and moved to Dallas. i loved the clothing business but had no idea what my next passion would be but in 1981 Dallas was the city to move to so here i came.
by chance i bought my 1st 2 real pieces of art-etchings by Miro & Dali. i made all the mistakes one could ever make as i bought them over the phone, from strangers and i even financed them. it seems crazy now as i was making $20,000 a year at the time and spent $6000 on 2 pieces of art. what happened next changed my life-i got those 2 pieces framed and up on my wall and i would just sit there and look at these 2 pieces for hours at a time and no matter how i felt, upset, depressed, a bad day, whatever, i got so moved and inspired from the possibility that great art could provide for me, i then felt lit up and now became aware of how art could change other peoples lives. i thought if this could happen to me it could happen to others. so i dropped my part time job and started knocking on artists doors and opened my own art gallery, which ive now had for over 27 years providing art to major public collections-large hospitals and major corporations! it is my love and passion in life and i got 27 years ago that i was put on earth for a mission and that mission was to share art with the world! i'm blessed to do what i do and be able to contribute to the artists i work with and also make a difference to my clients. its very rewarding to be able to do this.
i hope this is helpful to you and thank you for the opportunity to contribute to your cause.
my best, Paul "The Art Guy!"

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