NAEA Balitimore

The national convention in Baltimore is off to a great start. I spent yesterday in sessions from early morning through to the Crayola extravaganza in the evening. I made it back to the hotel absolutely worn out.

So far a number of Texans have been spotted here including: Samantha Melvin, Sarah Sanders, Sara Chapman and Cheryl Evans.

Tricia Fuglestad (creator of Young Sloppy Brush) of Illinois and our own Samantha Melvin at their session yesterday

Photo by Craig Roland of Art Education 2.0

Start making plans for the TAEA conference in Austin and the NAEA convention next year in Seattle!

Youth Art Month!

Keep an eye out here for news about Youth Art Month Events in our area. There's a lot of good stuff going on. You should know about it.

Youth Art Month! Believe it or not!

If you are a Houston area art educator, please join the Ning site, H-Town Art Teachers

At present there are 141 members. Check it out.

From the H-Town Art Teachers:

I'm sitting here at my computer wondering what in the world you are doing out there.

I started this Ning site as an alternative to sending out the twice weekly News From The Art Room. I had started to feel as though I were spoon feeding everyone. I went for long periods without any response. About the only time I heard from a lot of folks was if I wasn't sending out the news. Occasionally someone would e-mail or call with a question. Many folks seemed to assume that doing the News From The Art Room was my job. News From The Art Room was a labor of love. There was never any monetary reward. I kept it going out of frustration with an educational system that didn't seem to understand that every child needs art. Those of you who contacted me and let me know that you appreciated the News boosted my spirits and were my source of energy and drive.

I've been the gatekeeper and manager of this Ning site for almost two years now. Every month I ante up twenty dollars to keep it ad free. I'm not complaining. I do it for the same reason that I did the News From The Art Room. I need you to do something for me, for us really. I need you to participate. Share what you're doing. Tell your peers what you know. Use your voice.

I spent several hours today adding events and thinking about the state of art education, particularly in my district.

This last Thursday I sat in the HISD board room and listened as impassioned teachers tried to communicate to the school board that using EVAAS as the basis for firing teachers was a bad idea. Maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal to you, after all, we don't teach one of those subjects that are measured with standardized tests and EVAAS. I'm here to tell you, it is a big deal.

If EVAAS is the be all, end all, the Alpha and Omega of the public educational system here in my district, then there is a lot to worry about. If EVAAS is the measuring stick then we are not going to be measured. It seems to me that what can't be measured is assumed to not matter.

"So what?" I hear you saying to yourself. Here I am, playing Cassandra one more time. Well, my friends, the emperor is running around naked again. You can hide your head. You can turn your eyes away. You can close your door and teach. I don't think it's going to help.

What are you doing to advocate for art today? How are you putting your program out there in the world.

You say, "I don't even work in HISD". It keeps being said that as goes HISD, so goes the country. The HISD school board is proud of pointing that out.

Are you going to wait for art positions to start disappearing? Oh yeah, the arts are mandated - for right now anyway. The state law doesn't require art specialists in elementary school. If elementary art positions disappear, how long do you think it will be before it's your turn, no matter whether you're in middle school or high school?

Let me paraphrase the Martin Niemoller quote:

First they closed the elementary art positions, and I did not speak out—because I was not an elementary art teacher;
Then they closed the middle school art positions, and I did not speak out—because I was not a middle school art teacher;
Then they closed the high school art positions, and I did not speak out—because I was not a high school art teacher;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

It's not a joke. The emphasis on only those things that are measurable puts us all in harm's way.

Use your head. Open your eyes. Take a look around.

March is Youth Art Month.

What are you going to do about it?

Houston Museum District Educators' Open House

Come on down and make the rounds of the Museum District and earn some professional development hours this coming Saturday, January 23 from 9:00 until 11:00. You can get more information at the Houston Museum District website.

It's always a good time to see what the museums have to offer and a great time to renew your various museum memberships.

I'll see you there!

jk

Houston Area Youth Art Month Show! It's on!

Friends and neighbors and art teaching friends!

It's that time again. We'll be judging the student art work on the last Saturday of January at the same old place, T. C. Owen Intermediate School in Alief ISD.

I'm posting the Guidelines here. Please contact your Fine Arts Supervisor to get copies of the guidelines and forms. If they can't help you, contact your friendly area representatives through this blog.

We also need volunteers in all capacities on Saturday. Again, contact us through this blog.

Guidelines

2010 TAEA Houston Area Youth Art Month (YAM) Competition and Exhibition

Be Professional

Follow the guidelines

Take pride in your and your students’ work

Eligibility:

Only current TAEA members may submit student work for this show.

Each TAEA member may submit a maximum of six entries.

All entries must be original work of the student.

Categories (specify grade level or Art I, II, III, IV, etc.):

• Elementary K - 5
• Junior High/Middle School/Intermediate 6 - 8
• High School Art I, Art II, Art III, Art IV, etc.

Two dimensional work must be exactly 18 x 24 inches including the white mat.

Mats must be at least two inches wide all the way round and may contain a colored insert in needed.

2D work must be submitted in a sturdy portfolio with one inventory form attached outside and one inside for repacking at the end of the competition.

Three dimensional work cannot exceed 18” in any direction.

Each 3D piece must be packed in a separate box with a copy of the inventory form taped or glued to the box indicating the work contained.

3D work is not eligible for the Traveling Show.

Paperwork must be complete and legible at the time of check-in.

Inventory Forms - Make four (4) copies of the completed form.

1. One copy attached securely (taped or glued) to the exterior of the portfolio (2D) or box (3D).
2. One copy placed inside the portfolio or box for repacking at the end of the competition.
3. Submit one copy at the check-in table.
4. Retain one copy for your records.

Entry Forms - Make two (2) copies of the completed form for each work entered.

1. An entry form must be securely attached to each artwork according to the directions on the entry form.
2. The second copy of the entry form must be turned in at check-in. 1/2 of this copy will be returned to you at check-in.

Receiving: Saturday January 30, 2010 from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM

1. C. Owens Intermediate School (Alief ISD)

6900 Turtlewood Drive, Houston, Texas 77022

Pick up and Return of Entries: All entries not selected for the exhibit must be picked up by the teacher or a designated person between 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM at T. C. Owens Intermediate School on the same date. No early pick-up is allowed.

Work from the 2009 TAEA Area VI YAM Traveling Show will be delivered to Fine Arts Supervisors in March

Judging will occur on site from 12:00 noon until 2:00 PM

Awards include:

• Best of Show Overall
• Best of Show in each category
• Judges Choice in each category

We are currently still looking for a venue for the Houston Youth Art Month Show.

A total of 100 pieces will be selected and of these 50 pieces of work will be selected for the Traveling Show. These works will be exhibited in 12 locations over the next twelve months. Work in the Traveling Show will be returned in 2011 when you deliver your work for next year’s competition.