For Immediate Release: August 17, 2007
Photos available upon request.   
Contact: Catherine O'Brian, NH State Council on the Arts
603-271-0795 or Catherine.R.O'Brian@dcr.nh.gov

  

NH State Council on the Arts Announces 2007 Statewide Arts Education Conference "Beyond Adequate: Transforming Our Educational Landscape Through the Arts"

Concord, NH --- The State Arts Council today announced the annual 2007 Arts in Education Partnership Conference, to be held October 5th through the 7th in Hancock.  This year’s theme is "Beyond Adequate; Transforming Our Educational Landscape through the Arts."  Classroom teachers, arts specialists, environmental educators, parents, artists, school administrators and community arts leaders are encouraged to register.   

The keynote speaker of the conference is Dr. Plato Karafelis who will speak on "Arts Education in an Era of Accountability: Lessons Learned on the Front Lines of Change."  

Karafelis is the award winning principal of the Henry A. Wolcott Elementary School in West Hartford, CT where he has worked for the past 19 years. He was a co-founder of the CT Alliance for Arts Education and the nationally known Higher Order Thinking (HOTS) Schools Model.  He was recently honored with a National Educator Award from the Milken Foundation.  Following his presentation, a Colloquium for Principals, School Administrators and Parents will take place.

NH composer, performer and cross-cultural educator Jody Diamond, who specializes in the music of Indonesia, particularly the gamelan orchestra, will serve as the conference artist-in-residence. She is on the NH Roster of teaching artists.

A variety of hands-on, interactive and inter-disciplinary workshops led by teaching artists, environmental educators and arts specialists will help teachers explore and experience the power of learning in and through the arts. Eco- and Arts Resources and Exhibits will provide educators and teaching artists with an opportunity to network and share ideas. Teachers will demonstrate and present student artwork from model artist residency projects.  NHSCA Arts Education Coordinator Catherine O'Brian states, "This is an arts and new ideas incubator for anyone interested in working with teaching artists to engage students and support dynamic learning and arts integrated curriculum."  

A panel of NH artists, whose artwork is deeply connected to the natural world, will share their work and talk about their personal development as artists. Panelists include stone sculptor Gary Haven Smith, award winning photographer Alexandra de Steiguer, ceramics artist and master teaching artist Teresa Taylor; musician, author and composer Steve Schuch; plus photographer and high school student Colin Nevil.  Panelists will share how their own education in the arts evolved and their educational philosophy.   

Conference partners and co-sponsors include the National Endowment for the Arts, the Arts Alliance of Northern NH, the NH Alliance for Arts Education, the Sharon Arts Center, the Peterborough Elementary School and the Harris Center for Conservation.

Full weekend, commuter and one- day registrations are offered, plus early bird registration discounts. More conference details, agenda, workshops and registration forms will be posted at: www.nh.gov/nharts  and www.aannh.org. For more information  contact Catherine O'Brian, Arts in Education Coordinator at the NH State Council on the Arts at 603-271-0795, Catherine.R.O'Brian@dcr.nh.gov; or Frumie Selchen, Executive Director of the Arts Alliance of Northern NH (AANNH) at (603) 323-7302 or Frumie@aannh.org   School teams are encouraged to attend.  To request a printed version of the conference brochure, send a self addressed stamped envelope to: Catherine O'Brian, NH State Council on the Arts, 2 1/2 Beacon Street, Concord, NH 03301.