Entries Tagged 'Art Education' ↓

by Joe Barr

The Parkside Art Club opened its Annual Juried Student Show last Friday with a delightful mix of youth, energy, and art. Offerings in two and three dimensions, spanning a variety of media, filled the gallery with wonder and obvious talent.
Josh Frazer, President of the Parkside Art Club, presided over the opening and Continue reading →

Lt. Governor Lawton and State Superintendent Burmaster Announce Wisconsin Task Force on Arts and Creativity in Education

“Creativity and innovation will be the cornerstone of Wisconsin competitiveness in the years ahead,” Lawton said. “We must make strategic investments now to ensure Wisconsin has the bright innovators and entrepreneurs we need to drive our state forward.”

MILWAUKEE—At a press conference today at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton and State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster announced they will co-chair the Wisconsin Task Force on Arts and Creativity in Education, convened to ensure Wisconsin the creative workforce and entrepreneurial talent necessary for the state to compete well in a 21st century global economy. Continue reading →

by Colleen Kappeler

It was a cold, snowy February night. I drove home from UWP in tears over the stories I had just heard; stories from women who had faced huge obstacles in life and had tremendous strength within them to overcome. It was overwhelming to hear, and even more overwhelming to realize the power within each one of them at having written those stories down.

On another cold, snowy day in January (let’s face it – this is Wisconsin so there are a lot of cold, snowy days!) I sat at a restaurant by the highway telling a writer the changes I felt she needed in the book she had given me to edit. My comments were not easy to hear, and I wondered how she was taking it all in when she reached across the table, grabbed my hand, and said, “Will you be my therapist?” Continue reading →

by Bill Schroeder

Sometimes the hardest part of anything is taking the first step, and knowing which direction is right for us to go. Finding guidance to unveil our dreams, passions, talents, and enthusiasm, can be your first step to revealing the author within.

Literary women and men are growing up, thanks to Marie Boyum and her talented, effervescent staff of educated, well-published writers and authors– but don’t be scared off because they will ignite, guide and inform the budding, and seasoned writer on their journey. Be it for personal satisfaction, publication goals, spiritual enlightenment or personal issues to better the world, with being published a first or secondary goal, you are the one to decide, The Eloquent Author will assist.
I had the opportunity to interview Marie. I invite all who are or want to be writers, to partake of this literary feast.

Bill Schroeder: Marie, who are you? Continue reading →

Actor’s Craft brings Los Angeles caliber training to Wisconsin, offering Professional Acting Classes for Adults and Teens and Creative Drama for Children. Located in downtown Kenosha at the Rhode Center for the Arts, 518 56th Street, Actor’s Craft is convenient to actors in Northern Illinois. Starting this month, Actor’s Craft will also be offering Professional Training for Adults at Bucketworks in Milwaukee, 1340 Sixth Street, just north of downtown Milwaukee. Registration is now open for all classes. Find out more at www.actorscraftwisconsin.com or call 262/705-0194.

As of January 1st, Wisconsin now has some of the most film friendly tax incentives in the country. Wisconsin and Illinois are being pitched as the “Third Coast” for film and television production, and the work is already coming in. Professional training will ensure local actors benefit from this influx of production business.

by Colleen Kappeler

Jeanette Stevenson knows the power of creativity. It is a power she calls on daily in her job; helping others create the lives they dream about. Two years ago Jeanette made the life changing decision to become certified as a Life Coach. It was her dream, and one she has never regretted.

For this interview Jeanette slid into the booth at Panera wearing a sweatshirt emblazed with the logo she designed. Everything she does with this job has meaning for her. This feisty, energetic woman is a powerful force and it is easy to see why people all over Kenosha and Racine are coming to her for support, encouragement and the chance to co-create their lives with her.
Most of us have heard of therapists, but Life Coaching is a title that is fairly new to the world. And so I asked her to describe what it is she does.

“For therapy you show up broken. For coaching you show up creative, resourceful and whole. You come because you are ready to make a shift in your life, ready to move toward the life you desire to live.”

Continue reading →

By State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster

As a former music teacher, drama director, district fine arts coordinator, and principal of a creative arts magnet school, I know the critical value of the arts for all youth and adults. Students who are involved in the arts learn what it means to be part of a small community: a community where everyone is important and has something to contribute. This camaraderie and collaboration can have an amazing impact on students. The arts are a powerful means for youth and adults to learn about themselves and develop skills for life.

Consider the work of Frances Rauscher, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. She studied behavior in the various subject areas in our schools in her research on the relationship between music and intellectual development. She observed that during a performance, musicians constantly assess progress, make adjustments, and improve results, turning their thoughts into action. In no other subject Rauscher studied were students called upon to make four or five decisions per second and act on those decisions continuously for long stretches of time.
Continue reading →

Image courtesy of 123 look at me

Developed by the Art Faculty of the Kenosha Unified School District No. 1

1. Provide an accepting environment for your child’s creativity.
2. Encourage your child, so that he/she will gain confidence.
3. Provide a variety of materials for your child’s art projects. It is to be expected that students will be more interested and more successful in some media than others.
4. Allow time for children to exercise their creativity and support your child’s interpretation of his/her own work. Avoid imposing idea, images, or standards to children’s work that are not their own.
5. Accept and praise your child’s creations, realizing that even undeveloped scribbles and poorly proportioned symbols represent a necessary and important stage in the child’s development as a creative being.
6. Display and share his/her artwork within the home and with other family members.
7. If your child is interested, enroll him/her in local arts and crafts classes.
8. Help your child to follow-up all projects with a clean-up time
9. Provide an appropriate place for your child to work on art projects
10. Let your child know that you believe that his/her creative and artistic ability is an important capacity to develop.
11. Provide opportunities for your child to view various types of artwork in the community, in the media, and in exhibits.
12. As early as possible, encourage your child to move from coloring book type activities to projects that allow for a fuller expression of his her creative ideas.

Need some additional ideas that will help ypu help your child to succeed?
Your child’s classroom teacher, or subject area teacher, is a wonderful source of ideas. Please feel free to contact them with your questions and concerns. They are committed to helping you teach your children well

The Kenosha Unified School District seeks to provide a wide range of musical and artistic opportunities and experiences through which each child can develop appropriate skills, understandings, and values fundamental to his or her lifetime participation in the fine arts as a practicing artist or fine arts consumer. Fine arts education begins at the elementary school level.
Department Phone Numbers:
Music - 262-653-6388
Art - 262-653-7399