This is great! What I expect to see from arts organizations.  Collaborative efforts that build, not destroy.  I am encouraged by the synergy between CMSD and non-profits.  Identifying larger campuses that link to these art centers to include the schools, libraries, daycares, recreational opportunities.... Thinking STARs Norm!  Why can't everyone think STARs???

A big thank you goes out to Passport Project.  Chole and the gang blew away our summer reading club participants at Brooklyn Branch with a phenomenal drum circle, capoeira demonstration and the Brazilian music of Cacau Arcoverde. The kids (and their parents) are still talking about it. I get... "When are they coming back?"

This looks to be a great event and I feel its a shame it conflicts with my imminent interactive Ingenuity exhibit and festival greening effort to be curated most prolifically on this very Saturday. Evelyn, Norm and I paid a wonderful visit to the Warhol exhibit earlier this year en route to acquisition of Red, my vintage 1985 VW Scirrocco of that fiery hue.  We capped off that memorable voyage with a stop at an infamous brewpub (to wet our whistles) situated within a gorgeous and great antiquated antique Church.

I hope those embarking on this journey have a jolly good time ~

That's OK Sudhir--you're too old!
This intensive is open to Cleveland / CMSD ONLY rising 10th or 11th graders that are highly motivated, responsible, dependable students with an already demonstrated strong aptitude for the Visual Arts, that can devote time over the summer and the first few weeks of the school year to creating top quality art work based on Andy Warhol.

We have our tickets to Ingenuity.  Hope to run into some RealNEO there!

Good to see these organizations working together!

Saturday was a great day for the trip to Pittsburgh. Gorgeous weather and a fabulous bus driver made the two hour drive seem so much shorter.

The students on the trip were top-notch, bright kids, and just drank everything in. One of the girls confided in me that this was her first trip outside of Cleveland.      Ever. 

The installations at the Mattress Factory were our first stop, and to my surprise, they all "got it". Conceptual art is often difficult for many people to understand, let alone appreciate or, even in some cases, tolerate. As we explored the buildings, walking from room to room, you could hear them talking together, "This is sooo cool." " Wow! Look over here!" "How did they do that?" Never once did I hear, "I don't get it" or "Why would they call this art?"

The seven floors of the Warhol Museum kept us busy for hours. Each one wandering off on our own. As a teacher, it was so very gratifying to walk into a gallery room and see our students not only looking at the art, but reading. As the veteran of 27 years of high school field trips, I am accustomed to teenagers dashing through museums, and then finding an out of the way spot to hang out with their friends until the adults finally round them up. This was such a completely different group of kids, mature, focused, interested. I can't even begin to express how impressed I was. By late afternoon, when it was time to leave, we had no trouble finding anyone, since they all were in the basement workshop, making art.

Tuesday, the printmaking session of the summer intensive will begin at ArtHouse, and then on Thursday the students will begin working on photography at Passport Project. When the school year begins in August we will begin to grow the Atelier program with our current partners, and continue to explore opportunities to form new partnerships with other arts organizations throughout the city.

Why worry about attracting creative new talent to our city? We have all the resources right here. We can simply grow our own . 

 Experience Corps just dropped by the library.  Experience the synergy.   I can't wait until I am 55, so I have the time to devote to such a worthwhile program.  I hope people take up the offer to join!

Experience Corps is hosted in Cleveland by RSVP of Greater Cleveland, Inc. The program engages adults 55+ to help Cleveland public school students who are having trouble learning to read. Participants tutor elementary school students one-on-one and in small groups, helping them to develop fundamental literacy skills so they can succeed in school and in life.

The mission of RSVP is to improve lives and strengthen the Greater Cleveland community through volunteerism and service. Volunteer tutors are trained prior to starting in the school and then throughout the school year by Experience Corps staff. The students in the program benefit not only from the one-on-one academic assistance, but also from the mentoring relationship that develops between themselves and the volunteers. The older adults benefit from this caring relationship and from being able to share their love of reading and wider life experiences with children in need.

I think Mary Beth is one of the God/desses in our District !!!

... and contrary to so much that is wrong - and there is a LOT - there are a LOT of GREAT teachers AND GREAT kids.  They don't usually get the attention.

    Actually, CMSD has an electronic space for teachers to interact but it has been a VERY slow roll out process, mostly because the two TERRIFIC woman in charge of bringing it on line are trying to be careful and do it right   Another is the patchwork of mishmashed, outdated, mixed quality computers in the buildings.  And lastly getting the word out over and over and over again until people in the District start to know that it exists and to use it.  So something is in place.  Norm has been kind enough to volunteer to work with our 2 arts ed tech savvy (different 2) teachers who are suppose to be getting our own Arts Ed web site updated.  (It hasn't been updated in 2 years.)

    That's enough background stuff  ...  I just wanted to acknowledge all of you for being interested in our tiny baby, the All-City Arts Programin (A-CAP) Visual Arts Atelier. 

    MaryBeth keeps me honest by kickin' my butt.  McShane - do stay in touch with Mary Beth and I.

KMaCK
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BY THE WAY  ...  We saw the dollar $ in Pittsburgh.  AT least 2 versions of it.  So cool ...  You were there with us in spirit.

KMaCK
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