Links and Threads is an electronic newsletter for district and school leaders, educators and their arts partners. Its purpose is to assist in makingarts learning a more integral part of the core curriculum and achieving the greatest advantage possible from the arts for students. Thepublication builds upon knowledge gained through the 2004 NEA Summer Institute for School Leaders, promotes dialogue about the role of artslearning in school improvement, shares success stories and provides news about arts-related developments and opportunities.

A New Canvas for Education

A Newsletter for Arts Partners Published by the Ohio Arts Council and the Ohio Department of Education Volume V Issue 1

Governor Seeking Renaissance in Ohio Schools; Arts Advocates Seize Opportunity

Governor Ted Stricklandasked educators and citizensto “think boldly abouttransforming our schools” ashe conducted a series of latesummer conversations oneducation. “We’re not lookingat an almost finishedpainting,” he said. “We areartists looking at a blankcanvas and asking ‘What isthe best thing we can createhere?’”Although the canvas was

blank, the Governor didprovide a palette for

Inside This IssueThoughts from Ohio’s FirstLady

Building Nests, CreatingMeaning at UrsulineAcademy

Time to Lead by NancyPistone

Meet Ohio’s StateSuperintendent

Focusing the Light: A NewOAC Planning Resource

Three Perspectives on ArtsLearning and 21st CenturySkills

Arts Advocacy Information

educational transformation—six guiding principles thatincluded the importance ofdeveloping creativity and theneed to make learningopportunities both more“hands on” and more diverse.Among the participants were

a number of arts advocateswho were quick to point outthe connections betweenthose principles and artslearning. At each of thegatherings, held in locationsall around the state, artseducators described powerful

arts learning experiences intheir schools.The Governor’s support for

arts learning was evident: “Ifwe’re going to have anappropriate curriculum, itmust include the arts and thehumanities,” he toldparticipants in Youngstown.“No two students are alike, sowe must have a curriculumthat is robust enough to meetthe needs and the interests ofall of our students.”

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Learning LinksClick on each link below toaccess more information onthe Web.

Governor’s Conversationon Education

Governor’s EducationReform and Funding Plan

Committee on Arts andInnovative Thinking(Search for CAIT)

For additional sites relatedto arts education, go to theLinks & Threads hot list.

New Canvas continued from Page 1

Ohio’s First Lady, FrancesStrickland, often voices herbelief that the arts and artseducation are a vital part ofOhio’s economic success: “I seethe arts as the great pollinatorfor creativity and innovation,”she told Links & Threads. “Theyprovide a direct route to theimagining part of our intellects.Have conversations with inno-vative or creative physicians,business leaders or scientistsand you will be more likelythan not to uncover in theirresumes examples of gratifying,competent engagement in thearts.”Mrs. Strickland believes arts

education has an important place in ournation’s long-term innovation agenda: “As ourcountry comes to terms with the reality of ashifting economy and as we reconnect with ourheritage and leadership as the most creativeand innovative nation in the world, the artscould actually become a higher priority in thecurriculum of our public schools,” she said.Recharging the innovative spirit may take

A Woman of Vision Ohio’s First Lady Sees Vital Role for Arts Learning

some time and nurturing, but Mrs. Stricklandalso sees a role for the arts in that process.“As our people struggle with financial difficul-ties and other stresses from these challengingeconomic times, the arts are even more impor-tant,” she said. “Because they come from with-in, they can never be stopped and can be calledupon even in the darkest of times for under-standing, beauty and respite.”

At one site, he listened to a description of an arts integratedproject and pronounced it to be a good example of the changesthat need to occur in Ohio’s classrooms.The Governor’s Roadmap for Education Reform, a summary of

the ideas offered in the first round of meetings, refers to“educating the whole child, including wellness, physicaleducation, emotional development, behavioral development,academic development, art and music.”The Governor’s Education Reform and Funding Plan was

released in late January 2009 after additional public forums onschool funding and meetings with associations, organizationsand businesses that have an interest in education reform.Those meetings included staff from the Ohio Arts Council.The Governor’s plan lists creativity and innovation among the

skills that will “prepare Ohio students to thrive in the 21stcentury.” It calls for an extended school calendar, an AcademicOlympics to celebrate achievement in subject areas (includingthe arts) and the use of “interdisciplinary methods, project-based learning, real world lessons and service learning.”

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A three-week Ohio Arts Council Arts Learning Residency,conducted in April 2008 by visual artist Kate Kern andteacher Patrice Trauth, gave students at Ursuline Academyin Cincinnati an opportunity to make visible the school’shistory across generations and to weave their ownunfolding stories into that history.As the residency began, students and staff at the all-

girls Catholic preparatory school examined old year-books, interviewed retired Ursuline sisters andexamined Kern’s art, which often incorpo-rates images and elements of the naturalworld. As students immersed themselvesin exploring an artist’s work andprocess, as well as in stories of thepast and their own questions of mean-ing, a new artistic vision began to takeshape.“Nesting” was the metaphor that

emerged. Students built nests in eachother’s hands containing objects that reflect-ed their lives and the academic content learned inclasses. Students in a chemistry class, for example, incor-porated materials from the lab in one nest. They alsoadded eggs from a nearby farm and other symbolic objectsof their own making. They wrote poems about theirnests with the opening line: “Once I built my nest of .. . . “As a culminating activity, students created a large

nest that became part of an installation in one ofthe school’s open spaces. Surrounding that nestwere paper oak leaves—the school’s symbol—adorned with faces from old yearbooks. Intricatepaper flowers, suggesting Cincinnati’s Germanheritage, added beauty. A slideshow projected inthe center of the larger nest showed images ofstudents’ hands holding their creations and textfrom their poems.Heightening the impact of their installation, stu-

dents also performed a choral reading of thepoems.Certainly, this three weeks of “nest building” will

have a lasting impression on students at UrsulineAcademy. In addition to refining their artmaking skills,they thought deeply, experienced beauty, bonded acrossgenerations, strengthened their ties with their school anddeepened their self-knowledge.

Building Nests, Creating Meaning . . .OAC Residency Helps Students Express Past, Present and Future

days, creating additional demand for arts expe-riences for more teachers and students. Again,our voices were heard.

Local arts educators across the state arebecoming change agents instead of looking toothers to make a difference. Armed with knowl-edge of state requirements that impact our dis-ciplines, we are connecting with one another toarticulate relevant issues and explore practicalsolutions to sustain arts programs.We are becoming a remarkable collection of

Ohioans with tireless commitment to the arts.A small group of advocates has grown to aninclusive network of schools, universities, non-profits, statewide organizations, governmentagencies and responsive communities ready toleverage resources in these tough times. We areshifting our efforts from parsing policy words—core vs. non-core—to connecting the arts tothe common public values of economic compet-itiveness, civic engagement, quality of life andeducational advancement.1

This emerging communications approach isboth strategic—drawing on research—and hon-est—sharing human

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Time to Lead By Nancy Pistone, Arts Consultant, Ohio Department of Education

continued next page

This is not another academic article defendingthe arts in education. You won’t find any datahere to show how the arts improve studentachievement in other subjects or argumentswhy the arts should be core and central to theeducation of our children. You’ve read the con-vincing cognitive research and advocacy articlesmany times.And look around. While we were busy justify-

ing the arts in last generation terms, a newgeneration of education priorities took hold—creativity, innovation, interdisciplinary inquiry,global understanding, and yes, performanceassessment. Now all educators must navigatethis course to improve their educational prac-tices. And it’s the arts, in familiar territory,that have the compass and imagination to leadour schools and young people toward inspiringlearning environments.Will the arts finally take a place at the helm

as an insightful source for new educationalpossibilities? Our advocacy of the past is givingway to a fresh communications approach. Quietpaper reports are integrating with the sound ofour collective voices.When the Carnegie Design Team recently held

an arts outreach session to discuss its plan forcredit flexibility to increase student-learningoptions, representatives from eight cultural artsorganizations and several school districts filledthe room to raise issues and ideas. Our voiceswere heard.When ODE announced three new visual and

performing arts opportunities to improve prac-tice, more than 50 requests came in within

Photo Credits (Top Banner) from left to right:

1. Jazz Arts Group of Columbus; 2.Ohio Department of

Education (ODE); 3.Canton Museum of Art, GeoArt Program;

4. ODE, photo by Sterling Roberts; 5. ODE

Courtesy of BalletMet Columbus —Photo by Kevin Fitzsimmons

I’m a huge supporter of thearts,” stated Ohio’s newSuperintendent, Deborah S.Delisle. “Americans are knownfor their creativity in theworld of work. That creativityis due in large part to ourinclusion of the arts in educa-tion. What we offer to ourstudents tells them what wevalue. The arts need to be rec-ognized as essential toenhancing the culture of ourcommunities.”Teachers who know Delisle

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Superintendent Shares the Values of Arts Educators

CAIT—continued from page 4

Superintendent Deborah Delisle at Noble Elementary School in Cleveland Heights after theunveiling of a mural at the school

expression and compelling stories about thepotential and productivity of the arts.Ultimately, we will change attitudes and behav-iors to promote a learning environment wherestudents find their voices and exercise theircreative imaginations to express meaning inmany forms.We have a challenge and a new opportunity.

It is no longer a matter of protecting thefuture of arts education, but rather determin-ing the role the arts will play in the future ofeducation.ODE is engaging a broad network of arts

organizations, schools and educational servicecenters to combine efforts, develop resources,

integrate services and design art-centered pro-grams that address the Governor’s new educa-tion priorities. Our statewide Committee for theArts and Innovative Thinking2 will leverage ourvoices and actions to demonstrate how the artscan make education environments meaningfuland build Ohio’s creative capital.National and state leaders are counting on

aggressive innovators with fresh concepts totake us forward. Join us as we lead the artsinto the future of learning.1. http://www.theimaginenation.net/

2. Visit www.education.ohio.gov, keyword search: CAITfor a list of CAIT members

hailed her encouragement ofarts learning within schoolprograms. She champions per-sonalized and engaging learn-ing environments that edu-cate the whole child. Delislealso is looking to broadenOhio’s accountability andassessment system to includeperformance-based approach-es, similar to those alreadyused in arts education.“The arts and creative com-

munities should be pleased byDelisle’s appointment. She

holds to all the values embod-ied in our programs,” saidNancy Pistone, ODE arts con-sultant. “I am especiallyimpressed with her interest instrengthening staff effort toassist and serve school dis-tricts. We can all look forwardto working with her to devel-op our students’ fullest cre-ative potential.”The State Board of Education

appointed Delisle in a unani-mous vote on October 14,2008. She began the positionon December 1, 2008.

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Upper Arlington Student WinsOhio’s Poetry Out LoudOhio’s fourth annual Poetry OutLoud state competition was heldSaturday, March 14 at theMatesich Theatre at OhioDominican University. Judgesselected Upper Arlington HighSchool student Mido Aly to rep-resent Ohio in the 2009 PoetryOut Loud National RecitationContest to be held April 26-28,in Washington, D.C. Aly received$300 plus expenses for his tripto the finals. His school receiveda $500 stipend for the purchaseof poetry books.Leah Walkowski from Columbus

Alternative High School placedsecond. Lynsay Strahorn fromChaminade-Julienne High Schoolin Dayton placed third. In all,27 students from around Ohioparticipated in the event.Poetry Out Loud was estab-

lished by the NationalEndowment for the Arts and thePoetry Foundation.

Ohio Governor’s Youth ArtExhibit Celebrates Excellence

This spring, 25 students willreceive the Governor’s Award forExcellence to honor their entriesin the 39th annual OhioGovernor’s Youth Art Exhibition.Their works will be among the300 chosen from over 12,000entries by high school studentsacross the state. From April 19 toMay 14, 2009, the selectedartworks will be displayed at theJames A. Rhodes State OfficeTower with satellite exhibits inthe Governor’s office and theOhio Department of Education.

The exhibition is a cooperativeeffort between the Governor andthe Ohio Department ofEducation, universities, collegesand corporate sponsors.

Newsbreaks

It starts with a brightidea. Maybe the sparkignited during a magicalday in the classroom or aninspiring encounter with acommunity’s culturalresources. Or maybe strug-gling to overcome obstacleswas what illuminated newpossibilities. Most arts edu-cators, artists and artsorganizations who workwith Ohio’s children andyoung people have experi-enced the promise of suchradiant moments.Clarifying, achieving,

expanding, and sustainingthe benefits of those bril-liant ideas is the purpose of Focusing the Light: The Art andPractice of Planning. This new seven-volume series from the OhioArts Council, designed with the arts education community inmind, can help teams turn their creative ideas into effective pro-grams and projects with wider appeal and public value.Each volume addresses a strategic challenge arts education

teams face as they develop and improve their programs:1)Communicating public value through advocacy and under-standing the essential role of strategic planning.

2) Identifying stakeholders, building successful partnershipsand project teams and strengthening teamwork.

3)Assessing the context of the planning process.4)Creating a workable plan, including outcomes, strategicactivities, action plans and budgets.

5)Communicating the plan and adapting components of theplan to funding opportunities.

6)Monitoring plan implementation and documenting projectactivities and results.

7)Using evaluation as a tool for measuring outcomes, improvingprograms and promoting organizational learning.

See the OAC Web site for information on ordering the series andfollow-up activities. Select Search Databases, then CulturalPlanning Resources to access annotated bibliography entries forthe resources cited in Focusing the Light and more. This databasewill be updated as new publications and resources emerge.

Focusing the Light for Arts EducationNew OAC Resource Aids Program Improvement

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When you examine students’ works of art orwatch their performances, what do you see?Certainly, you see evolving talent, as well as

the expression of emotion and artisticimagination. You see the magic of a creativeexperience—reflections of a period in theschool day during which the urgency of findingthe “right” answer fades and self-expressionbecomes paramount. You see echoes of thehuman spirit.But what about more immediate, tangible

challenges? Can students’ learning in the artsstand as evidence that they are developingwhat have come to be called 21st centuryskills? Will making, studying and responding to

Arts Learning and 21st Century SkillsThree Arts Education Perspectives on the Work of the Future

Arts Learning and Critical Thinking

art help prepare all students for work in aglobal economy driven by innovation?Consider this: Responding to visual images or

artistic performances requires intenseobservation and deep inquiry, as well asarticulate communication. Creating works of artinvolves not only creativity, but alsothoughtful preparation, sophisticated planningand extensive problem-solving.May the next three stories inspire you to

imagine and further explore what arts learningmight mean to our next generation ofscientists, inventors, visionaries andentrepreneurs.

Art criticism may seem far removed from the world of scientificresearch, technical innovation and business decisions. But examiningand responding to works of visual art does more than we imagine toprepare students for the critical thinking challenges of a 21st centuryeconomy.“The processes used in art criticism are sophisticated intellectual

strategies that we use in all aspects of life,” says Terry Barrett, a pro-fessor of art education at Ohio State University, an artist and theauthor of several books on art criticism. “In a society that wants tolook quickly at everything,” he says, “art criticism teaches studentsto look carefully and construct meaning from what they see. Theylearn to respectfully listen to one another in group conversations."He thinks such experiences are important in the development of criti-cal thinking, especially in a democratic society.Barrett’s goal in visiting classrooms, as well as in working with

adults, is helping people find their own personal meaning in works ofart.Jerry Tollifson, an artist and former art education consultant for the

Ohio Department of Education, says taking time to talk about artwith students encourages scientific thinking.“Describing a visual artwork and analyzing its line, color and sub-

ject matter, is very similar to the methodical work of a scientist,”says Tollifson. “But critical response to art also encourages qualitativethinking. Like many innovators in science and other fields, art criticshave to look at alternatives, sometimes go out on a limb and alwaysjustify their ideas about what is going on in the work.”Both Barrett and Tollifson think talking about art improves art mak-

ing, but they also see benefit in talking and writing about artthroughout the curriculum.

Terry Barrett judgedthe 2008 Ohio ArtCriticism Open, held inassociation with theOhio Governor’s YouthArt Exhibition, andalso will be judgingthe 2009 competition.Details can be foundonline.

Jerry Tollifsonfounded and stilljudges a similarcompetition for grades1-12 sponsored by theOhio Art EducationAssociation. In hishonor, the OAEA nowcalls the annual eventthe Jerry Tollifson ArtCriticism Open.

The innovative challengesahead of our students willrequire them to respondimaginatively to change andadversity.In Yellow Springs, Ohio, col-

lege students, college facultyand community members didjust that by demonstratinghow to meet change and chal-lenge with artistry.In June 2007, trustees of

Antioch University announcedthat declining enrollment attheir flagship institution, his-toric Antioch College in YellowSprings, had led to a dramaticdecision: they would close theschool effective Fall 2008.

Students and citizens issuedan outcry. Alumni scrambledto raise funds in an attemptto derail the closing of thishistoric liberal arts college,known for the co-op approachto higher education. But visu-al artist Migiwa Orimo didwhat creative people do.“I was working with Louise

Smith, a professor in Antioch’stheater department, to designan artist residency for Fall2007,” she remembers. “Whenthe announcement came, wefelt a responsibility as artiststo do something. We decidedto explore the interfacebetween the community andthe college.”

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Arts Learning and Imaginative Response

The Listening Project was theater students’ response to the closing of AntiochCollege. They explored the interface between the college and Yellow Springs.

She called the resultingwork of performance art “TheListening Project.”“Students went to the down-

town area carrying suitcasesthey had designed,” she says.“Each student approached acitizen, opened the suitcaseand began a conversation.”

“Art is not a product but acatalyst,” says Orimo, reflect-ing on the project. “We haveto be brave to think thatthere might not be a wholelot of product at the end.”Could “The Listening

Project” be called a “solution”to the loss of Antioch college?Of course, results of artworks

can never be measured wholly,but consider this: WhenAntioch closed its doors inFall 2008, the communityresponded in an unexpected

way. Faculty members, citi-zens of Yellow Springs andalumni from around the coun-try launched the NonstopLiberal Arts Institute—aschool without a campus thatrecreates the Antioch educa-tional experience across thecommunity.Classes meet at churches,

homes and other communitylocations. Some are taught byfaculty, others by alumni orexperts outside academia. Inthe Fall, Nonstop had 22 full-time students and more than50 part-time students.In the early days of Nonstop

Institute, Chris Hill, a mediaarts professor and organizerdescribed it as “a bridge to anindependent Antioch Collegein the future.”That goal is now in sight. As

Nonstop was beginning itssecond semester, AntiochUniversity trustees signed aletter of intent paving theway for a new independentliberal arts college in YellowSprings.How often are artistic acts—

like the opening of those suit-cases—the first opening ofminds that help communitiessee new possibilities?

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Members of Živili Dance Ensemble help students gainglobal awareness.

Arts Learning and Global Awareness

Competing as technical problem-solvers withworkers in India, China and Singapore is only onepart of thriving in a global economy. Today’s stu-dents also will need to transcend language andcultural differences in the workplace. Some willtravel the world on a regular basis or even liveabroad. And they will need to find collaborativesolutions for global problems.Seeing global awareness dawning on young

faces is one thing Melissa Obenauf of Živili DanceEnsemble loves about being a teaching artist. Hercompany’s artist residencies in Ohio schools intro-duce students to dances, music and folklore ofCroatia and other southern Slavic nations.But creating a residency with Živili adds more

than singing and dancing to the school day.Ohio students and their peers in Slavic nations

learn about one another’s countries and exchangeemails. “They find where the other country islocated,” says Obenauf. “They learn about oneanother’s traditions and celebrations. They see adifferent way of life.”Students also gain appreciation for their own

cultural experiences as they construct vests towear during performance. The vests are decoratedwith symbols reflecting life as they know it.“The activities open the door to new ways of

thinking,“ says Obenauf. “Students begin to

Arnold Aprill, foundingand creative director of theChicago Arts Partnership inEducation (CAPE), spoke atthe Ohio Arts Council’s yearlygathering of its artists in resi-dence this October.He encouraged artists to

produce more documentationof their residencies in Ohio’sschools. "Too much importantwork just disappears," he said."People sometimes oppose ourwork because they can't imag-ine what we are talkingabout."

The Art of Improvement “Help Them Imagine!”He suggested using digital

cameras to capture images andvideo throughout the process.Most digital cameras allowcapture of short video clips.“Just switch to video mode

and ask students to talk aboutwhat they have learned,” hesaid. After sharing examplesfrom a school in Chicago, hethen led the artists in a handson demonstration with theirown cameras.Aprill also urged the group

to make their work more

connect their own lives with the lives of others.Something that they may have thought ofinitially as strange becomes just another way todo something—a way that is as beautiful astheir way.”How will those future workers and citizens

respond to global challenges? Perhaps cross-cul-tural arts experiences can open students’ eyes,minds and hearts to the beauty of diversity andequip them to find common ground in times ofglobal conflict and crisis.

interdisciplinary and public.To illustrate, he shared docu-mentation of a project thatunited a community—a solar-powered model of students’Chicago neighborhood. Withhelp from teachers and par-ents, the students usedartistry and engineering todesign each little house. Thework became a communitysensation when they installedit outside the school.“One resident of the neigh-

borhood called and said thatshe had never before seen arton display,” reported Aprill.

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Online Advocacy Tools Make Taking Action EasyIf you would like to become a more active advocate for high-

quality arts learning in Ohio, help is available through the OhioAlliance for Arts Education and Ohio Citizens for the Arts.Thanks to emails and online resources from these twoorganizations, you will need only modest time and effort tomake your voice heard on behalf of arts education.• No time to research the issues? Receive alerts about upcomingactions by federal and state government. Quickly access all theinformation needed to understand the decisions being made.

• Not sure how to get your message across? The OAAE and OCAWeb sites have links to talking points and tools for moreeffective advocacy.

• Don’t know whom to contact? The OCA’s E-Advocacy Center willdirect your letter to the right people in state and localgovernment, as well as to Ohio’s media organizations.You can start by visiting www.oaae.net and

www.ohiocitizensforthearts.org.

Alliance Director Demonstrates the Power of One—and Many

OAAE MissionThe Ohio Alliance forArts Education exists toensure that the arts arean integral part of theeducation of everyOhioan. The OAAE pur-sues three goals:

11:: The arts are includedin Ohio's "core" curriculum.

22:: All students have access to quality arts education programs.

33:: The arts are includedin statewide efforts to improve student achievement.

What can I do? I’m only one person.Fortunately, Donna Collins approached that

dilemma creatively. When she was a youngmother, she read articles suggesting that artsexperiences are important to children’s devel-opment and learning. So she did what shecould—bought some paints and took her chil-dren to concerts and dance lessons. She alsobecame an arts advocate in her role as a localPTA member. Then one day her son TJ showed her a peti-

tion he was circulating. It proposed adoption ofa theater class.Seeing her son’s passion and realizing how

the arts had benefited him strengthened hercommitment. “If he cares so much about mak-ing this class happen, it’s important to makesure every student has the opportunity,” sheremembers thinking. That realization led to a decision that

changed the course of her life. When she served as president of her school’s

PTA and later as a member of the Ohio PTABoard of Directors, she continued to advocatefor the arts. That sustained commitment led toher current role as executive director of boththe Ohio Alliance for Arts Education (OAAE)and Ohio Citizens for the Arts (OCA).

The OAAE is astatewide networkof parents, educa-tors, communityleaders, arts andeducation organi-zations and con-cerned citizens.The organizationalso is a memberof the KennedyCenter Alliance forArts EducationNetwork. The OCAis a statewide,grass-roots organi-zation that worksto increase publicsupport for thearts in Ohio.

The Power of CommunicationCollins and her small staff have an electronic

grapevine that is continually humming. Each week they email Arts On Line, a news

update that keeps arts education advocatesinformed about developments that affect artseducation—and about how they can help.

(continued next page)

Donna Collins, Executive Director, OhioAlliance for Arts Education and OhioCitizens for the Arts

The materialsinclude briefnewsletter articlesand longer featuresthat can be reprint-ed in your publica-tions, as well asletters that canserve as examplesfor your own com-munications.Finally, you can

be better preparedto seize advocacyopportunities on the fly with Art Facts To Go—wallet-sized cards you can download to printand share with colleagues.

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1

2

1 Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development.

2

Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk.

Created by the Arts Education Advisory Group of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies

ArtFacts to go

State Arts Leaders Present Tool Kit for Arts Advocates Whether you are writing a proposal to fund a

new arts program, convincing your local schoolboard that strong arts education is essential oradvising students about course selections, younow have access to a well-organized collectionof information that will help you make a casefor the arts. It’s the Research-Based Communication Tool

Kit, available online through the NationalAssembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA).Agency heads from four states, including Ohio’sMary Campbell-Zopf, authored the document tohelp you strengthen your message. Each sec-tion of the document focuses on an importantbenefit of arts learning:

The Arts and the Creative WorkforceThe Arts and Literacy DevelopmentThe Arts, Cognition and SocialDevelopment

In each section, you will find a conciseinformation sheet that states benefits of artslearning and cites the research findingssupporting those statements. You can delvedeeper by reading sources cited in theannotated bibliographies that follow. Finallyyou can spring into action by using or adaptingthe sample arts advocacy materials provided ineach section.

Emails include informationabout recent and pending leg-islation that may affect artseducation, as well as otherimportant state and nationalnews. “Joan Platz is our person on

the ground,” says Collins.“She attends public meetingsand determines how the artsfit into what is happening.”

The Power of RelationshipsAlthough her visibility and

eloquence at public eventsand policy meetings helpadvance the cause of artseducation, Collins also

Advocacy—continued from page 10

approaches advocacy as anongoing process ofrelationship-building. Sheworks closely with the state’sother arts organizations andmaintains ongoing dialoguewith state leaders. “Policy makers believe in the

power of arts education, butthey are pulled in a milliondirections,” she says. “Our jobis to make sure they have thelatest, best information aboutarts education as they makethose tough decisions.”

The Power of ManyThe commitment of OAAE

and OCA members around thestate make the greatest differ-ence in promoting strong artseducation, says Collins. “Our members are becoming

comfortable with advocacy.They’re calling and meetingwith their legislators. Theyengaged in the Governor’sforums on education reform. We can provide data, but

when our members engagewith policymakers aboutpeople in their districts, thatis so valuable,” she says.

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ODE Mission The Ohio Department of Education supports

high achievement for all students every year bysetting clear and high expectations for all stu-dents; by making sure that educators have theskills, knowledge and resources to help studentsimprove; by fostering the ability of families andcommunities to help students succeed; and bymeasuring, publicizing and rewarding achieve-ment results.

25 South Front StreetColumbus, Ohio 43215

OAC Mission The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that

funds and supports quality arts experiences tostrengthen Ohio communities culturally,educationally and economically.

With Support from the NationalEndowment for the Arts

The Ohio ArtsCouncil and the Ohio Department ofEducation Are Equal OpportunityEmployers

Ted Strickland, GovernorJennifer L. Sheets, State Board ofEducation President

Deborah Delisle, ODESuperintendent of Public Instruction

Susan Saxbe, OAC Board ChairJulie S. Henahan, OAC ExecutiveDirector

For TTY/TDD use Ohio Relay Service 1-800-750-0750

Editor: Deborah Vrabel Graphic Design: Mazer CorporationContributors/Advisors: Jeff Hooper, Ohio Arts Council; Nancy Pistone, Ohio Department of Education

727 East Main StreetColumbus, Ohio 43205

www.oac.state.oh.us

www.education.ohio.gov

SPECTRA+ Shares Knowledge

SPECTRA+ is a multi-discipli-nary, comprehensive, school-widearts education approach createdby the Fitton Center for CreativeArts. After demonstrating theprogram’s effectiveness in theHamilton City Schools, the FittonCenter is now offering a docu-ment to assist school districtsinterested in arts-integrated edu-cation. Information is online.

AEP Creating 21st CenturyResearch and Policy Agenda

The Arts Education Partnership(AEP) is developing an ArtsEducation and 21st CenturyLearning Research and PolicyAgenda. The purpose of theeffort is to “help build and refinethe body of knowledge of therole of arts and creativity in thelearning that all people need tosucceed in a highly complex,technological, and multi‐culturalworld.” The agenda will bepublished in 2010.

Ohio STEM Learning NetworkAdvocates Arts Learning

The arts continue to be part ofOhio’s conversation about inspir-ing advanced study in science,technology, engineering andmath and developing futureinnovators. The Ohio STEMLearning Network’s Web siteincludes a page called “InquiringMinds,” which asserts that “it isimportant to recognize theimportant connection of STEM toarts and social sciences.” Thispage pays tribute to Leonardo daVinci—artist and scientist—andfeatures ideas from DanielLevitin, author of the recentbook This is Your Brain on Music.

NGA Report Links Arts toEconomic Development

“A competitive edge and acreative edge go hand-in-hand tosupport economic prosperity,”says a recent report from theNational Governors Association(NGA). Arts and Economy: UsingArts and Culture to StimulateState Economic Developmentdescribes the role of the arts increating jobs, attracting educatedworkers, aiding communitydevelopment and promotingtourism. The report outlinesstrategies for assessing a state’scultural assets and incorporatingthe arts into statewide planning.

OAC Web Site Lists PotentialFunders for Your Arts Program

Looking for a small grant tohelp fund the activities of anarts or arts education program?The Ohio Arts Council’s Web siteis a good starting point. You cansearch over 100 opportunities byorganization, funding prioritiesand key words, as well as see thelevels of funding availablethrough each organization.

President Is Strong Advocatefor Arts EducationPresident Barack Obama’sposition paper on arts and cul-ture encourages partnershipsbetween schools and arts organi-zations, proposes an artist corpsto work in low-income schoolsand promises to publically cham-pion arts education.

Interested in exploringadditional information about artseducation research and practice?Go to the Links & Threads hotlist.

Newsbreaks—continued from page 6