Nomination extension
Understanding Diversity in Our State
Image credit to Clay Banks https://unsplash.com/@claybanks?utm_source=squarespace&medium=referral
Please consider helping TAEA better understand diversity in our state with this quick survey.
Call to Action:
TAEA would like to take its first step in understanding the diversity that is represented in visual art education across our state by creating a more in-depth inventory of our members. Furthermore, as art educators, we have an opportunity to create an equitable, diverse, and inclusive classroom culture while using arts to have in-depth discussions around a variety of topics. To that end, TAEA will begin to take intentional actions towards supporting and addressing this topic through our pillars of learning, community, advocacy, and organizational vibrancy.
https://forms.gle/b2aHqjvmmmHjyA1a7
TAEA's Virtual Studio Experience
By TAEA President, Melody Weintraub
TAEA as an organization is growing and learning just like its members throughout the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic. We are adapting and learning ways to continue to make our organization viable in these troubling times. A positive example of this was when our regional conferences were cancelled. We stepped up to organize a combined summer conference and we ended up reaching out to those who might not have been able to attend otherwise.
On Saturday June 20, TAEA hosted its first-ever Virtual Studio Summer Conference! We were joined by over 70 eager art professionals from across the state as well as South Carolina and Louisiana! We were amazed with the initial keynote by Memphis sculptor, Tylur French. He not only discussed his process for creating monumental sculptures which have become iconic to the Memphis landscape and surrounding communities, but he shared the stories behind the making of installations such as the Bicycle Arch at Overton Park, the Water Tower on Broad Street, the MEMPHIS sign on Mud Island, Heart Installations at LeBonheur and the imaginative Sequined Mural at St. Jude Hospital, to name a few. Tylur gave us not only history and process, but he also shared the wisdom he has developed in working collaboratively with others in order to accomplish his goals.
Next we were taken into the studio of The University of Tennessee Art Professor, Beauvais Lyons, who taught us the history and technique for making Paste Paper. As Beauvais demonstrated the process, his enthusiasm over the medium not only energized the overall presentation, but engaged attendees who, having prepared paste beforehand, were able to make multiple decorative papers themselves, by experimenting with various tools made from available materials. They were also able to see how to implement this skill with students in the coming year.
Our last session for the day, “From Panel to Page: Illustrating a Comic,” was presented by Middle Tennessee State University art professor and published illustrator, Doug Dabbs.
Doug not only shared his amazing illustrations, but demonstrated the importance of composition to the message and how easily this form of art connects to language arts. Through various comic renderings he then showed examples of the Basic Panel Properties including Purpose, Mood, Character and Environment. Having given us files beforehand for a script and panel templates, he guided us through designing a simple story. It was fun to see the impact of his presentation as attendees shared their work on the Zoom screen! The webinar also included presentations by Advocacy Chair Amanda Tutor and Director of Community Outreach, Mike Mitchell.
We have received very positive feedback from participants who received 6.5 hours of professional development hours for participating following our Virtual Conference. We are very pleased that it was so beneficial to those who attended. This however, could not have happened without the thoughtful and meticulous planning of our Virtual Conference Planning Team. Early on, even before the regional conferences were cancelled, our TAEA Regional Chairs Jorden Miernik-Walker (West Tennessee), Heather McHugh (Middle Tennessee) and Angie McCarter (East Tennessee) each fastidiously planned amazing live Spring Conferences at various venues, which were then cancelled due to the pandemic. After their discussions with the TAEA Executive Board, consisting of President Melody Weintraub, Past President Kathy Dumlao, President-Elect David Meade, Treasurer Sherry Jankiewicz, and Secretary Rachel Town, it was decided to collaborate on one virtual event. These Regional Chairs not only helped secure our presenters for a second time, but their contributions to the schedule and content of the conference was invaluable. We also reached out to Tina Atkinson who also helped continue the momentum as Interim Middle Tennessee Regional Chair. Their hard work, along with that of TAEA Communications Director, Mary Katherine Chin in organizing registration and getting the word out on our website and links on social media contributed so much to the success of the event.
A recording of TAEA’s Virtual Studio Summer Conference, along with slide presentations will be available to those who attended. Keep watching our website and your email for more details!
Black Lives Matter
Tennessee Arts Academy
Announcing The 2020 TAA Virtual Academy!
"Empowering Arts Teachers In A Virtual World"
The Tennessee Arts Academy has announced that this summer’s Tennessee Arts Academy institute, normally hosted on the campus of Belmont University in Nashville, will be restructured for 2020 as a “virtual” learning Academy. Frank Bluestein, executive director of the Academy, stated in a letter to Academy participants, staff and supporters that due to the Covid-19 epidemic and the closure of the Belmont campus this summer to all summer on-campus activities, the Tennessee Arts Academy will now focus on turning this July’s session into an online experience. The TAA Administrative Council will spend the month of April creating the basic outline for moving forward, with the broad plan of the new online Academy experience ready to announce by the first week in May.
The theme for 2020 has been rebranded to Empowering Arts Teachers in a Virtual World. The nationally renowned Academy faculty will retool and offer their classes as an online experience. Not only will the classes impart valuable arts-based content, but more importantly for this year, they will model for the participants a way to teach online arts classes to students.
Bluestein stated, “We truly are looking at this as an opportunity and not as a disaster intervention tactic. We all know that online teaching is going to be expected of everyone as we move forward. It is our intention that the Academy be on the forefront of teaching arts educators how to adapt to the new world in which we find ourselves.”
The online Academy dates will remain the same as the original dates, July 12-17. In addition to the classes, the Academy will continue to have virtual performances, inspiring speakers (Musings), and art exhibition tours along with a series of choice sessions (Interludes) each day. Academy participants will continue to be able to earn 36 hours of recertification credit. A two-week post-Academy session will provide participants with additional resources, networking, and collaborative experiences.
TAA registration will remain open through June 15th. The online application form can be accessed by visiting the TAA website at tennesseeartsacademy.org. TAA office personnel will be working from their home office locations during regular office hours Monday through Friday from 1 PM to 5 PM to conduct business and to answer questions. For further information, the TAA staff can be reached by email at taa@belmont.edu or by telephone at 615-460-5451.
Update from the TDOE Office of Standards and Materials
The Tennessee Department of Education released the School Closure Toolkit for Fine Arts and an accompanying list of fine arts resources. The school closure guidance document details general considerations for districts, schools, and fine arts educators around responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, non-traditional delivery methods, and planning for arts program sustainability. The resource guide is intended as a recommended list of online resources to assist educators, students, and parents in remaining engaged in the arts through practice and activities. The resource list is not designed as an all-inclusive or mandated list as many organizations have been curating and broadly sharing repositories of resources that may align more closely to the needs of educators and your students.
The guidance document will be updated as the situation evolves. Educators are welcome to submit feedback and additional considerations for possible inclusion on future versions. Please note: while we will make every effort to provide guidance, we are unable to address every possible situation and local/individual circumstances.
You can find additional information about the department's Coronavirus response here.
For more information about fine arts in Tennessee schools or to provide feedback on the school closure toolkit, reach out Todd Shipley, TDOE Coordinator of Fine Arts, at Todd.Shipley@tn.gov.
COVID -19 Updates
By unanimous decision, the TAEA Executive Board and Regional Chairs have decided to cancel the 2020 TAEA REGIONAL SPRING CONFERENCES set to be held in West, Middle and East Tennessee in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The health and well- being of our members, attendees, and partners has been at the top of our minds these past few weeks as well as the current and future well-being of the association overall. COVID-19 was, and is, an unanticipated, unprecedented, and an ever-changing challenge.
Conference Fees
Due to these cancellations, any registration fees that you have paid can be refunded. This may take a couple of weeks to accomplish. As you know, our organization depends on the funding from these conferences to offer more learning opportunities for our members. If you would like to make your conference fee a donation to TAEA that would be greatly appreciated. Details about your refund will be emailed to you if you registered.
Looking Ahead
We are in the process of planning a Regionally Combined Mini-Conference for this summer. Please look for an email, check our website and social media posts for any updates.
Thank you all for your flexibility in these days. We appreciate the efforts many of you are making to find new ways to promote the arts and reach out to your students. They need art now more than ever before. Keep up the good work, find solutions, share your successful ideas with colleagues and keep thinking creatively! We are in this together and we are here for you.
Sincerely,
Melody Weintraub
President, Tennessee Art Education Association Middle School Art Teacher
Email: melodyweintraub@gmail.com