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Video Celebrates Arts Education Advocacy

As this legislative session comes to an end, we want to share with you the good work of the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education (MAAE) and students from Logan-Rogersville and Jefferson City high schools to promote arts education in our state. Their efforts led to HB 870 which did not get far this session but certainly will next year with their leadership and your help.

Please take a moment to view the vieo clip that was produced by the Missouri School Boards Association (MSBA) in partnership with the MAAE.

http://video.esgn.tv/player.php?p=j6735hpz

The clip shows the nearly 1,000 students who participated in the 2009 Fine Arts Education Day at the Missouri State Capitol on March 10. It also highlights our lead advocacy effort, the Show-Me Arts Inititiative. Through the good work of the two student-led advocacy committees, in partnership with Rep. Bob Dixon and the MAAE, students developed a bill to support our lead statewide policy goal: the creation of Fine Arts Education Coordinators in the state's Regional Professional Development Centers (RPDC).

We hope to build on this momentum in the 2010 legislative session starting in January. We hope you will join our effort. Encourage students in your school districts to organize Show-Me Arts Committees like those at Logan-Rogersville and Jefferson City high schools.

For more information about forming Show-Me Arts Committees, contact Deborah Fisher, MAAE Executive Director, at deborah.fisher@moaae.org for assistance.

To keep up to date on our legislative work, sign up for the Missouri Citizens for the Arts e-newsletter at http://www.missouricitizensforthearts.org/index2.html

2009 Missouri Fine Arts Education Day
A Huge Success!

Over 1,000 students, teachers, parents, school administrators, artists, and arts administrators gathered March 10, 2009 in Jefferson City to educate legislators and Missouri's citizens on the importance of supporting fine arts education in the state's public schools. This event also coincided with the celebration of Music In Our Schools Month and Youth Art Month.

Eighteen student groups from across the state performed at the Capitol Building, showcasing vocal and instrumental music, dance and drama programs in Missouri's public schools. Works of 368 student artists, representing 98 schools in 40 counties were also on exhibit in the Capitol as part of Missouri's Youth Art Month.

The Capitol Building Rotunda was "alive with the arts" as five choirs sang selections that they had prepared for this event, as well as a rousing choral finale featuring all singers. Students from Kirkwood High School, McKinley Classical Leadership Academy, Parkway School District, and University City High School dance departments thrilled the audience with their skills. The South Callaway Theatre Department also performed and the Missouri Thespians presented a colorful costume parade. A highlight of the day was the reading of an essay by Heather Evans, a fourth grader at Skyline Elementary in Lebanon. Heather was a national winner in an essay competition sponsored by MENC: The National Association for Music Education. Heather will appear on the DVD for the World's Largest Concert, which will be viewed by approximately 6 million students, teachers, and music supporters across the United States.

Two newly organized student advocacy groups, the Show-Me Arts Committees from Logan-Rogersville and Jefferson City High Schools, were active throughout the event. These enthusiastic young advocates for arts education met with leaders in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the staff of Governor Nixon. In addition, they presented an advocacy orientation for all attendees of Fine Arts Education Day. They also met with many elected officials in support of House Bill No. 870, which they helped to write with Representative Bob Dixon (Springfield). All 197 elected Senators and Representatives received office visits during the day from students, teachers and parents.

First Lady, Mrs. Georganne Nixon presented Missouri Art Education Association awards to the young artists whose artworks had been selected for exhibition in the Capitol. She also presented the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Schools of Distinction in Arts Education Award to Lebanon High School and University City High School for outstanding achievement in arts education and to Logan-Rogersville High School and Jefferson City High School for advocacy in arts education. Representative Bob Dixon presented a House Proclamation honoring the arts education advocacy efforts of the students at Logan-Rogersville High School.

Musical groups and their conductors performing at the Capitol during the day included: Logan-Rogersville HS Choir (Travis William Graham), Singing Tigers from Skyline Hickory County R-1 (Jennifer Kelley), Melody Makers - Eldorado Springs R-II (Candice Powell), Oakville MS Singers (Denny Dietz), Pleasant Hill HS Concert Choir (Karen Dollins), Washington Recorder Group (Karen Stafford), South Callaway HS Concert Band (Kim Neighbors), Logan-Rogersville HS Jazz Band (Jim Shannon), Jefferson City HS Symphonic Band (Steve Eubanks), Linn HS Wildcat Jazz Ensemble (Tom Higgins), and McKinley Goldbug Jazz Band (Bob Dorries). Thanks to all of these students and their directors for supporting this important event!

The following organizations comprise the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education: Missouri Art Education Association, Missouri Choral Directors Association, Missouri Dance Organization, Missouri State Thespians, Speech and Theatre Association of Missouri, Missouri Arts Council, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Missouri Association of Community Arts Agencies, Missouri Citizens for the Arts, Missouri School Boards' Association, Missouri Arts Education Collaborative, Gifted Association of Missouri, Interchange, and Missouri Fine Arts Academy. Its mission is to develop and implement a statewide comprehensive arts education plan with a goal of making the arts a basic part of education for all Missourians.

This event was sponsored in part by the McGraw-Hill Publishing Companies.

2010 Missouri Fine Arts Education Day is scheduled for March 9, 2010. Performance spots have already been requested, so plan now to participate and bring your students.

Contact Deb Fisher: deborah.fisher@moaae.org