The California Arts Council announced its plans to award 14,400 to the Mariposa County Arts Council as part of its Artists in Schools - Extension program.
As an offshoot of California Arts Council’s signature arts education grant program, one of the agency’s longest running, the new Artists in Schools - Extension program supports arts education programs for Pre-K-12 students that operate after school and during the summer, on school sites, in artistic venues, and in community settings. The intention of this program is to offer young people sequential, hands-on training in artistic disciplines, including dance, literary arts, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts that align to National Core Arts, California Visual and Performing Arts, Common Core, and/or Expanded Learning Standards of education.
With support from the California Arts Council Artists in the School Extension grant program, the Mariposa County Arts Council will partner with the County of Mariposa’s Department of Parks and Recreation to double the amount of art programming offered at its Summer Day Camp program. This expansion of programming will allow the Arts Council to offer deep, hands-on, sequential art instruction in the fields of theatre, visual arts, and music, provided by the region’s best visual and performing arts instructors, to Mariposa’s youth who have extremely limited or no exposure to the arts.
The program is already underway. Bryan Starchman, Mariposa County High School’s English and Drama teacher (pictured above), led a two-week extensive improv and theatre workshop, focused on stagework, puppeteering, and improv basics. Following Starchman, local artist and seasoned teaching artist, Moira Donohoe, leads a two-week painting workshop for participating Summer Camp youth. Musician and music teacher, Adam Burns, of Bootstrap Circus and Beat Harvest, will finish the program with a two-week music workshop, introducing students to music theory, instrument playing, and collaborative composing.
The Mariposa Arts Council is one of 136 grantees chosen for this highly competitive program, which received applications from 168 organizations statewide. The news of the Arts Council’s grant was featured as part of a larger announcement from the California Arts Council, which can be viewed online at arts.ca.gov/news/pressreleases.php.
“We know the benefits of arts education—to improve test performance, reduce dropout rates and increase participation in higher learning,” said Donn K. Harris, California Arts Council Chair. “The 6-week summer camp through Artists in Schools - Extension allows students real-life arts immersion beyond the standard school day. Opportunities like this help support the growth and success of California’s students by fostering creativity, innovation, and collaboration through the arts.”
To view a complete listing of all Artists in Schools - Extension grantees, visit arts.ca.gov/programs/files/CAC_AIS_Extension_Grantees_2016-17_FINAL.pdf.
The MARIPOSA COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL, INC. is an incorporated not-for-profit organization, created to promote and support all forms of the cultural arts, for all ages, throughout Mariposa County.
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