The Arkansas Arts Council has received a $100,000 grant from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation to fund a one-year pilot program to bring quality, professional artists into Arkansas' public schools. This new program provides funding to allow artists on the Arts in Education Artist Roster to present one to five-day curriculum-based residencies in the classroom. Applicants may receive a maximum of $1,000 using established Arts in Education program rates for artist fees, travel, meals, lodging (if necessary) and supplies. There is no cash match required.
The new program will ensure that K-12 teachers in all public schools in Arkansas have an opportunity to apply for the residencies. This grant program will be especially targeted to those teachers and schools in rural and underserved communities who have not had access to one of the current Arts Council's Arts in Education programs.
Schools that incorporate music, visual art, drama, dance and creative writing into the basic curriculum have found that teaching the arts has a significant effect on overall student success. Because the arts are closely associated with important ideas and events in history, students who have a background in the arts are likely to have a richer source of information and insight to draw upon, compared to those who do not. Math and reading scores increase, truancy decreases and overall morale improves whenever the impact of arts education programming has been measured in national studies.
Applications are now being accepted for residencies occurring between September and November of 2000. Applications are available by contacting Cynthia Haas, Arts in Education program manager at 501-324-9769 or cynthia@dah.state.ar.us. The deadline for receipt of applications is Monday, April 24, 2000.