Partners for Arts Education engaged CNY Works youth “investigators” for a 6-week summer exploration of drama, music, dance, media, literary and visual arts “laboratories.” Students and community arts professionals collaborated to understand the many ways that the arts provide career options here and around the world. The culminating project will be a website and multimedia presentation of interviews and findings.
Goals
• to learn critical and transferable skills inherent to the arts
• to understand the entrepreneurial characteristics that are developed in artistic practice
• to make visible the “work” of arts professionals in our community and in the world
• to help revitalize the Near Westside via the arts, green technology, design, and resident engagement
Participants
CNY Works Students: Interviews sought out student “Art Works Investigators” with a desire to be involved in the arts in some way. They must be responsible, self-starters, have some basic writing and organizational skills, and be able to walk many blocks in good weather.
Intern Teaching Artists: Community volunteers who are artists in specific disciplines collaborated on key areas of the explorations.
Artist Professionals: Career artists shared their experience and taught or supervised students in focused interviews, workshops, performances, and exhibits.
Work Plan
July 6th – August 13th, 2009: Students meet from 9:30 - 3:30 each day at Near Westside facilities including the SU Warehouse, the renovated Case Building, and the Delavan Center.
Weekly Schedule: Each week includes one day of team engagement to set goals and lay groundwork for the investigations within a specific artistic discipline. Another day is dedicated to journalistic gathering and editing of videos, photography, artwork, and writing to be uploaded on an Art Works website. The remaining two days include investigations that offer group and individual opportunities to examine careers in dance, drama, music, literary, media, and visual arts.
Investigation Topics
Week One: The art of the arts…what IS art and why do we need it?
Exploration of the arts, aesthetics, humanities. Meet career artists and begin rhythm of interviewing and investigating with 21st-century skills and habits-of-mind framework. Establish website as our shared goal. Establish a shared goal for documenting our research. Explore documentary methods (video, graphic novels, radio, newspaper, powerpoint, photography, web-based, etc.).
Week Two: The art of music…where does music exist in the world of work?
If music is a major industry in the world, then how do the folks who are not on stage contribute? Where does an appreciation for music fit into a music-related career? Four-day “tour” of radio, recording, live performance, individual musicians, rehearsals, etc. Opportunities for individual musicians to create music with students to record for final website.
Week Three: The art of movement…how does dance and physical expression create a way of life?
Our country has an obesity problem, and we have medical ailments that can be prevented by moving our bodies. How do we turn this into a job? What part does movement play in the working world? Dance workshops in Latin, modern, African, step, ballroom, etc. Investigation through choreography of our own dance performance.
Week Four: The art of dramatic expression…why do they say “all the world’s a stage?”
Theater brings a few people into the spotlight and brings many more into the theater, backstage, behind the camera, and off-set. Exploration of performance space, performing activity, and technical contributions. Investigation through production of theater performance.
Week Five: The art of craft…do all artists need to “starve?”
Visual art is even more relevant now that we all have digital cameras and computer design requirements in our work. Design is involved in almost everything we touch. How do we contradict the stereotype of the starving artist? Exploration of many media through studio and gallery visits paired with site-specific artmaking. Curate a final exhibition (virtual?) of work from the week.
Week Six: The art of technology…how do we deliver messages to millions?
With a computer as our ultimate tool, we are shaping whole new careers in our second and third lives online. Video, photography, computer design, virtual design, and internet communication involves many people working together in teams to construct eye-catching events and messages. Compile and edit media for website and final production.
Documentation
See the powerpoint created by the investigators. (large file - may take some time to download)
The group's investigations were documented on their internal website, http://artworkscny.ning.com/. There you can see some of the raw materials of their investigations.
You can also see a calendar of Art Works activities.
Read a newspaper article about Art Works. See photos of Art Works.