fine arts education EXPRESSIONS

Please share this newsletter with your fellow arts educator friends and colleagues. If you're not receiving this newsletter directly, be sure to sign up for the NDE Arts Ed Mailing List.

It's been a joy to see so many folks this spring at ESUs, conferences, board meetings, and workshops! The arts and arts education have an amazing power to bring to joy. Perhaps the biggest joy in creating and sharing works of visual, digital, and performing arts is that we know that kids are not only learning artistic skills and processes, but they are also learning skills that will serve them for life. Inherent in our arts education classrooms are skills of problem solving, perseverance, collaboration, communication, creativity, and more. It's the joy of connecting arts and education to the human experience.

I hope your spring is going well and that amid the hustle and bustle of contests, shows, exhibits, concerts, and recitals that you remember the joy for you and your kids and audiences of today as well as the adults they will become.

The Nebraska Department of Education's Offices of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment and Career, Technical, and Adult Education, along with a variety of stakeholders, prepare academic content standards and present them to the elected Nebraska State Board of Education for adoption. The Content Area Standards Revision Timeline has recently been updated. At this time, Fine Arts subjects of media arts, visual arts, dance, music, and theatre, will begin standards review in 2025. Be sure to watch your email for further information as we revisit the 2014 Nebraska Fine Arts Education Standards. Visit the NDE Content Area Standards page for more information and to access the Content Area Standards Revision Timeline.

Forty arts organizations participated in last fall's Fine Arts Exchange, connecting arts educators with arts organizations (non-profits and state agencies) who have opportunities to extend, enhance, and enrich arts learning. Videos from each organization, as well as information about their programs has been curated into a web resource so all the information is in one place. Check out the School Year 2023-2024 Fine Arts Exchange Website.

The newest addition to the Fine Arts Exchange is the Bess Streeter Aldrich Foundation in Elmwood, NE. Bess Streeter Aldrich was a Nebraska writer. In her short stories and novels, she chronicled the ups and downs of small-town living; hoping readers would understand the hardships and struggles of the times and see the virtues and hopes of the Midwest prairie. Check out Bess Streeter Aldrich Foundation for free teacher resources and poetry contest or visit Bess Streeter Aldrich's beautiful 1922 prairie mansion home and gardens.

"The finished mural will represent a moment in Dundy County Schools, but it will be enjoyed for generations," stated Nebraska's Public Media's Jolie Peal as she visited with students and staff about the impact of the Arts NOW Grant program. Listen to the full story, "Students, Staff Bringing Art to Their Community with Shared Mural."

In partnership with the Nebraska Arts Council, the Nebraska Department of Education's Arts NOW Grant program provided $180K in funds to arts education projects across Nebraska. From new ceramics study to learning about lighting, from new instructional programs in ukulele and drumming to the creation of a school wide mural, the Arts NOW Grants reached 79 Nebraska school buildings in 23 Nebraska school districts.

The NDE is grateful to the Nebraska Arts Council for their support in developing the program and their gracious funding.

The 2024 General Music Virtual Conference is set for Saturday, April 27, 2024 from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM PM CT. Participants will have opportunities to learn about multiple general music approaches. This event is sponsored by NAfME's General Music Education Council, the American Orff Schulwerk Association, Dalcroze Society of America, Feierabend Association for Music Education, Gordon Institute for Music Learning, the Organization of American Kodály Educators, The American Center for Elemental Music and Movement, and the Smithsonian World Music Pedagogy program. This event is free and open to any music teacher! Be sure to check out NAfME's website to learn more.

Artificial Intelligence is redefining education. NDE and ESUCC invite you and your colleagues to attend Future Ready Nebraska's 2024 Conference, "Advancing Education in the Era of AI," June 10 and 11, 2024. Keynote presenters and featured speakers, Amanda Bickerstaff, Jamie Donnelley, Kristen Mattson, and Eric Curtis (Control Alt Achieve) offer their insight and expertise on tech integration and the use of AI in education. Nebraska Future Ready's Conference also includes strands for administrators and technology, elementary and secondary educators, media specialists, and Canvas users.

Register Now! The Future Ready Nebraska Conference is a hybrid conference. Come be a part in-person at the NDE Offices in Lincoln (limited availability) or remotely, from wherever you may be.

Applications are now open for Omaha Performing Art's Disney Musicals in Schools (DMIS) for the 24/25 school year! DMIS builds sustainable musical theater programs in public elementary schools throughout Omaha, Council Bluffs, Lincoln and surrounding communities. Each year, a select group of new schools are provided free performance materials and in-school support from a teach of teaching artists to produce a 30-minute Disney KIDS musical at their school! For more information, contact DMIS@O-pa.org.

Interested in teaching an AP course? Want to gain more information about the AP course you teach? AP is offering a professional learning summer institute for current and prospective AP teachers. Visit the AP Professional Learning Calendar and search "Lincoln" to learn about opportunities available this summer.

Nickelodeon will be zooming in with Calibraska on Tuesdays throughout the summer to offer free virtual workshops designed for two different age groups.

"Let's Draw" is for ages K-5/6. Learn how to draw some of your favorite characters with the artists who work on the show. Each week participants will watch a clip from a different Nick show, then learn how to draw characters from the show with artists at Nick. Times are 2 PM CT/1 PM MT. Sessions are 30 minutes.

"Drawing for Animals and Guest Artists" is for sixth grade students through high school seniors. Learn about the different “gigs” in the animation industry and how to develop your drawing skills from the pros at Nick. Participants will focus on a variety of different ways artists draw for animation at Nickelodeon from different departments such as character design, prop design, backgrounds, storyboarding and visual development. No drawing experience necessary. Times are 3 PM CT/2 PM MT. Sessions are one hour.

Show your interest in these workshops or visit Calibrask's website to learn more.

NDE's Walk 2 Unlock Nebraska program has opened the fourth trail. Virtually travel and participate in physical activity as you and your group walk along the trail. Along the way, stop and learn about many amazing historical and cultural sites in Nebraska! Walk 2 Unlock Nebraska is great for classrooms, clubs, organizations & families. Sign up at walk2unlock.ne.gov. Walk 2 Unlock Nebraska also has mini-grants available for spring & summer 2024. Contact Erica to learn more.

The Institute for Holocaust Education, along with its partners, is presenting a Holocaust Education Workshop on Monday, June 3, 2024 from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM in Omaha. This free in-service introduces educators to resources for teaching about the Holocaust to help them build their students’ content knowledge, empathy, and critical thinking skills. Educators will learn about primary sources and other resources they can integrate into their curriculum. This workshop is open to all content areas that incorporate Holocaust education in their teaching or those who seek to incorporate Holocaust education in the future. The afternoon session will feature Not Too Far Distant, a theatrical piece written by BLIXT Art Lab's Becky Boesen.

MONA is preparing for its reopening! Interested to see what's coming? Check out this video to see the future of MONA. Make plans to bring your kids to the newly renovated Museum of Nebraska Art. School tours will resume in Spring 2025. Miles to MONA is also available to assist with transportation expenses. Visit MONA's website or call (308) 865-8559 for more information.

The Art TEAMS (Teaching with Arts and Emerging Media) professional learning project at UNL is looking for innovative teachers to join the grant. The Art TEAMS project is an arts integration approach to professional learning, bringing teachers, teaching artists, administrators, and museum educators together with education researchers to collaboratively develop engaging approaches to learning through and in emerging media arts. Using a cohort model, participants are part of a teacher-centered conversation about how to rethink professional learning for the needs of today’s educators. UNL Art TEAMS seeks educators who are collaborative, flexible, creative and curious. Consider applying for the TEAMS Grant Project at UNL. For more information, please contact Sarah, the project coordinator.

UNO's The Moving Company hosts its 89th annual Spring Showcase on May 5 at 3pm. Choreographers from The Moving Company and guest choreographers Aurora Lagattuta and Emily Bryan will showcase dances alongside community performers from Omaha South High School's La Fuerza, Dancing Beyond Limits, and For Dancers Only Performing Arts. Visit UNO's The Moving Company to learn more.

Do you know a young person who is passionate about helping lead the arts education field? The Arts Education Partnership (AEP) is looking for a 2024-25 Youth Representative to serve on its Advisory Council.

As part of Education Commission of the States, AEP relies on the Advisory Council to provide guidance and advice. The Youth Representative will be a full member of the council, serving a one-year term from June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025, and will work with an AEP staff member on a project or topic related to the youth representative’s areas of interest. The Youth Representative will also attend three virtual advisory council meetings, provide occasional feedback and guidance via email, and travel to AEP’s Annual Convening in Pittsburg, PA, to attend the in-person council meeting national convening.

Applications are due April 22.

The Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason works with students around the state to write and appreciate poetry. Spending anywhere from one class period or assembly to a full week, Matt shows poetry as a vibrant and exciting subject. Matt enjoys travelling and has presented in 73 of Nebraska's 93 counties (so far). To find out how to Learn with Matt, Nebraska's State Poet, visit Matt's website.

The International Quilt Museum (IQM) would love to collaborate to host a field trip or special event, or partner with you in the curriculum that you teach. ICM has the world's largest publicly held collection of quilts. They can pair well with any topic or lesson. IQM excitedly seeks creative ways to engage the community with amazing quilts and exhibitions.

Opera Omaha announced the selection of 13 poems for the 2023-24 Poetry & Music Project. These original poems, written by Nebraska students grades K through 12, were selected from a pool of 102 submissions from poets across 12 Nebraska and Iowa counties. Chosen poems were were set to music by professional composers Amber Vistein and Sidney Marquez Boquiren, both recent alumni of The American Opera Project Composers & the Voice program. This spring, poets further developed their pieces in music workshops with the composers by collaborating in the behind-the-scenes artistic process.

“Reading all the poems submitted by talented student poets across Nebraska and Iowa is incredible. There is such diversity in the poems submitted. Our composers had a real challenge to narrow down their selections. Engaging these young poets as part of the creative process and working with the composers as they bring their art to the stage is a highlight of our year. Opera really is an intertwining of two forms art poetry and music. Amplifying these poets amazing words through the creation of original music is a unique opportunity,” stated Lauren Medici, Director of Engagement Programs for Opera Omaha. Their completed works were performed by Opera Omaha artists at a free concert on April 6, 2024, at the Omaha Conservatory of Music. You can view this year's Poetry and Music Project Book.

Nebraska Arts Council grant applications for the 2024-25 school year open in April. Schools throughout the state are invited to apply for floating deadline grants.

The Artists in Schools/Communities grant program covers costs for NAC rostered teaching artists (apply at least six weeks in advance). School Bus Arts grants (apply at least four weeks in advance) cover costs associated with field trips to professional arts exhibits or performances. Please contact the Nebraska Arts Council with any questions by emailing nac.info@nebraska.gov.

Information from Nebraska's Arts Education Organizations is provided as a resource and is not an endorsement of the NDE.

The Great Plains Orff Chapter (GPOC) offers opportunities for teachers to learn, grow, and make music together using the approach developed by composer Carl Orff and assistant Gunild Keetman.

The Great Plains Orff Chapter held their spring workshop "Art in Play' featuring Fauna Wolfe on Saturday, March 23, at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Participants experienced play for the day with creative connections in music, movement, literature, and visual art. Together they shared beautiful experiences exploring these connections that foster musical learning through unusual manipulatives, beautiful books, and fun music.

Mark your calendars for a free chapter sharing workshop on Saturday, June 1, 2024, from 10 AM to 2 PM in Kearney, NE. For more information on this workshop and future events at GPOC's Workshops Page.

The Nebraska Art Teachers Association (NATA) champions art education across Nebraska through creative growth and innovation and offers tools and resources for high-quality visual arts, design, and media arts education.

Youth Art Month was celebrated across Nebraska. Dream in Art was this year's theme. Nearly 60 pieces of art were displayed at the state capitol on the first floor representing K-12 art students in Nebraska from March 9-23. Youth Art Month concluded with a celebration and recognition of each student artist on March 23, 2024. Visit the NATA website and social media resources for additional news, information, resources.

The Nebraska Music Education Association (NMEA) provides continuing education opportunities, recognition, and scholarships for music educators, as well as performance opportunities for students.

NMEA is excited to announce the Summer Elementary Workshop on June 18, 2024, from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm on the University of Nebraska-Kearney campus. This one-day workshop led by Amy Abbott will focus on Kodály in the elementary classroom. More information will be available soon on the NMEA website.

Save the date for the annual NMEA conference/clinic and All-State ensembles November 20-22, 2024 in Lincoln.

The Nebraska State Bandmasters Association (NSBA) is all about "Better Bands for Nebraska." Visit the website for information on marching contests, spring convention, the Nebraska Concert Band Festival, the Jazz Band Festival, and more.

NSBA held its Annual Convention February 29-March 2, in Lincoln and the NSBA Concert Band Festival on Omaha, March 27 and in Kearney, March 28,, 2024. The NSBA Jazz Band Festival, is set for April 11-12, in Elkhorn.

The Nebraska Thespians just "brought down the house" with the 2024 Nebraska Thespian Festival. Hundreds of high school and junior high students from across Nebraska participated in workshops presented by theatre professionals, individual and small group competitions, an all-state show, live performances, and everything theatre in Omaha the first week in January.

Mark your calendars for next year's Nebraska State Thespian Festival on January 2-4, 2025! Don't miss the opportunity to share your secondary school theatre work by applying to bring a show to Festival. One-acts, musicals and plays will be showcased at the 2025 Festival. Applications are open and close May 25th. Email board@nebstatethespian.com for the application link. Nebraska Thespians website to learn more.

The Kodaly concept is a "sound before sight" approach to music education. Literacy skills are taught in a sequential manner that centers joy, authenticity, and children at the heart of learning and music-making.

PSKOR's spring workshop will feature The Music of Hawaii presented by Jana Kitmura on April 13, 2024. Visit PSKOR's website to learn more.

Nebraskans for the Arts (NFTA) advocates for the arts and education in Nebraska. NFTA is seeking arts educators to collaborate on projects, send resources, receive feedback, and build relationships with people most influential in supporting the arts and arts education in Nebraska. Contact NFTA's new Executive Director, Lance at lance@nebraskansforthearts.org, to learn more about NFTA, become involved, or join the mailing list.

Nebraskans for the Arts is proud to announce that LB605, Arts Therapy Certification, passed during this spring legislative session. NFTA continues to monitor tax bill debates that would have an impact on arts education funding.

Do you know of another organization not listed? If so, have them contact Cody at cody.talarico@nebraska.gov.

The digital tools shared below are shared with teachers to increase their knowledge on how the application or site could be used in the classroom. However, students should only use digital tools and resources, and only those tools and resources, that have been approved by the teacher’s school district for student use. The information below is not an endorsement of the NDE.

Looking for acting exercises? Check out these ideas from author Sam Marsden.

It’s Jazz Appreciation Month! Teach students more about jazz and music history with these great jazz education resources from the National Museum of American History.

Have you seen the P.S. Arts to Go library? This library offers free instructional videos for art projects that can be made with household items for an at-home learning experience. The lessons were created by teaching artists using notable artists and artworks as inspiration.

Ever wonder how a piano is made? Take your classes inside the Steinway & Sons Factory to see how!

Color: A Matching Game is an online scored color matching game. Test your color matching skills of hue, saturation, tints, shades, and more! Briana from Loup County shared how her kids become very competitive and advance their skills with color theory. Good luck competing against your kids.

Test your ability to identify if a line is from Shakespeare or Taylor Swift in this video from the National Theater. Shared by Nebraska Public Media, see cast members from Great Performances: Romeo and Juliet as they are presented with quotes and have to decide whether they are from the bard of today or the past! Support materials ask students to extend the game by coming up with their own version using a different songwriter.

Travel across Nebraska with Nebraska Public Media's The Magic of Murals and see how mural artists are adding vibrancy to Nebraska's communities. Watch artists, including art teacher Lauren Olson from Garden County, as they help to tell the story of our state.

Kyle from Mullen keep kids engaged with classroom video lessons and checks for their understanding with EdPuzzle.

Ever wonder how you can bring a museum to your classroom? Checkout the Smithsonian Learning Lab in this Tech EDGE episode with Dr. Guy Trainin from UNL.

Upload a photo, crop it to match the size of your canvas, and add grid lines using Cagnon Studio's Proportion Grid Creator. This resource was shared by Samantha from Gothenburg.

Need help teaching the flute? Ali uses resources and videos from flutist Nina Perlove.

The Joslyn Art Museum's Nelson Teacher Resource Center includes on-demand digital materials including pre-recorded art making lessons, teaching posters, prompts for virtual visits, lesson plans, and interest boards with lessons, videos, articles, and more.

Check out One Stop Workshop for webinars and learning sessions on topics for all arts subjects.

Are your students learning about lighting design? Check out this online Scenic and Lighting Design Lab.

The digital tools shared in this newsletter are shared with teachers to increase their knowledge on how the application or site could be used in the classroom. Students should only use digital tools and resources, and only those tools and resources, that have been approved by the teacher’s school district for student use.

Do you have a favorite site, app, or teaching tidbit you'd like to share? Email Cody at cody.talarico@nebraska.gov to include your idea in the next edition of the EXPRESSIONS.

• ESU Professional Development Staff, District Supervisors, Department Chairs, and Organization Leadership: Please send this information to the fine arts teachers in your service area, district, or organization.
• Fine Arts Teachers: Please share with your colleagues and friends.
• If you're receiving this newsletter from someone else and want to receive it directly, be sure to sign up to be on the NDE Fine Arts Education mailing list. You'll receive newsletters, invitations to events, and special announcements.

Let's connect and work together for all kids in Nebraska to have access and opportunities in arts education.

• Sign Up to be on the NDE Fine Arts Education mailing list. You'll receive newsletters, invitations to events, and special announcements.
• Follow Nebraska Fine Arts on X (previously Twitter) at @NDE_FineArts. Use the #FineArtsEdNebraska to highlight the many amazing Fine Arts Education opportunities, events, and learning.
• Find out more about Fine Arts Education in Nebraska and view past editions of the NDE Fine Arts Expressions Newsletter.

500 South 84th Street, Lincoln, NE 68510-2611

Mailing: PO Box 94987, Lincoln, NE 68509-4987

Email: cody.talarico@nebraska.gov

Arts NOW Grant Email: nde.artsedgrants@nebraska.gov
Website: education.ne.gov/finearts
Phone: 402.314.7822
X: @NDE_FineArts

Links to third-party websites do not constitute an endorsement of the content, viewpoint, accuracy, opinions, policies, products, services, or accessibility of the sites.

Decisions about curriculum and instructional materials are made locally by individual school districts and classroom teachers. The Nebraska Department of Education does not mandate the curriculum used within a local school. The digital tools shared in this newsletter are shared with teachers to increase their knowledge on how the application or site could be used in the classroom. Students should only use digital tools and resources, and only those tools and resources, that have been approved by the teacher’s school district for student use.

Pictures from prexels.com (no attribution required), taken at professional learning sessions, or provided by the school or organization and used with permission. Organization logos used with permission.