Swizz Beatz visits Bronx Arts!

The artist Swizz Beatz visited Bronx Arts on Thursday, December 8. He was recently named the Hononary Chair of The Friends of Bronx Arts committee and came to visit the school where he was interviewed by The Grio.com. Swizz Beatz listened and gave feedback to student keyboard performances in our music studio, as well as participate in hands-on artmaking with our first graders in the visual arts studio. 

Swizz and Bronx Arts Music Teacher, Alan Davis applaud the work of a student musician!

In the current economic climate, arts education programs are the first to be cut. As a recognized artist, Swizz Beat is able to highlight the Bronx Arts mission through his support and presence in our Bronx Arts community and inspire dialogue about the importance of the arts in every child's development. As thoughtful artists and educators, we know that creativity and innovation is essential in contributing to the making of our future. A creative mind that can problem solve when faced with challenges is critical in our rapidly changing world. 

The multi-talented Swizz Beatz paints alongside student artist, Breanna Jaigua

Thank you Swizz Beatz for sharing in our passion and commitment to the arts!

Russell Granet of Arts Education Resource is honored by Bronx Arts for his great contributions to the school!

Russell Granet is an enthusiastic advocate for our Bronx Arts mission and our students. He has enriched our environment by engaging our teachers in professional development focused around effective practices and leading trends and in arts education, including how we look at student work, what it means when we say arts integration, and we can support artistic habits of mind in our arts studios.  Talking with Russell is like having a quality arts moment- he engages you with his knowledge and passion for the arts and leaves you inspired to do more and to continue to cultivate knowledge. As the Arts Director, Russell has provided me with rich guidance that continuously alters the lens of which I use to further push our arts program to high levels of quality as well as helping us forge relationships that strengthen our impact on our students and the greater NY community. We are honored by his commitment to our school, thank you Russell! 

Bronx Arts Arts Director, Ann Ledo with the esteemed Mr. Granet

To learn about Russell's incredible work around the world, please go to his website:http://artsedresource.org/ 

Charter Artists Collective Gathers

On Tuesday, November 8th, the NYC Charter School Arts Collective met once again, with representatives from Bronx Arts, Girls Prep (Lower East Side and the Bronx), UFT Charter,  and Promise Academy  and was  hosted by Bronx Arts.  The focus of the PD was to focus on best-practices, and to provide an opportunity for participants to share beginning-of-the-year work.   The afternoon session was kicked off by Bronx Arts Music Specialist Alan Davis, sharing his initial work from his Collaborative Action Research (CAR) project which focuses on the impact of new technologies in the music studio.  The second half of the session was devoted to introducing the Looking At Student Work ( LASW) protocol to the group.  Participating teachers had the opportunity to share work that they'd brought, and a few people also had the opportunity to get in some practice facilitating the protocol.  The afternoon ended with the group discussing and setting a tentative meeting date for February.

Interested in  Collaborative Action Research? Read about it here:

• http://cadres.pepperdine.edu/ccar/define.html

The Looking at Student Work (LASW) protocol was developed by Harvard's School of Education Project zero. Learn more about it here and how to implement it in your school: 

• http://pzweb.harvard.edu/mlv/index.cfm?content_section=11&content_page_id=60&section_page_level=4
• http://www.lasw.org/

Artists inspiring other artists.

Some notes from the Visual Arts Studio…Artists inspiring other artists.

During Arts Night, musicians Andrew Kozar and Greg “dialogued” with our Visual Artists through Art.

There is a historical and very close relationship between the Visual Arts and Music. Inspired by this relationship, Mr. Kozar and Greg and sung music. Our young artists drew inspired by their music and, in like manner, the drawings inspired the music that was played and sung by the musicians.

Musicians from LoadBang inspire our students

We started by looking at written music that looked like drawings! Some of it was written by Mr. Zokar and other by his musician friends. Then, we watched a video of artist Jackson Pollock painting, as he listened to Jazz music.

By Jeremy Rivera, 2nd Grade

Visual Artists such as Romare Bearden, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock and many others through have had very close relationships with musicians such as Eric Satie, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, inspiring each other and, in some instances, working in the same Art movements creating cultural manifestations in various art disciplines. Other examples are John Cage who was influenced by painter Mark Rothko, Duchamp and Rauchenberg and Marcel Duchamp, a visual artist who also composed his own music

In the visual arts studio we have been exploring drawing: from making marks with different tools to making representational drawings of observations from life. We have explored the tools and have been thinking about what line, color, shape and texture can represent visually. At times, other artists inspire us: through images and definitely through music. Arts Night was an extension of that work, an opportunity to explore what drawing can be and its relationship to other arts such as music.

New York State Academic Standards in the Arts:

Standard 1:

Creating, performing and participating in the Arts

Standard 2:

Knowing and using arts materials and resources

Standard 3:

Responsing to and analyzing works of art

Family Arts Night @ Bronx Arts!

Print-Making

Making our own puppets with The Story Pirates

Roll over Beethoven!

3 little pumpkins!

(Thanks Corbin Hill Farms!)

Stylin' with our recycled t-shirt scarves

An art-filled mind is an artful mind!

Improv with Mr. Pease and Miss Misch!

Please step away from the artist

Artist High Five 

Music inspires Drawing inspires Music

Papel Picado with Miss Amin

It's Tillamook Cheddar the Amazing Painting Dog!

"Look Mom no hands!"

Rolling out an original print!

Dog makes Art!

Future Jim Henson

Critiquing the Dog Art

Load Bang inspired great Art!

NYFA Grants Link and Application

The following is a link to The New York Foundation for the Arts (Our 2011 Envision Conference hosts) Fellowship applications and guidelines are listed on the left hand side of the page.  

Awards are available for individuals as well as organizations!  

Go get 'em!  

www.nfya.org

Welcome NYC-Based Charter School Artists and Friends

This blog was created as a resource for Artists working in NYC Charter Schools.

The Bronx Charter School for the Arts hosts an Annual Arts Conference.

This year's theme was Envision: Create an Arts Infused School Culture.

Those in attendance desired a greater web presence for Artists working within the Charter Schools of the New York City Metro Area. This blog exists to serve as their forum for the sharing news, lessons and resources.

WELCOME!  If you have anything to share or post please email:  dmarshall@bronxarts.net

Thanks and Enjoy!