NC: STATE OF THE ARTS CONFERENCE
STATE OF THE ARTS CONFERENCE A HUGE SUCCESS!!!
Educators, administrators, teaching artists, professional artists, and arts organizations gathered March 5-7, 2009, at Meredith College in Raleigh for the second NC: The State of the Arts Conference. The conference addressed the arts in 21st century learning and focused on “imagination, creativity and innovation: educating children for their future.”
The opening session showcased East Cary Middle School’s Steel Drum Band, directed by Mike Hopkins. The Thursday night reception at the NC Museum of History included performers from the Community Music School of Raleigh and the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble, directed by John Brown. Highlights of the conference included presentations and keynotes from national and state leaders including: Dr. June St Clair Atkinson, State Superintendent; Linda A. Carlisle, Secretary of Cultural Resources; Dr. Sarah B. Cunningham, National Endowment for the Arts; Dr. William C. Harrison, Chair and CEO of the State Board of Education/Public Schools of NC; Jack Lew, Program Director for Emerging Media at UCF; Eleanor Oakley, President/CEO of the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County; Andrea Peterson, National Teacher of the Year 2007; Mary Regan, Executive Director of the NC Arts Council; Thomas Sayre, artist and co-founder of Clearscapes; and Barbara B. Shepherd, Director of National Partnerships for the John F. Kennedy Center. The conference included many hands-on workshops and panel discussions, an arts education coordinators’ meeting on Friday, and a plenary session focused on recently introduced legislation presented by NC legislators and leadership. The closing session featured stellar performances by the Cumberland County Youth Orchestra, conducted by Kristin Stiteler, and a stirring keynote speech delivered by National Teacher of the Year, Andrea Peterson.
This conference was sponsored by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, the North Carolina Arts Council and Meredith College. Collaborators included the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, ARTS NC, the A+ Schools Program at UNC-Greensboro, and the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. This project was supported in part with a grant from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Kennedy Center National Partnerships Program and the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation.
Please visit: http://www.unitedarts.org for more information about the conference.
====================================================================
2007 Conference:
State of the Arts 2007 - Read more about the first State of the Arts Conference below:
NC: THE STATE OF THE ARTS: The Arts In 21st Century Education Conference took place in Charlotte, NC on March 29, 30, 31, 2007. Attended by over 500 participants (50% of which were educators and 50% arts professionals), this collaborative conference (the first of its kind in over 20 years) featured keynote speakers from the state and national levels as well as experts from both arts education and arts in education.
The conference was sponsored by the North Carolina Arts Council, the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Arts & Science Council of Charlotte-Mecklenburg in collaboration with the NC Department of Public Instruction, A+ Schools Program at UNCG; Asheville Area Arts Council, the Beaufort County Arts Council, Beaufort County Schools and the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County.
The next Conference is scheduled to take place in Raleigh, NC March 5-7, 2009. For more information from the 2007 conference, including photo gallery and information about keynote speakers and sessions, the conference schedule and evaluation materials, visit the NC Arts Council web site.
Fore more information about the 2009 conference, please visit http://www.unitedarts.org.