Happy Halloween, Teaching Artists! We hope you’re enjoying all the tricks and treats this month. Many of you have reached out lately asking for additional support with pay rates and figuring out what to charge for in your residencies. So the TAG Team put together a spreadsheet that now lives on our Pay Rate Calculator page. This spreadsheet will help you keep track of planning rates, supplies, space fees, etc. There is a tab on the sheet for each art form as well. If you see something you think we should add to the sheet, please reach out.
Here are this month’s news items, including this month’s Incite/Insight article by Afi Scruggs, and opportunities from ITAC, the University of Florida, and Town Hall Education.
“The residency at Scranton showed me how narrow my world and my assumptions are. After the student’s question, I started working on integrating cultural competencies into my lessons and classroom routines.
I started by admitting my vulnerability. I explained that I didn’t know Spanish, and I was trying to learn. Would the students help me? Yes, they would.”
Teaching Artist Afi Scruggs writes about their experience incorporating more bilingual opportunities for students in their classroom and the questions and assumptions Afi had to face to get to that point.
“As a teaching artist, I find my biggest goal is to make my students feel included. On the walls and within the classroom, it is important to me that they see themselves reflected. When I hear my students say things like “I paint ugly” or call themselves stupid, my mind translates: “I paint different. I am different. I am not like the others.” They see the work that ends up on the walls and all they know is it’s not like theirs.”
Teaching Artist Aliyah N.C. writes about the lack of diversity in curriculums and the impact on students in her article, “Embracing a Heritage of Difference: Tales and Musings on Inclusion in the Classroom.”
Our newest Co-Executive Director, Kerry Warren, was recently accepted into the Support Center’s New Executive Director Institute, the dots between financial planning fellowship, and the Art Equity BIPOC Leadership Circle! We’re very excited about how these opportunities will support Kerry in her work at TAG and in the field. If you’re involved in either of these groups, Kerry would love to connect.
Apply To Be An ITAC Innovator Think Tank Host (Paid Position)! Building on the success of the ITAC Innovators project in 2021-22, ITAC is planning to commission up to 5 new Innovators to lead their own Think Tank and related projects in the coming year.
Enrich Your Artistry at the University of Florida
The University of Florida knows artistic growth is essential not just to future educators, but to their prospective students as well. That’s why UF built their Master of Arts in Art Education (MAAE) program to develop skills as artists and educators through immersive, hands-on studio experiences, media-rich learning technologies, and a leading-edge comprehensive curriculum.
Faculty with a wealth of experience in art education provide an inspirational space for students who get to be part of a tight-knit community of fellow artists, art educators, cultural workers, and scholars. One of the most notable opportunities includes optional summer studio courses, which take place every year in July, on-campus in sunny Gainesville, Florida. Students get to hone their artistry without distraction, form long-lasting bonds with peers, and shape a community of support that will last long after graduation.
The online Master of Arts in Art Education program offers a suitable work-life balance for full-time artists and educators, who can complete the program in two years. UF understands that learning new technology can be rigorous, so the program kicks off with an orientation that allows students to get comfortable with the virtual environment before classes begin. The eight-week mini semesters allow students to take one course at a time with the option to take the on-campus summer studio courses. Earn the degree that enhances your art skills, builds a community, and further prepares you for a future in art education.
Town Hall Education is celebrating Black Poets & Poetry with aja monet by inviting students to attend poetry workshops, enter our poetry contest, and perform their poetry live on The Town Hall stage on February 8th, 2023.
We invite your students to:
- Attend Poetry Workshops – Get mentorship, skills, perspective and inspiration from a living poet All Curriculum Created and Curated by JustMedia
- Enter the Contest – Students can submit their poetry reading for a chance to perform on The Town Hall’s legendary stage
- Attend the Performance Event – On February 8th, aja monet hosts our live student slam on stage at The Town Hall. Everyone is welcome to attend!
All programs are FREE
As always, we could not do this work without your support. Thank you!
With Gratitude,
Heleya de Barros, Katie Rainey & Kerry Warren
TAG Co-Executive Directors
We cannot do the important work of advocating for teaching artists through these various initiatives without funding. Please consider donating to TAG to help support teaching artists through our work. Even $20 can go a long way!
Don’t forget to check out TAG’s many resources on our website. You can find and post jobs, research pay rates in your area, read articles by teaching artists for teaching artists, find resources for teaching, and so much more.
