Hello, Teaching Artists! Happy Fall. We’ve been busy at TAG this month. We held our first National Advisory Committee meeting of the fiscal year on the 15th and brainstormed some exciting ideas for the coming months. We are particularly excited about this year’s TAG Awards and celebrating teaching artistry nationally together. Specifically, we are looking to acknowledge and celebrate the regional networks this year. In light of this, we aim to have an award ceremony that is both virtual and in-person regionally. If you are part of a teaching artist network in your area that would be interested in hosting a regional event, please reach out for more information.
Co-Executive Director Heleya de Barros attended the 6th International Teaching Artist Conference: Art as a Catalyst for Change this month in Oslo Norway, hosted by the Norwegian ITAC Hub, Seanse Center, in partnership with the International Teaching Artists Collaborative (ITAC). From innovative workshops, moving performances, and chicken dances on tables, Heleya had a wonderful time and you can read all about it in her blog, “Shoulder to Shoulder”.
Co-Executive Directors Katie and Heleya attended a convening of grantees funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation at this end of this month to connect and amplify the ongoing work in the arts education sector. We connected with organizations like Arts Education Alliance of the Bay Area (AEABA), Luna Dance Institute, the National Guild for Community Arts Partnerships, Create CA, and more. Partners from Studio Pathways led us in a two-day convening that asked, “How do we leverage our work towards cultural strategy for change? How do we strengthen our collective power for arts education outcomes?”
Like any good teaching artist presentation, we led the group in a performance activity in which each group performed a piece of the Teaching Artist Manifesto.
We were thrilled to connect with such amazing organizations who are doing the work to uplift teaching artists and arts education everywhere. The other grantees gave TAG a lot of love for the work we do as a community too…
We also met up with former TAG Executive Directors and current National Advisory Committee (NAC) members Jean Johnstone & Miko Lee and current NAC member Indi McCasey (in person!!!!).
We look forward to the exciting work ahead. 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!
