What is most important to us? That idea should be facing True North, as marking is the most prominent aspect of a compass rose. What is also important? Draw those images around the edges. The Compass Rose can be your signature as a map maker.

Basketballs, puppies, paintbrushes, flowers, baseballs… What can you find in the pictures below? What would point north on your own personal Compass Rose?

This year, “Arts Unite Us” classes are in full gear at Tam High, Terra Linda High, Redwood High and San Ramon Elementary.  Students from Special Day Classrooms are working together with their peers from General Education classrooms, learning art and performing together.  The first culminating event from this year’s classes will be held at Tam High School, where students from Mr. Lovejoy’s Special Day Class and Ben Cleaveland’s Conservatory Theater Ensemble have been working with YIA Mentor Artist Melissa Briggs in Theater. They will be performing their original play “Camping Out in Nature with Friends and Family and Animals” on Friday, May 17th and Saturday, May 18th as part of the Spring One Act Festival.

Students at Terra Linda High have been learning Samba Reggae with Mentor Artists Stephanie Bastos and Nydia Gonzalez and will hold a celebratory presentation dance/party during lunch time on June 4th.  At Redwood High School, students working with YIA Mentor Artist William Rossell will perform their original percussive composition, opening for the Advanced Performance Workshop Concert on May 29th at 7PM.  At San Ramon Elementary, students from Gen Ed and SDC classrooms have been working together with YIA Mentor Artist Suraya Keating, working on their interpretation of a folktale, “The Laughing River”, focusing on Community and Inclusion.

Youth in Arts has raised the funds to provide these programs in our community from a mix of institutional and individual donors.  We thank the Green Foundation, Marin Community Foundation, Kenneth A. Lester Family Foundation, Macy’s and Target for their generous support of this program, as well as our many individual community supporters. If you have any questions about this program, or would would like to support programs such as this one, please contact Nydia Gonzalez at ngonzalez@youthinarts.org

Dance is a powerful art form that allows the true self to shine and be happy. It is a way of communication that transcends any kind of barriers that our ancestors have used for many generations.  It is a way to bring the community together.

After each residency at a school I discover new artists aware of their body and learning to translate their emotion through movements. I saw happy children and teachers who feel safe and confident to share their new dance moves.  I saw respectful middle school students who learned to enjoy partner dancing with their classmates.  And I spent a year working with the Cascade Canyon community who enjoyed traveling and learning about Haiti and other remarkable Caribbean cultures.

I am very thankful that I had the chance to grow up with a mother who is an amazing artist who taught me the passion for dance. And I am so happy to bring my family with me to each residency. My mother Fofo is a singer and dancer, my brother Jeff is a percussionist and my son Hassen is a dancer.  I think it is very important for children to see four generations of family working together as artists, and to understand that dance is for everyone and is the true language of love.

After making a series of paper masks, the K-3 student artists had room for a quick, one-day project. I switched it up…instead of a mask, we made a Super Hero Power Hat, which we pretended would give the wearer a special ability, such as flight or invisibility. The students had a lot of fun constructing and embellishing this special headgear!

Students first explored various clay techniques such as squeezing, rolling, pinching, and smoothing with an air dry clay. Students could create anything they wanted but were encourage to pay close attention to how to make their piece strong. What happens if pieces are too thin? Some solutions for strengthening pieces were demonstrated.

After practicing with the air dry clay, students created animals in a beautiful terra cotta kiln fire clay. For these pieces students also learned how to use clay tools such as a wooden pencil and a metal scratching tool. They practiced the “scratch and attach” technique; a method for attaching two pieces of clay together.

While the clay was in the kiln for the glaze fire students were shown some paper folding techniques and made mini collages. These were great practice for creating a 3-dimensional structure and helped with the construction of the final dioramas of animal habitats.

At the end of the last class together, the animals were placed in their dioramas and the class did a gallery walk. Many students had created habitats so rich in color and detail that the animals were camouflaged.

Angela asked “What do you see?” One girl answered, “Details.” She then asked if they thought details were important in art and if so, why. Here are some answers: “Details make it look more like the real world.” “Details make it beautiful.” “Details give you more information.”

Mentor Teaching Artist Melissa Jones Briggs began the AUU Playmaking Project in Mr. Lovejoy’s MCOE Special Education class with a beginning drama lesson for the whole group. This “Elements of Theatre and Playmaking” mini-class served as an introduction and lay the groundwork for later participation in rehearsals and performance. In breakout sessions a playwright team (formed based on experience) collaborated to write a one-act play. Jones Briggs continually looped Mr. Lovejoy’s class into theatre exercises, read thru’s, etc. to involve them in the playwriting process.

Playmaking inspiration board

Students collaborate on their script

Proud playwrights

Once the play was written, rehearsals began!  The student written play rehearses and performs as part of the Tam High Conservatory Theatre Ensemble’s Spring One Act Play Festival. Other mainstream CTE students joined in at this point and the program opened up to all special needs students interested in participating.

Blocking the play

Rehearsing fun

Early rehearsals

Because the Festival is student-produced, the play is being co-directed by two CTE students. Collaboration between the CTE, MCOE educators and YIA’s teaching artist continues throughout the rehearsal process and also includes at times a YIA visual artist Suzanne Joyal, MCOE Speech Pathologist Sophie Miles, department chairs, among others.

Please join us for the performance!  Friday May 17th and Saturday May 18th @ 7PM!  Caldwell Theatre 700 Miller Ave. (Near the back parking lot) Mill Valley, CA. Tickets available at the door only.

Youth in Arts "The Paper Princess and the Piñata"

Join Youth in Arts at Barnes & Noble, Corte Madera Town Center, on Saturday, March 23 & Wednesday, March 27, at 11AM for a FREE story & music hour for young children!

Hear stories from Elisa Kleven’s Paper Princess series and Hooray, a Piñata! and Molly Bang & Penny Chisholm’s Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth To Life. Sing-along to songs in Spanish and English from Youth in Arts’ shows inspired by these wonderful children’s books! Perfect for children ages 3-6 and their families.

Plus, from March 22-31, a portion of all your purchases at Barnes & Noble Corte Madera will benefit children’s art programs through Youth in Arts.

Click here to download and print our Bookfair Voucher–give it to the cashier to make sure your Barnes & Noble purchase supports art for kids!

You can also shop online and use our Bookfair ID 11060756 at checkout.

Youth in Arts "Photosynthesis--Living Sunlight"