Here's How We're Responding to COVID-19

Hi Living Arts supporters -

In the last few days, so many of you have reached out to me and Living Arts' staff and board members with your concern and well wishes. Your messages and conversations have been a great source of encouragement as we navigate new challenges together.

Our response to the COVID-19 crisis has been moving quickly and I want to update you on some of the ways we are responding to the needs of our youth, Teaching Artists, and staff. As always, we are directing all of our energy, creativity, and resources to best support our community's children and families.

As you know, we have canceled all programming through April 5th in compliance with Governor Whitmer's school closure mandate—which means that our Teaching Artists will not be working in the coming three weeks and our students will not be getting necessary educational supports. We remain committed to doing everything we can at this time to mitigate these losses.

To that end, I am glad to share that:

• We are committed to supporting our Teaching Artists financially during this time. Our goal is to provide compensation through April 5th, based on the hours of service each artist would have provided through that date if these extraordinary events had not occurred;

• Staff will be actively connecting our young people and their families to resources for food, academic, and social support throughout Metro Detroit and Teaching Artists will be checking in on their students;

• We are working on new, creative ways to engage students in programming remotely;

• Staff members will continue to work remotely in order to practice social distancing; and

• We remain in conversation with the larger arts community and funders to explore how we can participate in efforts to support individual artists in our region.

Thank you for making all this possible with your support and partnership.

I hope you will continue to reach out to me with your questions, concerns, or ideas as we continue doing the work we love!

Wishing you and your loved ones good health,

Alissa Novoselick
Executive Director

We've hired a New In-School Arts Program Manager!

Meet Brent Smith!

Photo credit: Chauncia VanLowe

Brent is an educator, recording artist, and event producer. Deeply rooted in community building, Brent makes connections between artists, schools, foundations, and businesses. For the past six years, Brent has facilitated youth engagement: teaching media arts, youth entrepreneurship, and critical social thinking in K-12 schools across Detroit and Wayne County.

He loves designing musical experiences with audiences large and small, and believes that art and music are essential to student development.

Brent is excited to work and build with the Living Arts Detroit team!

We’re very excited to welcome Brent with all his Detroit K-12 experience and artistry to our team! Please join us in welcoming Brent Smith to the Living Arts family.

Animation and Emotional Storytelling

Thirty years ago, I created my first video with my family’s VHS tape recorder. I dressed my friends in costumes and set up my Barbies. I was using animation techniques without even knowing what stop-motion was – I honestly thought I invented the technique! This passion continued through high school and college and it lead me to co-owning a video production company and to developing my own art practice. Now, I produce, direct, and edit music videos and documentaries, while also creating sculpture-based video art installations that incorporate hand-drawn animated elements. Utilizing time-based media as a story-teller is so powerful and magical to me, so when I started teaching thirteen years ago, it was truly a natural fit.

While teaching animation techniques, I take inspiration from two other Detroit artists: filmmaker and painter Nicole Macdonald and animator Gary Schwartz. Nicole is a good friend and was my first and only animation instructor! I took one class with her at the Detroit Film Center in the early 2000’s and then immediately incorporated it into my practice. Gary was a great mentor and gave me some valuable advice early on that really transformed my life as a teacher. He told me to focus on teaching how I create, myself. This is such simple advice but as a working artist balancing creating and teaching, it has allowed me to stay energized and engaged in the work that my own students create.

The heart and driving force of my work and the work I inspire my students to create is emotion and story-based. Utilizing animation as a tool to tell a story is really amazing because a viewer already understands and accepts the possibility of surreal elements or exaggeration. With animation, you have the freedom to use images as metaphor without distracting your audience so it’s a tool that is helpful for not only the artist but also the viewer!

I also help motivate students to feel more comfortable trusting their own creative instincts and to get out of the perfectionist loop were you get hung up on details and lose focus on the greater whole. In my classroom, we never use pencils because this encourages the erase and redraw cycle which often never ends because we’re stuck on thinking ‘this isn’t good enough,’ instead of accepting and moving on to completion. Looking back on a finished piece and realizing what could be done differently next time is always more helpful and satisfying than being stuck on one detail and never finishing. A goal for myself and for them is to share and to continue to share – we can’t do that if we don’t finish the project.

Video Animation - Iris Jimenez

Hi my name is Iris Jimenez, I’m 13 years old, and I go to Living Arts. I've always been really passionate about art and animation and Living Arts is the place that has brought out the best in me. I take 2 classes in Living Arts: Video Animation and The SPOT. These two classes have made me feel more passionate to do what I love and the teachers are the best people to get along with. 

The first time I came to the animation class was during the summer of 2018. The animation class is a place where I can be myself and do what I love. The class is so much fun and I learned so much about animation. I even got to make new friends there. Ms. Natasha has helped me so much with animation. She teaches us different types of techniques and honestly I just think she's the best. She is very caring and super easy to talk to. But most of all I love working and being with the people in this class. We all share such similar interests and are passionate about what we love to do. 

Video Animation - Elise Moore

My name is Elise Moore, and I’m 16 years old. I go to Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy, and I am a junior. I have participated in Living Arts’ Video Animation class since Summer 2013. In my free time, I like to write and play music, create different types of visual art (like drawing and animating), and read. 

Throughout my time in Video Animation, my favorite part has been working with the teacher, Ms. Natasha Beste. Ms. Natasha runs the class very smoothly and keeps all of us students on the right track. She introduces each project with such enthusiasm that it is contagious. When I first started this workshop, I was very shy and rarely spoke about my ideas. Ms. Natasha really helped me come out of my shell and to this day allows me to express who I truly am. 

In the near future, I want to continue in the Video Animation class, and to create more short films there and in my free time. Later on, I plan to attend college to learn more about animation and character design. I hope to work at an animation studio as either a storyboard artist, animator, or concept artist. 

Are you ready to join an ambitious team, working to make art happen for youth in Detroit schools?

View fullsize

Teaching Artist Aja Dier leads a drama/English Language Arts residency for 5th graders at Pasteur Elementary.

Applications are now being accepted for our In-School Arts Program Manager position.

WHY WE NEED YOU

The In School Arts Program Manager is a visionary arts administrator and logistical mastermind who provides oversight of Living Arts’ In School Arts (ISA) arts education school and center-based program. The ISA Program Manager works closely with the Director of Programs and other Program Managers to develop and implement powerful arts education and arts integration programming for young people of all ages, while supporting the K-12 schools and After-School centers that host our programs. The ISA Program Manager works toward programmatic expansion and development goals set forth by the Director of Programs, while managing and developing a team of about 20 professional teaching artists. Through constant and energetic relationship-building and organizing with school districts, administrators, teachers, and arts leaders, the Program Manager facilitates and nurtures the critical connections that are the backbone for long-term, meaningful work with our partners and their students.

This is a Full-Time, salaried position which will include health, dental, vision, life, and retirement benefits. Salary ranges from $36,000-$41,000. Materials are due Monday, October 21, 2019 by 5pm to Erika@LivingArtsDetroit.Org with the subject line: ISA Program Manager Application.

Learn more about our In-School Arts program.

Learn more about our In-School Arts program evaluation.

Learn more about arts integration with Living Arts.

A day in the life of In-School Arts Teaching Artist Stephanie Howells.

Meet Sicily McRaven: Detroit Wolf Trap Program Manager!

View fullsize

Meet Sicily McRaven! Some may know Sicily as a teaching artist, but for the past few months, Sicily has come on board as our Detroit Wolf Trap Program Manager!

With expertise as an arts educator, Sicily also has a background in fine art as well as social sciences. She has been in community arts for the past ten years, as an advocate for creative communication and visual arts. In the search for this position, Sicily was a natural fit.

Join us in officially welcoming her to the team and read more about Sicily here!

Welcome Bianca to the Programs Team!

View fullsize

We’ve recently added an Out-of-School Arts Intern to our programs team: Bianca Cuevas! Bianca will be on site at the FREC during our Saturday classes this summer and helping with our metrics and statistics compilation. Read more about Bianca below and please join us in welcoming Bianca to our team!

Bianca Cuevas born in Houston, Texas and raised in Southwest Detroit has been very involved in her community. Second generation from a Mexican-American family in the region of Los Altos Jalisco, Mexico she is fluent in Spanish. A graduate from the Arts Academy in the Woods with a theater major and continued education at Madonna University. Bianca is an educator and helped create a bilingual program for students in a K-12 charter school. She is an avid photographer and in her spare time she also teaches Quincenera dance choreography.

<<<THIS POSITION IS NOW CLOSED>>> Are you passionate about early learning in Detroit? Living Arts is Hiring a Program Manger!

<<<THIS POSITION IS NOW CLOSED>>> Living Arts is hiring a full-time Program Manager - Early Learning for our Detroit Wolf Trap (DWT) program. The Program Manager will work with the Living Arts Program Team to develop, implement, evaluate, and market relevant and exceptional arts education programs in Detroit early learning centers and community settings.

Detroit Wolf Trap Teaching Artist, Alesha Brown, leads a baby Wolf Trap class at the FREC-Mercado.

The ideal candidate is a self-starter with 2 or more years experience working within arts or education, ideally with early learners, and interested in the following:

• Social Emotional Learning

• Creative Youth Development

• Parents/Families as Primary Educators

• Arts as Healing

• Culturally Responsive and Critical Education

The Program Manager - Early Learning position will pay between $33,000 - $38,000 with benefits including healthcare and retirement.

If you believe this is the right position for you, we sincerely encourage you to apply by Friday, March 22! Details about specific responsibilities and ideal qualifications are listed in the job description here.

Announcing New Hires at Living Arts!

Announcing New Hires at Living Arts

Living Arts is proud to announce staffing updates that will strengthen our team and allow us to better serve the Living Arts community. Please join us in welcoming three new hires to the team! 

NEW HIRES IN 2019

Krystle Cheirs-Roberts, Communications Manager

In her new role, Krystle will play an integral role in refining communications goals and developing a strategy for meeting benchmarks. In addition to external storytelling, Krystle will assist with data entry and analysis and work closely with the entire Living Arts team.

Karen Hernandez, Program Assistant: Detroit Wolf Trap

Karen previously worked as the Program Assistant in the Out of School Arts program, supporting all youth and family programs for Living Arts at the Ford Resource and Engagement Center. In her new role, Karen will be responsible for coordinating all documentation associated with program launch and evaluation. Karen's role also consists of managing professional development and parent class scheduling.

Christiana Castillo, Program Manger: Detroit Wolf Trap

In her new role Christiana will work alongside the Programs team to develop, implement, and evaluate early childhood arts education programs in Head Start, Early Head Start, informal care, and community-based classrooms. Christiana will be responsible for the supervision, evaluation, and professional development of the DWT Teaching Artist team.