LIVING ARTS BLOG
Celebrating Early Childhood Initiatives with Hope Starts Here
On November 22, 2019, Living Arts' artists and staff joined hundreds of educators, parents, funders, and other change-makers for the 3rd Annual Hope Starts Here Celebration. Hope Starts Here is a movement initiated in 2016 stewarded by the W.K.Kellogg Foundation and the Kresge Foundation to:
create a vision for what early childhood can look like in Detroit
develop a framework for that vision and
inspire folks from all over the city to get involved and help bring that vision to life.
Harnessing Personal Power through Dance
On Saturday November 16, seven of the nine Youth Dance Ensemble dancers joined their mentor/instructors Miryam Johnson and Penny Godboldo, along with Living Arts’ Director of Programs, Erika Villarreal Bunce and Dance Program Director, Marianne Cox over Lebanese food and conversation.
We’re Crain’s Best-Managed Nonprofit!
Living Arts is proud to announce this #GivingTuesday that we are Crain’s 2019 Best-Managed Nonprofit! Our team works year-round to ensure that Detroit’s youth receive high-quality arts education.
5 Minute Mindfulness - Reflection
As a Teaching Artist in multiple programs within Living Arts, I never know which adventure I’ll be faced with next. It’s exhilarating! Who will be sitting in front of me for today’s class? What tricks will I pull out of my sleeve in the heat of the moment? What objective will organically present itself as an intruder to my lesson plan? And what unexpected inexplicable joy will be evoked by the authentic experience of showing up as my true self to a room full of strangers that I get to serve through my gift?
The Role YOU Play in Our Work
This is the time of year when you likely find your inbox and mailbox are fuller than usual with requests for support from worthy organizations like Living Arts.
There’s good reason for it. While big grants from foundations and corporations get a lot of attention in the press, modest donations from regular folks still account for three-quarters of the funds donated across the country. On average, American households donate about $2,500 each year—totalling more than $4 billion—to improve their communities and support people in need.
Dispatches from the National Guild for Community Arts Education Conference
Every year, Living Arts sends a team to the annual conference of the National Guild for Community Arts Education. This event brings together artists, administrators, educators, and changemakers to share their work and models and build collaboratively on a national scale. The conference is an opportunity for all members of our team (staff, Teaching Artists, and students) to learn from peers and leadership in the field. Previously held in Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and Baltimore, this year’s conference was held in Austin, Texas from October 30-November 2.
We've hired a New In-School Arts Program Manager!
Brent is an educator, recording artist, and event producer. Deeply rooted in community building, Brent makes connections between artists, schools, foundations, and businesses.
Living Arts Presented with Spirit of Detroit Award!
On Thursday, October 17, Council Member Raquel Casteneda-Lopez stopped by the Ford Resource and Engagement Center (FREC-Mercado) to spend some time with the Living Arts community. As members of District 6 (Casteneda-Lopez’s constituency) the Council Member gave an update on upcoming changes in Southwest and answered questions from our families.
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!
Reflections on our 20th Year
Due to a somewhat fortuitous structural issue in our office basement, the Living Arts team got to spend a few afternoons this spring going through decades-old organizational boxes in preparation for construction to begin. Together, we sifted through photos of youth from 1999, hand-written lesson plans integrating visual art and science, and teaching artist rosters of familiar names and folks gone by. We found “3rd Annual Showcase” posters, fundraising events that we’ve outgrown, old board meeting minutes, grant receipts from some of our longtime partners, and copies of very meager annual budgets. We laughed about some of the dated work and were left with great admiration of the people who have built this organization to where it is today. Living Arts is still a very clear and steadfast reflection of all the things we found — just a little bit bigger.
Detroit Wolf Trap Fall Meet Up
On Wednesday, October 16, the Detroit Wolf Trap team (including teaching artists and staff) met for their fall meet up. Sharing coffee and a hot breakfast on a chilly morning, the team caught up and opened their day with a discussion on their best practices for self-care while they care for others.
Are you ready to join an ambitious team, working to make art happen for youth in Detroit schools?
Applications are now being accepted for our In-School Arts Program Manager position.
Big Team Meeting 2019
Every year we gather in community with teaching artists, trustees, staff and students to appreciate and recognize ourselves as the "big team" that is Living Arts.
Welcome Lex!
We are so excited to formally welcome Lex Draper to the Living Arts team! Lex will be working closely with Director of Development Tara Tuomaala and the event committee planning the next iteration of our annual event (Save the Date for April 23, 2020).
Youth Dance Ensemble Dance Intensive
In preparation for the new season, Living Arts Youth Dance Ensemble (YDE) hosts an annual dance intensive and company auditions. For one week, dancers attend daily classes with Out-of-School Arts Teaching Artists and special guests where they focus on learning new dance techniques and choreography. Following the completion of all classes, dancers are invited to audition for a spot in the Youth Dance Ensemble.
Updates from In-School Arts Residencies
It’s been a busy summer and start of the school year for our In-School Arts team. Here are just some of the amazing highlights!
Music, Play and Storytelling for Caregivers
On August 31, Living Arts hosted our second workshop for Southwest caregivers! Led by professional recording artist, musician, and Teaching Artist Alesha Brown, those who are involved in the very important work of taking care of our children were invited to learn storytelling through music. Participants were given a guitar to use during the workshop and learned how to match chords and notes with images to engage youth in a storytelling dance.
Creating Meaningful Partnerships: An Interview with Teaching Artist Katy Schoetzow
One of Living Arts’ core values is partnership. By cultivating relationships with schools, educators, families, and institutions, Living Arts creates collaborative and creative learning experiences for Detroit's youth. One such partnership is between Living Arts, Shulze Academy, and Teaching Artist Katy Schoetzow. As we enter the fifth year of this partnership, we interviewed Katy about her work and collaboration with her students and the Shulze faculty.
Seeking a Contract Event Planner!
Living Arts is searching for a contract event planner to help us execute our April 2020 event!
The contractor will manage all aspects of this annual event including venue negotiation, budget development and management, event committee coordination, invitations and RSVPs, and program development with guidance from Living Arts’ Development Director.
Reflections on Sofrito of Cultures
For three weeks, students of Living Arts' Youth Dance Ensemble studied under visionary master teachers Madame Penny Godboldo, Chi Amen Ra and Ozzie Rivera to understand the cultural connection between Black American and Afro Latinx communities (The African Diaspora). As the Living Arts Teaching Artist brought in on this project, I was honored to even be in the room with these incredibly decorated artists that I'd heard about for years. The importance of using dance as the catalyst to discuss these connections is a conversation I've had many times with various students, parents and fellow teachers. In Afrocentric and Indigenous culture dance is often used as an archive.