CAN: Creative Advocacy Network

Portland Falls Way Behind in Arts Education

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:38:19 +0000

Portland Falls Way Behind in Arts Education

A New National Study Highlights Our Critical Shortfalls

Last week, the US Department of Education released its first study of arts education in more than ten years. And while this study reflected what we already know – that arts education opportunities are declining nationally for those who need them most – it also showcased how far behind Portland has fallen.

The study found that across the US, 94% of elementary schools offer music instruction and 83% offer programming in visual arts. In contrast, Portland’s six public school districts, which educate over 33,000 K-5 students annually, only provide music instruction in 58% of elementary schools and visual arts instruction in a mere 18%.

And the rate of decline for arts education in Portland has been shockingly steep. In the last five years Parkrose and Centennial School Districts have cut their arts and music teaching staff by half, while PPS has dropped all arts instruction in 22 schools in just two years.

Today in Portland there are 11,596 children attending schools that do not have any art, dance, drama, and music instruction. With last week’s announcement that 110 teachers at PPS will be cut next year – that number is guaranteed to increase.

The Creative Advocacy Network has partnered with the City of Portland and Portland’s six school districts to restore arts and music education to our elementary schools. We are working to ensure that our children have the same opportunities to imagine and learn and thrive as we did.

But we can’t do it alone. Please donate $15 or more towards our efforts – today. Join us on Facebook and share this information with your friends, and follow us on Twitter.

Together, we can give our children the future they deserve.

Parents and Teachers Speak Up to Save Arts Education

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 19:30:13 +0000

Jefferson High School Music Room – Photo: Eugenie Frerichs

With each passing day the movement to save and restore arts education in our schools gains strength and this week, Portland Public School parents and teachers fueled the effort with their passionate activism. CAN is working to finalize a long-term solution which will restore arts and music education in our schools for the 2013-14 school year and beyond.

In the meantime, we stand by the parents, teachers, students, elected officials and school district leaders who are working to save the arts today.

To read more about the powerful activism that has brought city-wide attention to the loss of arts and music teachers in our schools, check out this Portland Mercury Blog and the effort to keep arts teachers at Buckman Arts Focus Elementary School.

And to hear from just some of the activists who make up the CAN Movement, read on.

“We have a terrific arts program that works; we’d like to keep it working, and we believe that starts with retaining our amazing arts staff.” (Buckman Elementary School Parent)

“I have been receiving your emails and appreciate the work your organization is doing to improve arts funding as well as expand the role of the arts in our schools. I am concerned about the teacher cuts for the next school year.” (Retired teacher)

“I have been very impressed with how motivated these parents are and how we all understand that we cannot just fund these positions but as a community we must work together to create sustainable arts programming.” (Current Art Teacher)

“What CAN is doing is a wonderful thing.” (PPS Parent)

Together, we CAN! Thank you for fueling the movement.

CAN Mail: April 2012 Edition

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:17:53 +0000

Startling new statistics: Portland’s Elementary Schools Report. We thank you for your action.

Last week, CAN released powerful new statistics that showcase how far Portland has fallen behind the nation with regard to arts education. And you responded with a flood of donations and committments to volunteer. We thank you for your action and we share your concern.

Today in Portland there are 11,596 children attending schools that do not have any art, dance, drama, or music instruction.

Please help us break the news and build the movement to restore arts and music teachers to our schools. We invite you to repost or retweet our Blog, share our story in your newsletter or spread the word through your own e-mail networks.

The Creative Advocacy Network has partnered with the City of Portland and Portland’s six school districts to restore arts and music education to our schools and ensure that our children have the same opportunities to imagine and learn and thrive as we did.

Join the movement today and help us keep arts and music alive in our schools.

Grammy award winning jazz vocalist – and Portland native – Esperanza Spalding speaks about the importance of arts education in our schools.

Watch the video.

Students who lack arts education have lower GPA scores.

Photo:

Kimberly Herbert

New NEA study reveals: The arts can close the achievement gap for low-income students.

“At-risk teenagers or young adults with a history of intensive arts experiences show achievement levels closer to, and in some cases exceeding, the levels shown by the general population studied,” a team of scholars writes in a new National Endowment for the Arts Research Report. “These findings suggest that in-school or extracurricular programs offering deep arts involvement may help to narrow the gap in achievement levels among youth.”

This newly published research from the NEA establishes that while students from the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder tend to do less well in school than those from more upscale families, this is not true for those students who participate heavily in the arts.

The primary focus of the report is on teenagers and young adults in the bottom 25 percent of the socioeconomic scale (as measured by family income, parental employment and the parents’ level of education).

“…Students who had arts-rich experiences in high school showed higher overall grade point averages than did students who lacked those experiences,” the researchers write. What’s more, those higher grades paid off. Disadvantaged high school students heavily involved in cultural activities enrolled in competitive colleges — and in four-year colleges in general — at higher rates than their counterparts who avoided the arts.

In Portland, where 56% of our public school students are economically disadvantaged and 41% of Portland’s high school students do not graduate with their peers, this study is particularly relevant.

Cities take the lead in investing in arts education. Boston. Dallas. Seattle.

Across the country, city governments are stepping up to support arts education initiatives in our public schools and communities. The Arts Expansion Initiative (BPS Arts Education Announcement Video) in Boston is a collaboration of the Mayor’s Office, the city school district, arts organizations and local and national funders. And it works. Today, nine out of ten elementary and middle school students in Boston are receiving weekly arts education, up from 67% three years ago.

A similar collaboration in Dallas, Thriving Minds is a citywide initiative committed to making creative learning a part of the education of every Dallas student – in and out of school. Dallas is the only city in the country offering this level of comprehensive creative learning opportunities citywide on a year-round basis, and the support from the City helps makes this possible.

Closer to home, a partnership was developed in 2008 in Seattle between the city, the arts commission, and the public schools to guarantee that all Seattle students benefit from arts education. The City has invested money each year in the partnership, helping to install a district-level music specialist and a community art liaison to coordinate with the city’s arts community.

“We view arts education as a catalyst for renewed energy in schools, increased engagement by students, and improved school choices for families. Over the long term it will enrich our young people, our schools, our neighborhoods, and our economy.” writes Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino.

“Over the long term [arts education] will enrich our young people, our schools, our neighborhoods, and our economy.”

- Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino.

CAN Mail: March 2012 Edition

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:10:02 +0000

Photo: Nina Johnson

Your support made this year’s State of the Arts report SING! Thank you.

Thanks to the tremendous turnout for RACC’s State of the Arts report at Portland City Hall, March 21st was a landmark day for the arts and a powerful testament to Mayor Adams’ legacy as Portland’s Arts Mayor. Not only did over 200 supporters heed our call to action to celebrate the City’s investment in arts and culture, but RACC and CAN gave voice to Portland’s 70,000 public school students as never before.

In what is now tradition, Wednesday’s report began with a song. A kindergarten class from NE Portland’s Sabin School made a plea for more arts and music in their classrooms followed by a fabulous performance of “This Little Light of Mine, I Want to Let it Shine.”

After hearing from RACC on the powerful impact of the City’s investment in arts and culture, the report honed in on one of the City’s most critical unmet needs – arts and music access for our children.

At this year’s State of the Arts, CAN advocated for the restoration of that lost art and music – refusing to accept a scenario in which our children have fewer opportunities to learn, to thrive and to imagine than we did. And we were honored to be joined by RACC – and hundreds of arts and education advocates – in asking Portland’s City Council to act now.

To see more video recaps, images and commentary or Join the Movement, go to Facebook.com/theArtsCAN

“What we’ll be considering for the Fall (an arts access and education funding initiative) is modest but it’s an important step in the right direction.”

-Mayor Adams

Culture & creativity can inspire, educate, and shape a city.

Photos: RACC

CAN’s 2011 Annual Report celebrates your support! Read it online today.

In case you missed it, CAN released our third annual report this month – celebrating our biggest year ever by every measure. As we continue our tireless advocacy for the restoration of arts and music education in our schools and the eradication of the public funding gap that limits the quality, reach, diversity and accessibility of arts and culture in Portland, the CAN Mob is growing in size and strength.

We made a whole lot happen in 2011. Here’s a look at CAN by the numbers over the last 12 months:

6,006 New Supporters

79 Outreach Events

$304,991 Funds Raised

$25,551 In-Kind Donations

60 Member Organizations

86 Active Volunteers Gave 936 Volunteer Hours

1,592 Facebook Friends

2,731 Twitter Followers

6 School District Partners

1 New 501c4 Partner Organization

Download our 2011 Annual Report to learn more about our values, donors and financials. Or get involved by e-mailing our outreach coordinator at keith@theArtsCAN.org.

CAN volunteer meet up & orientation.

Tuesday, March 27th at 6:00 PM

Join CAN at a special volunteer meet-up and orientation meeting on March 27 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. You’ll get an update on the work we’re doing to restore arts and music education in Portland schools, support arts and culture, and ensure more access to the arts for everyone.

As a CAN volunteer, you’ll have the opportunity make friends and influence people at dozens of arts, culture and community events this Spring including First Friday’s at Milepost 5, Last Thursdays on Alberta and Portland’s Sunday Parkways. You could also have the opportunity to put your graphic design, web design, photography, videography or data entry skills to use as an Office or In-Kind services volunteer.

Your time and energy fuels the movement. And together, we we make art happen in our schools and our communities:

Please join us. Contact us or RSVP our Outreach Coordinator Keith Daly at keith@theArtsCAN.org.

Mayor Adams making an appeal to support CAN at one of our outreach events.

Photo: Nina Johnson

Oregon Children’s Theatre World Premiere: The Storm in the Barn, April 28 – May 20.

Our member organizations make our work possible. Please welcome our newest members!

Oregon Children’s Theatre is a resident company of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts dedicated to advancing growth, development and creativity through exceptional theater experiences. Introducing young people to the wonders of live theater, OCT enriches lives today while helping children develop a lifetime appreciation for the arts.

Portland Piano International is dedicated to presenting the finest pianists in the world in recital settings and outreach activities for the purpose of enriching and educating our community. Some of the greatest artists in the world of music have played for Portland audiences because of this organization. April 8th, enjoy Claire Huangci in Recital.

Visual Thinking Strategies is an educational curriculum and teaching method which enables students to develop aesthetic and language literacy and critical thinking skills, while giving teachers a powerful new technique they can utilize throughout their career.

For details on joining the movement as a member organization in support of a new dedicated public fund for the arts, please visit theArtsCAN.org or email our Outreach Coordinator Keith Daly at keith@theArtsCAN.org.

RACC’s State of the Arts

admin — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:45:01 +0000

It’s time to pack the house:

On March 21st at 9:30 AM, the Regional Arts & Culture Council will present its State of the Arts report to the Portland City Council in Council Chambers at City Hall.

Joined by CAN and complimented by a series of brief yet powerful testimonials and performances, RACC will celebrate the cultural, economic and educational benefits of the City’s investments in the arts while offering a powerful reminder of the critical need to restore arts and music education in our schools.

Now more than ever, we must show our strength as we lay the groundwork for CAN’s proposal to establish a new public fund for the arts and arts education in Portland.

Join us March 21st to make it clear that arts, culture and creativity are your priority in 2012. RSVP now at rsvp@theArtsCAN.org.

An Arts Forum: Showing our strength in numbers.

admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 03:43:53 +0000

Photo by Nina Johnson

Last night more than 400 arts, culture and creative enthusiasts packed the house at The Armory – showing our strength in numbers as we vetted five candidates for Portland Mayor and City Council.

While our favorite part of the night was undoubtedly the packed house, we are still glowing from Charlie Hales’ powerful pledge of support for CAN and our plans to increase public funding for the arts and arts education. To read more about Hales’ “unwavering advocacy” and the most memorable moments of the evening, we recommend DK Row’s coverage of the event.

Co-sponsored by Business for Culture & the Arts, the Creative Advocacy Network, Oregon ArtPAC, Portland Arts Alliance, Portland Art Dealers Association and the Regional Arts & Culture Council, the Candidates Forum on the Arts was beautifully moderated by Portland Monthly Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Randy Gragg and featured Mayoral Candidates Charlie Hales and Eileen Brady as well as City Council Candidates Amanda Fritz, Steve Novick and Brian Sidney Parrott.

To hear from our friends at Oregon ArtPAC, Oregon Children’s Theatre, Oregon Ballet Theatre and White Bird on the vital role that arts and culture play in Portland, check out last night’s coverage on KGW Channel 8.

And finally, to watch last night’s Arts Forum in real time, please click here for the complete video generously provided by Magaurn Video Media.

Thank you all for coming out in droves to reinforce the invaluable role that arts, culture and creativity play in shaping this City that we love.

Our 2011 Annual Report

admin — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:56:11 +0000

We are pleased to announce that CAN’s 2011 Annual Report is now online! Please click here to read about all of the work we have accomplished this past year thanks to our wonderful board, advisors, members, volunteers, partners, donors, and supporters. Thank you!

CAN Mail: February 2012 Edition

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:32:26 +0000

Eloise Damrosch, RACC Executive Director and Carol R. Smith, RACC Board Chair at the 2011 State of the Arts.

Photo by Jason Savage.

Join CAN for the 2012 State of the Arts report at Portland City Hall.

Help us shine a light on the importance of arts, culture and creativity for Portland’s economy, livability and the education of our children. RSVP today!

On March 21st at 9:30 AM, Regional Arts & Culture Council Executive Director Eloise Damrosch will testify to the State of the Arts in Portland joined by artists, educators, advocates and employers.

Join the CAN Mob as we fill City Council Chambers with voices of hope, sparks of creativity and a vision for a future where every child has access to art and the culture of every community member is celebrated. We need your support to help Portland reach its true creative and cultural potential.

Help us inpsire Portland’s city leaders with the power of the arts! RSVP@theArtsCAN.org.

Portland Mayoral candidates Eileen Brady, Charlie Hales and Jefferson Smith will be joined by Portland City Council candidates Amanda Fritz, Mary Nolan and Steve Novick for a lively conversation about the arts in Portland, moderated by Portland Monthly Magazine Editor Randy Gragg.

To RSVP or pose a question for the Forum, e-mail us at rsvp@theartscan.org.

Friends of CAN are invited to save 10% off tickets to any performance at Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Giselle.

Use offer code CANCAN to save and CAN will also receive 10% of the ticket proceeds! Visit OBT.org now.

And we couldn’t send out a newsletter on February 14 without saying…

Happy Valentine’s Day!

from the

Staff, Board, & Volunteers

of the

Creative Advocacy Network

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”

- Thornton Wilder

CAN Mail: January 2012 Edition

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:31:23 +0000

Only 2 out of 10 Portland elementary students have access to an art teacher in their local public school.

Hello 2012! Its time to make history with a ground-breaking new public fund for the arts.

We know that arts, culture, and creativity rejuvenate neighborhoods, create jobs, and fuel innovation while inspiring our students to stay in school. However, 81% of Portland elementary school students finish 5^th grade without ever taking an art class. And Portland’s arts and culture organizations receive 86% less public funding than their peers nationally, which greatly limits access to arts, culture, and creativity in our city.

CAN has a plan to fully restore arts and music education for every Portland elementary school student, bridge the public funding gap for Portland arts and culture, and increase access to cultural and creative experiences in every classroom and community. And 2012 is our year!

To read more about our plans for the November 2012 ballot, click here for a link to a recent update in The Oregonian. To restore arts and music education in every Portland elementary school, Join the Movement today!

Don’t miss your best opportunity to meet the candidates who will change the face of Portland’s City Council in 2013. Learn how they may influence arts, culture and creativity and determine who is best suited to lead our City.

To RSVP or pose a question for the Forum, just send us an e-mail at rsvp@theartscan.org.

Portland is home to six school districts educating 33,732 elementary school students.

The Oregonian joins the conversation: Confirming that the time is now to restore arts and music education in Portland Schools

Here at CAN we believe that a K-12 education is not complete without the arts. And that means that every child in every school must have access to arts instruction by certified teachers, creative learning, and professional arts experiences.

In our recent Twitter campaign to raise awareness about the decline of arts education in our schools, CAN revealed that 8 in 10 elementary school students in Portland will finish 5th grade without ever having an art class.

To read more about this shocking statistic and The Oregonian’s confirmation that Portland’s art teachers really are an endangered species, click here. To learn more about CAN’s plan to fund art and music classroom teachers, arts and culture field trips and visiting artists, e-mail us today at info@theartscan.org.

Our member organizations make our work possible: Welcome to our newest members!

Third Angle Ensemble presents world-class performances of new chamber music which challenge and entertain their audience, artists and composers. Since 1985, Third Angle has presented more than 90 programs of contemporary music, commissioned more than 25 new works and released nine recordings to critical acclaim.

Imago Theatre defies classification. They have populated the stage with characters and beings such as comedic amphibians, acrobatic larvae, circus boulders, and metamorphosing humans in works which tantalize the senses, the intellect, and the passions.

Oregon ArtPAC recognizes that the funding of arts and culture is crucial to preserving and advancing the vibrancy of the region and all of Oregon by the many benefits it provides.

For details on joining the movement as a member organization in support of a new dedicated public fund for the arts, please visit theArtsCAN.org or email keith@theArtsCAN.org.

CAN’s members demonstrate the growing movement in support of sustainable arts funding.

Photo: Fritz Liedtke

Remembering Chuck Clemans: Lifelong friend of the arts and education.

Chuck Clemans served on CAN’s Board of Directors in 2010 and 2011, guiding our efforts with his decades of expertise as a school superintendent and arts leader. Up until his death in December 2011, Chuck was an instrumental advisor to CAN as we shaped our plan to establish a new public fund for the arts and arts education. He will be dearly missed.

Alice Norris, fellow CAN Regional Steering Committee Member and former Oregon City Mayor, says of Oregon City’s 2009 Citizen of the Year:

“He will leave a hole in so many parts of the community. He was a teacher and a giver — always. With his diverse interests, he touched so many communities of people.”

2,500 Followers, 1,500 Fans and $75,000 – We Did It!

admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:10:26 +0000

At 10:25 PM on December 13th, CAN’s 2,500th Twitter follower signed on with great fanfare, unlocking a $75,000 investment from the City of Portland.

WE DID IT!!!

CAN celebrates 2,500 Followers, 1,500 Fans and $75,000.

Why were Colin Meloy, Storm Large, PortlandiaTV and Mayor Sam Adams all tweeting about CAN? Because 2,500 Twitter followers and 1,500 Facebook fans were all that stood between CAN and a $75,000 investment from the City of Portland. And we did it!

In the last two weeks, CAN’s #CreativelyPDX hashtag has been used more than 450 times to encourage Portlanders to join the movement and the conversation about what we find uniquely creative in Portland.

While our goals have been reached, #CreativelyPDX continues through Monday, December 19th. And you won’t want to miss an opportunity to win free tickets to
Candide at Portland Opera, two passes to next year’s
Wordstock Festival or a signed deluxe box set of ‘The King Is Dead’ from The Decemberists!

For the Love of the Arts

Portland’s Majors Stir Up Love for CAN.

This Fall, the Oregon Symphony, Portland Art Museum, Portland Center Stage, Portland Opera and Oregon Ballet Theatre (often referred to as the Majors within Portland’s expansive and diverse arts community) joined forces to raise funds and awareness for CAN.

At two events hosted by the Portland Art Museum and Bill and Karen Early, nearly 150 arts patrons were introduced to CAN and inspired to give when Brian Ferriso, Elaine Calder, Chris Coleman, Christopher Mattaliano and Christopher Stowell shared their compelling perspectives.

In addition to the $50,000 lead gift by the Dream Envision Foundation and the $50,000 Challenge Grant by Lynn and Jack Loacker that launched this campaign, CAN was honored to receive $102,600 in pledged support – all from first-time donors.

As CAN continues to spread the word about the decline of arts and music education in Portland’s public elementary schools and the underfunded role that non-profit arts and culture organizations play in the economic vitality, educational opportunities and livability of our city, these donations fuel our efforts and lay the foundation for a ground-breaking solution that will generate $113 Million in new public funding for the arts over the next decade.

We are honored to have inspired so many to give so much.

The Oregon Symphony, Portland Art Museum, Portland Center Stage, Portland Opera and Oregon Ballet Theatre raised $102,600 for CAN at two beautiful events.

4 out of 5 fifth-graders in Portland will finish elementary school without ever having an art class.

CAN’s Arts Education Plan

Its Elementary, My Dear.

The Creative Advocacy Network has set our sights on the November 2012 ballot to propose a new public fund for the arts in Portland that will restore arts and music education for every elementary school student.

Why this focus on elementary education? Through extensive local and national research as well as round table discussions with Portland’s school superintendents, parents, teachers, and arts leaders, CAN has identified grades K-5 as both the most disadvantaged and the most opportune with regard to arts and music education.

Today, 81% of Portland’s 33,732 elementary school students attend an elementary school offering no certified instruction in art. And while CAN plans to support many of the non-profit arts and culture organizations that work to bridge that gap with field trips, classroom visits and after school programming, there is no substitution for the kind of progressive, weekly skill-building that a certified art teacher can offer.

To learn more about CAN’s plan or volunteer to help, just e-mail
info@theartscan.org.

5 Great Reasons

To Give Artfully this Holiday Season

5 Because the arts shape our neighborhoods, improve our education system, boost economic development and make us think, feel, dream and believe.

4 Because 4 out of 5 Portland elementary school students will finish 5th grade without ever having been offered an art class.

3 Because our non-profit cultural organizations receive, on average, 86% less public funding than their peers nationally.

2 Because your gift is 100% tax-deductible.

1 Because you can help us increase our city’s cultural and creative capacity by $113 M over the next decade.

Donate to CAN
Here!