ArtsConnection

In October, ArtsConnection's Executive Director, Rachel Watts, moderated a conversation hosted by the New York City Arts in Education Roundtable and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum which focused on the critical impact of arts education on the development of New York City students. This panel featured visual arts teacher Elizabeth Kinkel, NYC public school students Grey Lambert and Joshua Miller, and esteemed NYC Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. Watch to hear about the pos...itive impact the arts have had on Joshua and Grey's lives, and Councilman Robert E. Cornegy, Jr's insight on the arts at this difficult moment in history. To watch the full recording, visit https://bit.ly/326MNfx. #ArtsAreEssential #WeAreArtsConnected #AlwaysConnected

ArtsConnection is delighted that Rachel Watts, Executive Director, will be moderating a conversation hosted by the New York City Arts in Education Roundtable and Brooklyn Children’s Museum next Monday, focusing on the critical impact of arts education on the development of New York City students. This live panel will feature Visual Art Teacher Elizabeth Kinkel, NYC public school students Grey Lambert and Joshua Miller, and esteemed NYC Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. Re...gister in advance for an intimate discussion that will offer a first-hand perspective on why arts are essential in catalyzing youth empowerment, forging supportive communities, and expanding social-emotional learning and growth. A recording will be made available following the live event on the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable website. This event is free and open to all. Register here: https://bit.ly/3jo8EF4 See more

The GIVE partnershipa joint project of The New Victory Theater, Community-Word Project, and ArtsConnectionis proud to be featured in The New York Community Trust's 2019 Annual Report. Through the Trust's generosity, the three organizations, which share a commitment to engage every child in the classroom through the arts, have undertaken the development of a major resource to create systemic improvements to arts education for inclusion classrooms containing a mixed student body of those with and without disabilities. Read more about this important resource-in-process on page 11 of the report: https://www.nycommunitytrust.org//AR19_select_final_6.4-FI

Hip Hop Dance teaching artist Justin Salud demonstrates some of the dance moves he teaches, and asks 3rd, 4th and 5th graders to consider elements of dance by identifying the lines and shapes created by dancing bodies in motion. View more examples of the remote dance residencies ArtsConnection offers by viewing our catalog here: https://artsconnection.org/school-programs/catalog/

"The arts are not only an effective tool for learning, but a source of joy and a way to promote self-expression, communication and healing. ArtsConnection believes that students always need the arts as part of their education and their lives, and in midst of our current conditions of economic stress, ongoing inequality, and uncertainty about a return to normal day-to-day activities, the arts are more important than ever in supporting their well-being." Read Board Chairman Debra Peltz' full letter here: https://artsconnection.org/about-us/from-the-chairman/

We are so grateful to the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation for funding our Teen Reviewers and Critics (TRaC) program with a two-year grant, which offers New York City high school students in under-resourced communities free after-school opportunities to enhance their critical thinking and expression skills through the arts!

During a summer unlike any other, ArtsConnection continued to provide engaging digital opportunities linking children and teens to art sessions across the disciplines. Divided into grade-level teamsearly childhood, upper elementary, and middle schoolour teaching artists expanded, refined, and field-tested synchronous (live) and asynchronous (pre-recorded) programming, engaging students from our school partners across the city. We are excited to share the new version of our In-School Programs Catalog, with residency descriptions and accompanying video snippets. Visit https://artsconnection.org/school-programs/catalog/ to check out the work of the brilliant teaching artists at AC!

TRaC is a FREE after-school opportunity for teens to explore the arts in NYC. Each fall and spring, participants spend 10 weeks attending performances and exhibitions in NYC, meeting artists, learning the art of discussion and critical writing, publishing reviews on our online publication The JAR and so much more. Writing workshops in the visual arts, music, theater, dance, media, multi-arts and film are offered.- No experience is necessary, there is always a diverse level o...f experience in every TRaC workshop. Teen Reviewers and Critics has a place for anyone and everyone. *Due to Covid-19, TRaC will be running virtually for the fall semester. Any socially distanced meetings will be TBD and are not mandatory. Share with a teen in your life and apply no later than Monday, September 28 for the opportunity to learn about New York City arts and culture in the discipline of their choice! https://teens.artsconnection.org/trac/

The Board of Directors and staff of ArtsConnection are delighted to welcome our new executive director, Rachel Watts. While Rachel is new to the position, she is an experienced arts education and youth development leader. Even more exciting, she is a long-time ArtsConnection staff member, having most recently served in the position of Director of Teen Programs and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives. Rachel brings to the position her expertise as a multidisciplinary arts educator who has focused on creating and advocating for meaningful and equitable programming for young people during her more than 20 years in the arts Education and youth development fields. Congratulations, Rachel! Photo credit: Antonio Pulgarin

ArtsConnection offers a wide roster of live family events. Watch to see a snippet of teaching artists Peter from Mexico Beyond Mariachi and Angel collaborating for the Day of the Iguana Family Event through music and puppetry. See how second-grader Linus's puppet turned out! // #WeAreArtsConnected

Say hello to theater, puppetry, and circus artist Laine straight from her living room! We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, and we can’t wait to connect with NYC students again. // #WeAreArtsConnected

Learn how to tell a story with ArtsConnection’s teaching artist Shawn Williams! In this video Shawn demonstrates storytelling through three camera shots: the close-up shot, the medium shot and the wide shot. // #WeAreArtsConnected

Meet puppetry teaching artist Rima Fand, as she explores her range of emotions with her early childhood students. When schools first closed, ArtsConnection’s teaching artists made sure to address all their students and the transition to remote learning. We look forward to reconnecting this fall! //#WeAreArtsConnected

In ArtsConnection’s Developing English Language Literacy Through the Arts (DELLTA) series Anatomy of a Residency, created this past school year, dance teaching artists Kim Grier and Nami Kagami outline the process of teaching choreography to their young students. In the following clip, Kim describes the importance of getting to know what students know so that information can be layered with basic dance vocabulary. Students can then explore the space they’re working in, shapes their bodies create, and begin to learn original choreography. // #WeAreArtsConnected