Meet ASC Camp Director Crystal Lail

By Emily Rapport
Education Intern

Camp Director Crystal Lail would have graduated college with a degree in business had her roommate not needed a tutor. Lail had a knack for helping her roommate learn the material. “I was really good at helping people understand things in different ways,” she says. Lail switched her major to elementary education.

Now a veteran teacher and professional development leader, Lail is excited to step into her role as Camp Director for the Arts & Science Council’s Digital and Media Literacy Summer Camp. Lail will work with the camp’s master-level teachers to ensure that their unit plans incorporate Common Core standards, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) principles, and the Digital & Media Literacy Essential Competencies.

The camp serves students entering 1^st-12^th grade and includes three two-week sessions, each with a different theme. Over the course of the summer, campers will tell digital stories about farms and healthy living, create multimedia art about Charlotte’s history and diversity, and build a floating wetland that benefits the environment. Campers may sign up for individual sessions or for all three.

Students spend most of the class day working on units that stretch across the entire two week session. These units, taught by master-level teachers, incorporate field experiences, arts and technology instruction, and service projects. Students also get time for lunch and physical education and an hour to participate in “breakout sessions” of their choice. These arts-infused breakout sessions are designed and led by the camp’s staff based on their own skills and interests. “We have an amazing variety of activities for students to choose from: dance, photography, writing, and more,” says Lail. “Just about any type of activity you could get at a camp that is focused on just one thing, you can do here.”

So why Digital & Media Literacy? “Students are bombarded with media messages every day, and we want to teach our students how to be smart consumers of this information,” says Lail. ASC campers learn how to decode these messages, which prepares them for digital citizenship and modern careers. Campers also learn how to use digital media to tell their own stories.

The camp includes a professional development program for teachers who want to incorporate more digital multimedia in their classrooms. “Our camp provides an opportunity for teachers to be engaged in professional development during the summer and to have a classroom lab where they see theory put into action,” says Lail.

Don’t miss the chance to give your child an educational and empowering summer. For more information and links to registration, click here. Questions? Email Camp Director Crystal Lail at crystal.lail@cms.k12.nc.us.

Have You Visited the ASC Education Network (ASCeducation.org)?

By David Currence, Marketing Manager

The Arts & Science Council (ASC) has launched the ASC Education Network (ASCeducation.org) – a resource for teachers, students and families concerning all things cultural education in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.  The ASC Education Network is a one-stop destination to find important news, relevant topics, cultural activities, as well as professional development and grant opportunities.

To make navigation within the site intuitive and easy, it is divided into four focus areas: Educators, Students and Families, Teaching Artists and Cultural Partners.  Each area allows visitors to quickly find the information that directly pertains to them.

The site is managed by highly-qualified educators, and it gives visitors access to the latest culturally-related information from Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District (CMS).  Events posted on Charlotte Culture Guide, a directory of teaching artists and information about out-of-school youth development programs can also be found on the site.

As an added bonus for teachers, the website also features an educators-only section in which they can upload cultural education lesson plans and discuss relevant education topics in a forum.

“The ASC Education Network is a go to source for information on cultural education in our community,” said ASC Vice President of Education, Barbara Ann Temple, Ph.D. “We look forward in the coming weeks and months to the collaboration and idea generation we expect from the network.”

ASC is proud that its partnership with CMS is strengthening our community’s educational system, and the ASC Education Network is one of many projects that will continue to solidify this great partnership.

The Hottest Ticket in Town

By David Currence, Marketing Manager

In a one-block radius of Uptown Charlotte, you can be immersed in modern art, feel the passion of inspiring global artwork, and explore the many facets of the African-American experience.  That one-block destination is the Levine Center for the Arts (LCA), and thanks to the new Levine Center for the Arts Access Ticket, visiting the amazing museums within the center has never been easier or more economical.

The LCA Access Ticket gives residents and visitors the opportunity to experience the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture and Mint Museum Uptown for only $20.  Even better, the ticket allows accessto these great institutions for up to 48 hours of the initial entry time.  Plainly, that means residents and visitors not only get into all three museums at a discounted daily rate, but they also get an extra day completely free.  It is most likely the biggest cultural/entertainment bargain in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

Currently, the three museums contain not only their private collections, but are hosts to a wide array of exhibits.  For instance, Mint Museum Uptown is displaying a fascinating exhibit that explores the use of
salt-inspired/themed/constructed artwork called Return to the Sea: Saltworks by Motoi Yamamoto.  Equally impressive, the Harrvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Art + Culture is displaying a generational exploration of the Gullah/Geechee culture of the eastern shorelines of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida with David Herman, Jr.’s Etched in the Eyes exhibit.  Not to be overlooked, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art has the works of Emilio Stanzani that highlight the era in which he transitioned from representation art to abstract art.

Though all of the aforementioned exhibits may sound like a lot, they only represent a small portion of the permanent and visiting collections at each museum in LCA, and to truly experience them in their entirety, a minimal visit of two days is definitely required.  Hmmm, sounds like a good reason to take advantage of the LCA Access Ticket’s perks, doesn’t it?

Click here to learn more and get your ticket.

CMS Fifth Graders Find Endless Possibilities

“Endless Possibilities” is more than the title of the performance more than 11,000 fifth graders in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools experienced two weeks ago – it is a mantra for the arts opportunities available to students in and out of school.

Collaborating on the experience that sought to open the eyes of the CMS students were the Charlotte Symphony, North Carolina Dance Theatre and Opera Carolina. The tailored performance featured the art form of each organization woven together with videos from students at Mint Hill Middle School, exploring the arts activities available in CMS middle schools.

Symphony Guest Conductor Jacomo Rafael Bairos led the performance. From Johan Sebastian Bach to hip-hop and Latin music, Bairos showed students the adaptability of different genres. The performance from the Symphony musicians had students dancing in their seats.

Singers from Opera Carolina performed various songs from the organization’s winter production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. This included the powerful ‘Queen of the Night’ aria and the joyful ‘Papagena/Papageno’ duet.

Incorporated into all of it was the dance of North Carolina Dance Theatre’s DT2 group. Eight dancers showcased varying styles to the music throughout.

The performance won plaudits from students, teachers and administrators alike.

Teacher Kristen Johnson told the Charlotte Observer:

“In class, I used a lot of video clips so that kids could actually hear and see ‘The Magic Flute’ and orchestral pieces,” said Kristen Johnson, a music teacher at Irwin Academic Center. “I could see the kids during the performance saying, ‘Wait! We’ve heard that!’ This reinforces what we’ve been learning for years and pulls it all together.”

This year, ASC is supporting arts, science and history related field trip experiences for more than 120,000 students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. In addition to the 5th grade field trip, the experiences, which align with grade level curriculum, have brought the Taraddidle Players out to area elementary schools, taken 3rd graders to historic sites throughout the county, allowed 6th graders to get hands on with science at Discovery Place, and shown 7th graders all the the Levine Center for the Arts has to offer.

ASC’s commitment to restoring cultural field trips was born out of the Cultural Education Blueprint. The Blueprint is a strategic guide for ASC and CMS to better serve students, parents and teachers with quality education resources of the cultural community that align with the Common Core State Standards and the N.C. Essential Standards.

To learn more about ASC’s efforts in education, click here.

It’s Spring Festival Time in Charlotte

Spring is upon us in Charlotte and that means that festivals are right around the corner. From Festival in the Park’s annual Kings Drive Art Walk to the Charlotte Asian Festival and Dragon Boat Festival, there is something for everyone in the coming months.

Here is a look at a few of the upcoming festivals supported by your investment in ASC:

Ulysses Festival
April 4-May 19
The 2013 Festival Theme is Brave New Worlds: Technology & Art, and brings the theme to life with interesting lectures, exhibits and performances that use the latest in modern technology to merge the visual power of art with the beauty of music and dance.
Click here to learn more.

Kings Drive Art Walk
April 27 – 28
Festival in the Park presents the Kings Drive Art Walk, the annual spring event held along the Little Sugar Creek Greenway focusing on fine and emerging artists.
Click here to learn more.

Charlotte Asian Festival and Dragon Boat Festival
May 4
The 13th Annual Charlotte Asian Festival is an annual family-oriented event for the Asian and non-Asian community in and around Mecklenburg County and throughout the Carolinas. The festival celebrates Asian cultures, diversity, ethnicity, roots and history. The 7th Annual Charlotte Dragon Boat Festival Race is an exciting team competition. An important part of the Chinese traditional calendar, dragon boat racing originated over 2,300 years ago on the life-sustaining rivers of southern China. The Charlotte race is an open competition to anyone 15 years of age or older.
Click here to learn more.

For more festival and event information, visit CharlotteCultureGuide.com.

Wells Fargo’s Giving Challenge

Twenty-four arts, science, history and heritage organizations are working to earn their piece of a $200,000 matching gift from Wells Fargo for their projects on power2give.org.

From (L-R): Wells Fargo’s Jay Everette, a North Dance Theatre dancer and NCDT’s Doug Singleton.

The $200,000 grant will match donations dollar-for-dollar made to projects on power2give from the organizations that receive unrestricted operating support from the Arts & Science Council (ASC).  The organizations range from large institutions like the Mint Museum, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte and Discovery Place to small groups like Theatre Charlotte, Clayworks and Wing Haven.

Projects in need of funding and eligible for the match include:

• Carolina Actors Studio Theatre – SKYLAB Bits and a Chicken Suit – $1,100 – Supports hiring a designer and paying for props and supplies for the upcoming show “Miss Witherspoon.”
• Opera Carolina – OPERAtion Academy: Scholarships for Summer Students – $1,705 – Supports scholarships to Opera Carolina’s 4^th annual summer music-drama workshop for middle and high school students from around the region.
• Bechtler Museum of Modern Art – Refeather the Firebird – $8,000 – Supports the conservation and repair of the museum’s iconic Firebird sculpture.

This is the largest matching grant ASC has received for power2give and the second from Wells Fargo.  In fiscal year 2012, Wells Fargo provided a $100,000 matching grant specifically to support Charlotte Symphony projects.

“This community funding opportunity is a strategic investment that allows these organizations to connect with new donors and earn the funding they need to deliver on the important work they do for our community,” said Wells Fargo’s Jay Everette.

Launched in August 2011, power2give.org is a result of ASC’s focus to address the future of funding the cultural sector through innovative means. power2give is now in 14 cities across the U.S. and has generated more than $2.1 million.  In Charlotte, more than 2,300 donors have helped fund 274 projects and contributed $650,705.

To see the projects, click here.

Bill Strickland Honored in Washington, D.C.

Last Monday, ASC Vice President of Education Barbara Ann Temple, Ph.D., joined leaders from across the country in Washington D.C. to celebrate and honor Bill Strickland.

Strickland, who was recognized by U.S. Sen. Robert Casey, Jr. (D-Penn.), is the visionary founder of the non-profit Manchester Bidwell Corporation (MBC) and National Center for Arts and Technology (NCAT) in Pittsburgh, Penn. Since 1972, Strickland has used the arts, education and community to empower and transform the lives of students.

Strickland (Center) with Studio 345 teaching artists.

His organizations’ youth development programs are based on the belief that environment shapes behavior. An average of 96% of students enrolled in MBC programs graduate from high school and 89% of those enrolled moved on to higher education.

“Over 300 people from around the country came to honor Bill and the extraordinary work he is doing,” said Temple, vice president, education. “It was exciting to see government recognizing social entrepreneurship and urban education.”

The day included a speech on the floor of the Senate from Casey acknowledging Strickland’s accomplishments in Pennsylvania and beyond. It also featured a panel discussion with non-profit and education leaders on the topic “Social Entrepreneurship.”

“To be in such a historic setting yesterday with people celebrating a man who really gets it was amazing,” Temple said.

Locally, Studio 345, supported by ASC and Mecklenburg County, is a replication site for Strickland’s NCAT. Open since October, Studio 345 has already enriched the lives of more than 100 students through the use of digital technology and multimedia.

Below is Casey’s Strickland floor speech.

Artist Prepares for McColl Center Residency

Artist Natalie Bork received an $875 2013 Regional Artist Project Grant to support the rental of studio space during an upcoming residency at McColl Center for Visual Art.  To find out more about the Regional Artist Project Grant, click here.

By Natalie Bork

I’m honored to be one of the Regional Project Grant recipients.  The funding provides for my studio costs at the McColl Center during my Affiliate Artist Residency this summer.

Photo by Mark Osborn

I’ll be able to work on my sculptures in a creative and temperature controlled environment. It is also a great location for members from our community to swing by, view and be a part of the process of creating. The space will allow me to create a solid series of artwork to prepare for my museum and gallery proposals – The Contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh being one of them. The grant will also free up funds to purchase more paints, glass and cutting tools.

During my residency, I plan on using the spacious studio space to work on several of my sculptures at once. The layout of the studio is perfect for ping-ponging between paintings, sculptures and carvings. As I move amongst the artwork, during the process each piece will be informing the next. Eventually a dialogue will emerge amongst the sculptures housed in the studio.

Photo by Mark Osborn

It is my intention to create a set of seven, various sized, hollow cylinders that suspend from a steel cable and float above the ground at different heights. Shaylor Knight will be assisting me with the development and creation of the cylindrical forms. The other body of work will focus on colorful, fused glass pieces that are slumped into various forms and telescope off the wall at various depths. It will still have the same under-lying meaning, “Letting go or Revealing Memories?”

Currently, my body of work explores an abstract approach to painting, concentrating on alternative processes and the physicality of the material. The work combines a two dimensional painted surface with a three dimensional form. The main emphasis of the work focuses on memories which are visually conveyed through layers of paint. Some layers of paint are permanently buried. Other layers are aggressively eradicated leaving only small ghost traces. How much a preceding paint layer reveals itself depends on its impact, both visual and emotional. In this way the works become a vehicle to convey a struggle between holding onto memories and letting go, both in life and art.

To learn more about Artist Natalie Bork, click here. 

Circle de Luz Radically Empowers with the Arts

Radical empowerment, according to Rosie Molinary, is what drives the mission of the non-profit Circle de Luz, an organization she helped found five years ago. Circle de Luz works with young Latinas in Charlotte-Mecklenburg to transform their lives through mentoring, scholarships to further educational opportunities and holistic programming.

“One of our guiding beliefs is that exposure to opportunity matters and can be a significant difference maker in a young person’s life,” said Molinary. “One area of importance to us is the arts as our [participants] often aren’t able to enjoy any arts experiences outside of what is offered at school.”

The group, with the help of a $1,490 Cultural Project Grant from the Arts & Science Council, is providing those arts experiences through pottery workshops and theatre outings at Blumenthal Performing Arts.

Molinary said participants have gone to the Blumenthal every year, but with the support of ASC, they were able to buy theatre tickets on the orchestra level.

This may seem like a small thing, but Molinary says it allows the participants to have a more impactful experience.

“It brings them into the performance in a way that our balcony seats never could, making them realize that they aren’t just able to access the arts, but they are welcome,” Molinary said. “Moreover, it amplifies the experience of each show in a way that will intensify the magic of each performance.”

Circle de Luz, founded in 2008, currently serves 15 young Latinas graduating in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The organization provides monthly programs that seek to empower participants to be more academically successful, encourage them to be responsible for their health and well-being and allow them to contribute to their communities.

When participants graduate from high school and the program, they receive a minimum $5,000 scholarship to help with their education.

“We believe exposure to unique opportunities expands one’s perspective about what is possible in life while building confidence,” Molinary said. “Our goals for the program are to offer our [participants] experiences that broaden their perspective and give them a sense of both wonder and satisfaction.

To learn more about Circle de Luz, click here.

It’s Speed Dating Time Again!

We know what you’re thinking, “Speed Dating? ASC?” Well, every year our Cultural Leadership Training Program (a program to train 30 community members interested in board leadership) comes together with cultural organizations in Charlotte-Mecklenburg to “Speed Date” and identify good board matches.

Class members and the Charlotte Symphony during CLT Speed Dating.

The format, not unlike the “Speed Dating” you’re probably familiar with, has class members each given 10 minutes with members of organizations’ board and executive leadership teams to ask questions and be asked questions. It’s an opportunity for CLTers to find what organization they might like to serve with and for organizations to find the best fit.

This year, 30 class members will “Speed Date” with 27 organizations.

Following the session, each side of the table gets to identify top picks, and both sides are matched up.

The program has become a mainstay in Charlotte’s cultural sector, with former class members serving on boards, even some as board chairs, throughout the community. Even ASC’s current board has members from past CLT classes, including Bill Bollinger, metro circulation manager at the Charlotte Observer, and current board apprentice William Hawkins of the North Highland Group.

Applications will soon be available for next year’s class. Keep your eyes peeled and check this out for more information on the program: click here.