Education & Outreach
Metro Arts Education
Nurturing Creativity
Metro Arts Alliance strives to provide artistic opportunities for youth, giving them the problem-solving and creative thinking skills that are critical to their future success as adults. Through grants and donations, we are able to contract skilled and professional artists to provide educational programs for participants in schools and nonprofits in need of creative and cultural activities.
In order to be part of our teaching roster and to ensure quality, artists are assessed and receive specialized training in each of the programs we offer. They are also educated on the Iowa Core and have learned how to incorporate it into their programs. Artists are skilled in a variety of disciplines and help Metro Arts to reach approximately 20,000 participants on an annual basis.
Access to the arts for youth, particularly through the education system, is a key concern for Metro Arts. Our objective is to help nurture artistic talent and develop future audiences to sustain it. We invite you to take advantage of the opportunities.
Our core programs include GreenArts and ArtSmart, along with a partnership with the Des Moines Public Schools to offer enrichment programming for their Metro Kids Care. Please read below to learn more about Metro Arts Education programs.
GreenArts is an arts education program that uses the arts to help Polk, Dallas, and Warren county community members of all ages connect with nature and become more involved with conservation initiatives and practices. There is a growing need to educate people of all ages about the human impact on our natural resources, and the ways everyone can help make a difference in ensuring the future of our planet. Artists go to school and community sites to conduct programs that connect conservation and nature to the arts. While stipulations apply, these programs are offered at NO COST thanks in part to a REAP grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Click on the GreenArts logo above to download a brochure that includes additional information and available artist programs.
If you are interested in bringing GreenArts to your site or would like to learn more about the program, email Reilly Branderhorst at reilly@metroarts.org or call 280.3222.
Program partners include Polk County Conservation and Urban Environmental Partnership (Metro Waste Authority and Des Moines Water Works).
ArtSmart
ArtSmart is an after school program designed to provide middle school students with unique, in-depth arts education and enrichment experiences. Students will work with Metro Arts teaching artists from all disciplines over a 5-week course to explore creativity and self-expression through the arts.
ArtSmart is provided to schools and students at no cost thanks to support in part by the Iowa Arts Council.
|
Puppeteer Carol Taylor works with students at Jordan Creek Fine Arts Day
|
Metro Arts Education programs are a part of the Des Moines area Connecting Kids and Culture, developed to provide culturally enriching educational opportunities for kindergarten through fifth grade students in Polk and Dallas Counties.
The goal is that every K-5 student experience local arts and cultural programming a minimum of one additional time per school year. Funds are allocated to each elementary school in Polk and Dallas counties. The funds may then be used to either bring an artist or cultural experience into the classroom or take the class on a field experience. Some of the artists listed on the Metro Arts roster above are available for hire using the funds from this new program.
Teachers should contact their school principal for instructions on how to access this money. Visit ConnectingKidsandCulture.Org for more information and a complete list of arts and cultural experiences available.
Contracting Metro Arts Teaching Artists
When funding is available, Metro Arts Alliance will cover all costs of the artist ($60 per hour fee, mileage, and supplies). Non-profit organizations pay an administration fee of $50.00 to Metro Arts Alliance for program coordination and contracting. For-profit organizations must pay all artist costs and the $50.00 administration fee. When five or more artists or programs are contracted, the administration fee increases at a rate of $50.00 per five additional artists or programs.
Administration Free Rates:
- 1 – 4 artists/programs = $50.00
- 5 – 9 artists/programs = $100.00
- 10 – 14 artists/programs = $150.00
- 15 – 19 artists/programs = $200.00
- 20+ artists/programs = $250.00
When funding is not available, the nonprofit or for-profit entity will have the responsibility of covering all artist costs, together with the $50.00 administrative fee.
Organizations and businesses that are current members of Metro Arts Alliance will receive 20% off their administration fee. Please visit our membership page to learn more about becoming a member of Metro Arts Alliance.
Additional Information:
- The length of each performance or workshop varies with each artist.
- The nonprofit or business and the artist enter into a contract with Metro Arts Alliance for each program and commit to the requirements of the contract.
- Payment must be received by Metro Arts Alliance two weeks prior to the program date.
- Metro Arts Alliance pays the artist directly for the workshop/performance.
- All parties complete a final evaluation report for each contracted program; this evaluation is to be received by Metro Arts no later than 30 days after the program.
- If the program site is a school, state law requires the presence of a teacher in the classroom at all times.
- To receive reimbursement for mileage, artists must travel in excess of 30 miles from their home or place of work.
- When purchasing supplies, artists are asked to make minimal purchases and sites are asked to provide as much as possible. For example, when visiting classrooms, artists try to utilize supplies that are already available, such as glue, scissors, construction paper, etc. and not purchase their own for the program.