Education & Outreach
Email us a request for an artist
Education on Location Overview
Education on Location Guidelines
| Puppeteer Carol Taylor works with students at Jordan Creek Fine Arts Day. |
|
|
Education On Location
The very first steps children take to discover the world always include colors, shapes and music. The essence of our world begins with art, and as we grow, it continues to enrich our lives and provide lasting meaning. Education cannot be complete without the study of the arts.
Metro Arts Alliance's arts education programs ensure that the arts are instrumental to a complete education. Our goals are to:
• Enhance arts education opportunities and involvement in the community by connecting local arts and cultural professionals with the general public.
• Facilitate partnerships and other collaborative efforts for community development and active arts participation.
• Lead the community to increase access and participation in the arts.
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. Our programs are described below, we invite you to take advantage of the opportunities.
Metro Arts Education on Location: Day
Described as a mini-residency, Metro Arts Education on Location is an opportunity for artists to work within a school setting where they create a program to augment and enhance teachers' efforts and general curriculum. The workshops can be applied to all areas of study i.e. math, science, history, English, etc. Although schools are the most common sites, residencies have also been sponsored through senior centers, parks and recreation departments and other non-profit groups.
Metro Arts Education on Location: Summer
Experience the arts in your local area this summer with Education on Location: Summer. Listen, learn and laugh with Central Iowa artists as they present a variety of free performances and hands-on activities at locations throughout Polk County. Summer activities are held Monday through Friday. All workshops, geared for kids 5-12 (unless otherwise specified) are FREE, but require parental supervision. Kids can act, sing, dance, write poetry and songs and create artwork as they learn how imagination and creativity are important tools for building character essentials like respect, compassion and cooperation.
Metro Arts Education on Location: After-School
Set in the Des Moines Public Schools after-school day care centers, Metro Arts Education on Location: After-School provides interactive, hands-on arts education opportunities to children in after-school day care facilities who may otherwise miss these experiences.
Children have the opportunity to participate in short-term or extended workshops. Short-term workshops allow children to work with a different artist each week for their designated four-week program, experiencing various artistic disciplines. Extended workshops give kids an opportunity to work over a four-week period with one artist on a progressive program, exploring the ins-and-outs of one particular art form. Each workshop holds merit in that the short-term workshops allow kids to sample more art forms creating artistic interests in many avenues and extended workshops allowing artists to build stronger relationship with children helping in the retention of the art form presented.
Metro Arts Artist Roster
Metro Arts Alliance can help you find
Storyteller Jim Boardman with students at Jordan Creek Elementary.
 |
an artist, performing group or special attraction for your school, community or private event, or a visual artist to create work for a personal or public location. Many fine artist members are included in our Education on Location Artist Roster in the left menu. All artists on the Roster met high standards of quality and appropriateness as judged by a panel through an audition process. There are more than 80 artists and arts groups in nine different disciplines: architecture, dance, history, literature, music, science, storytelling, theatre and visual arts. Schools, agencies and nonprofits interested in applying to participate in the Education on Location program should complete an application form.
Connecting Kids and Culture
Metro Arts is part of a new initiative in the Des Moines area, "Connecting Kids and Culture" developed to provide culturally enriching educational opportunities for more than 39,000 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 donated from Principal Charity Golf Classic and a private donor have been allocated to each elementary school in Polk and Dallas counties. The funds may be used to either bring an artist or cultural experience into the classroom or take the class on a field experience. The artists listed on the Metro Arts roster above are all 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.
Education on Location is an education and entertainment artist-in-residence program for schools, community centers, social service agencies, and businesses. The program was developed to meet Metro Arts’ goal of promoting cultural and educational opportunities throughout greater Des Moines. One of our goals is to strengthen school and after school curriculum in reading, writing, math, science and history through the use of the arts. The Education on Location roster is comprised of juried, professional artists and art groups in a variety of disciplines. You can be assured a quality workshop/performance that fits your needs.
How it works:
Education on Location programs are available to Central Iowa sponsors. Education on Location grants assist non-profit sponsors and are contingent upon the availability of
| Jake Jacobs at Fine Arts Day. |
 |
funding.
* Sponsors may be non-profit or for-profit organizations. However, the fee structure varies based upon the applicant’s status:
Non-profit - organizations pay an administrative fee of $50 to Metro Arts for the first contracted program. Programs thereafter are contracted per the established artist/presenter fee plus the $50 administrative fee. (In the event the artist/presenter fee exceeds the grant, the sponsor is responsible for the difference, which is to be paid directly to Metro Arts.)
For-profit - organizations pay the full artist/presenter fee plus the $50 administration fee for program coordination and contracting.
* Presenter fee information is available from Metro Arts.
* The length of each performance or workshop varies with each presenter and sponsor request.
* The sponsor and the artist/arts group enter into a contract with Metro Arts for each program and make a commitment to the requirements of the contract.
* Sponsor fees must be submitted to Metro Arts two weeks prior to the program date.
* Metro Arts pays the artist/ arts group directly for the workshop/performance.
How to Apply:
You may complete the application under the application link and submit it to us or print it out and either fax or mail it to us at the following address.
Metro Arts Alliance
500 East Locust, Suite 201
Des Moines, IA 50309 Phone 515-280-3222
Fax 280-3223
Send Us An Email
Website www.metroarts.org
Additional Information:
* A planning session between the artist and teacher is highly recommended before the visit to discuss desired goals and outcomes.
* Non-profit sponsors 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 sponsoring organization is a school, state law requires the presence of a teacher in the classroom at all times.
Mural by artist Lindsey Mollenhauer at Sayre Montessori School.
|
 |