performing-arts-centre.com

Stacy Andell asked:


The Arts Education Master Plan

September 28 was the beginning of a new era for arts education in San Francisco schools. The San Francisco Unified School district and the City are partnering on a historic effort to bring back the arts for all students. The Arts Education Master Plan will revitalize the education of San Francisco’s young citizens by capturing the diverse cultural and artistic energy of a city that is internationally renowned for its love of the arts.

At 10:30 a.m. at the San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum, Mayor Gavin Newsom, SFUSD’s Interim Superintendent Gwen Chan, and SF Arts Commission President P.J. Johnston joined members of the Board of Supervisors and SFUSD Board of Education, arts providers from across the city and students from Lowell High School, Claire Lilienthal and George Washington Carver Academic Elementary Schools in celebration of the Arts Education Master Plan.

“This master plan is a living document that exemplifies the partnership between the City and the school district on arts education,” said Mayor Newsom. “San Francisco’s efforts are unprecedented - and over the next few months, we will witness ‘order of magnitude’ changes in the arts education that children receive,” continued the Mayor.

The Arts Education Master Plan is San Francisco Unified School District’s blueprint for integrating the arts into each student’s daily curriculum. The Plan calls for a sequential, comprehensive arts education program that reflects the high quality of San Francisco’s artistic landscape in the areas of dance, drama, music, visual arts and literary arts.

The guiding principle of this plan is that all students deserve both access to and equity in arts education and each school community, no matter the neighborhood or academic emphasis, will be called upon to embrace the notion that every student must be provided with the arts as an integral part of the academic day.

Interim Superintendent Gwen Chan said “In San Francisco, we are committed to providing every student with a well-rounded education. For too many years, some students have not had opportunities to develop artistic literacy. Every school and every student will benefit from this plan.”

Community Involvement

The Master Plan reflects the views of more than 1,500 students, parents, teachers, administrators, arts providers, and civic and business leaders. Proposition H approved by San Francisco voters in 2004, became the catalyst, making the Arts Education Master Plan, completed in August 2006, a funded mandate. The extensive increase in arts education spending, programming, support and resources that the Plan recommends will be funded largely by Prop H funds. Additional funding, such as the new State funding for the arts, will be aligned to the Arts Education Master Plan.

The new plan will hopefully keep San Francisco school students in touch with the vibrant artistic community around them and help them to take advantage of the many enriching opportunities for art in the classroom and beyond. San Francisco schools are ready to implement the new curriculum program at all levels to ensure a consistent and fulfilling learning experience for all students. Students, parents, and teachers at San Francisco schools are confident that the Arts Education Master Plan will mark their community as one committed to continued arts education.



Louis

Naveen Marasinghe asked:


 

Coordinated by the National Arts Council, the Singapore Arts Festival is an annual festival which is held in Singapore. The festival is normally held in the middle of a year and it runs for a month. Theater arts, dance, music and visual arts are the events of the festival. Around 70% of the events are done by participating international artists.

This festival is among the biggest events in Singapore. Artists from more than 20 countries take part in the Singapore Arts Festival and together they put up around 500 events. Around 700,000 spectators attend the festival. The city, for four weeks, is full of activities and festivities.

Just in order to commemorate the local arts of diverse communities in Singapore, this arts festival began in the year 1977. For the past 3 decades, the festival was responsible for the dependent and catalytic aspects for cultural development in Singapore. The festival has been a medium of developing the artistic and cultural life of Singapore. This festival has made Singapore into one of Asia’s chief cultural capitals. The Singapore Arts Festival has become the ground for new cultural events and helps develop cultural activities in Singapore. The festival has transformed Singapore to what it is now, with a whole range of new museums, art galleries and cultural theaters open to the public.

 

Water shows entered the festival in the year 2008 when both the opening and closing events were performed in water. The inaugural show was performed by French group Ilotopieat Boat Quay from 23-25 May. The concluding performance was conducted by the Lunatics from Netherlands from 20-22 June at Bedok Reservoir. The Singapore Arts Festival is not to be missed if you travel to the city during May-June.

 

When you visit Singapore, check out the accommodation options available at Millennium Hotels Singapore, especially if you are looking for high-end luxury comforts. It’s among the highest-grade Singapore hotels.



Katie

The Art Ministry asked:


Art Investment Guide

Second only in size to the US market, The UK art and antiques market is worth well over £4 billion a year, and holds a global share of some 26% of the world’s total art sales. In terms of volume, the UK is the largest marketplace for art on the planet.(1). In 2005, the index covering sales of old masters showed growth of 18.8%, while the similar index covering post-war and contemporary art rose 8.3%. Over the past five years, the average annual returns were 3.1% and 17.7% respectively.(2). That’s a better return than investing in stocks and shares.

Buying art can represent a fantastic long-term investment opportunity. In order to help you make an informed decision on the art you buy through The Art Ministry website, we have put together some key considerations to bear in mind when selecting work from our galleries. With over 25 years’ experience in the art market, our team have followed the same steps to ensure all work available in our Online Store is fairly valued.

1. Buy what you like

It’s important to trust your own taste when buying art. Our aim in providing this collection is to offer artwork for every budget that adds interest to your home or office, a talking point that enriches your environment and lifestyle. Great art needn’t be expensive, and buying artwork should primarily be an expression of your own personality. Like stocks and shares, the value of artwork can go up or down, so it’s crucial you buy what you like and can afford. Ultimately the true value of art is in the pleasure or feelings it evokes. The more people that find it appealing the more demand increases, which inevitably increases the value.

2. Do your homework and understand the value of the work

When you view a piece of artwork to buy, pay attention to detail. If you look into the way it has been physically created, how much time it took and the journey the artist went through in producing the piece, you will come to appreciate the skill of the artist and the effort involved in making the work. When it comes to value, don’t be taken in by the medium either. For example, oil paintings are in general more expensive than watercolours, but the latter can require more skill to achieve the desired impression.

The more artwork you look at and the more background information you obtain on various artists and how they work, the more you will learn what you like and why. Comparing the merits of a work with other artist’s work will help you determine the inherent value in any given piece and assist your buying decision. If you want to know what similar work has sold for, use a source like The Art Sales Index, which has catalogued art prices since the 1950’s, or the Mei/Moses Fine Art Index, which tracks various auction price indexes and compares them to the stock exchange to gauge relative performance.

The comparative merits include:



The artist’s exhibition history

The nationality of the artist

What country the artist works in

The medium the artist uses

The size and dimensions of the piece

The price their work has sold for in the past

3. Buy from a reputable dealer

Only buy artwork from a reputable dealer. The best ones will provide extensive background information on the artists in their portfolio, giving details on how they work and what inspires them. Knowing the artist’s passion might also help you find a work that is right for you. Click here to read ‘About the Artists’ at The Art Ministry.

Reputable dealers will also provide a ‘Certificate of Authenticity’ with all original and limited edition artwork sold. This will be signed by the artist and proves the work is 100% genuine and has been accurately valued. These also include the following information:



The title and visual description of the artwork

Edition numbers and collection details

Materials and techniques used

Size and dimensions of the work

The copyright holder

Distributor details

Release date of the artwork

Printer’s details if relevant

Comments from the artist

Notes on caring for the artwork

Sources:

1. The House of Commons Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport (Sixth Report)

2. ‘Is it just art, or is it investment?’ by Joe Bolger, Times Online 17th April 2006, quoting figures from the Mei/Moses Fine? Art Index

If you require more assistance with buying art from our website, please to contact us, alternatively, feel free to browse our to view the work of all our artists.

Looking for tips and advice on art and design, visit our blog.



Sam

Pushpitha Wijesinghe asked:


With its strengthening role as a cultural and arts hub, Hong Kong fascinates with colour and energy during summer where International Arts Carnival takes place between July and August each year. This six weeks festival takes place at various locations in the city enabling every family to enjoy a culture filled summer. This event hosts around 500 international performances and is recognized as an entertaining event for the whole family. Dance, drama, magic, clowning, comedy, puppetry and acrobats are among the popular performances of this carnival where the performers are from countries like Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Spain while the majority is local. It is recognized as an excellent opportunity for local and international performers to show their talents and be internationally acclaimed. Over 150000 performers take part in this event which aid in adding colour to it.

Apart form these performances this carnival also boasts of hosting workshops, design competitions, outdoor fun days, exhibitions and school tours to different cultural venues for youngsters to obtain a real experience. A Graphic Design Competition is also open to all primary and secondary school students with one day camps. The carnival also marks the anniversary of Hong Kong’s establishment as a special administrative region.

It is an excellent way to indulge in entertainment during ones summer as well as learning about international cultures and customs. While indulging yourself in entertainment by visiting International Arts Carnival find your accommodation in s 5 star hotel in Hong Kong. One such hotel would be Langham Place Hotel Hong Kong which is an ideal location to have a leisurely break.



Millie

Saatchi Gallery asked:


Saatchi Gallery offers an opportunity for lovers, creators and producers of visual and performing art to get together and interact in real time through our Live Chat application. This interactive program brings together art aficionados from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds, and creates an atmosphere in which artistic tastes and ideas can be shared and discussed in a productive and liberal manner. The chat room can be accessed after a brief registration, and it allows people at all levels of artistic proficiency to meet and encourage each other in their artistic endeavours. It also allows them to seek out persons of similar interests and to form local and international groups for the discussion, creation, and critical analysis of art.

The application is also invaluable to the marketing aspect of organizations, as it allows directors or representatives to get in touch with real people and solicit real feedback regarding special upcoming events or recent presentations. The Live Chat feature allows art lovers and creators all over to keep themselves up to date with the contemporary trends, haunts, and preferences of other local and international artists. The application also supports the needs of local and international artists whose works are hosted on the site. They are accorded the chance to speak directly to the viewers of their work, make cash sales, and get direct feedback concerning the reception of their work by the public. This resource is a priceless tool that brings together talented persons and organizations that would otherwise never have had the chance to communicate. It allows for collaboration and generation of innovative and seminal ideas on the subject of visual and performing arts.



Eleanor

Pushpitha Wijesinghe asked:


The Hong Kong Arts Festival was established in 1973. The festival is a platform which gives the visitors a wide array of art programs from across the world. The festival has become an integral part of the Hong Kong Culture. The Hong Kong Arts Festival was the brainchild of Charles Hardy who wanted a festival in Hong Kong that would support the performing arts. He later broached his idea with Sir Run Run Shaw and Sir Kenneth Fung Pin-fan. The Hong Kong Arts Festival showcases local as well as internationally produced performing arts. The festival is held every year in Hong Kong during February and March. The venues include numerous halls and theatres, ranging from small enclosures to large arenas.

The Hong Kong Arts Festival includes events such as the Dance, Drama, Chinese Opera, Western Opera, World Music, Chinese Music, Classical Music, and also Family Choice. International performers also bring their act to the Hong Kong Arts Festival, international artists of the likes of Jose Carreras, Yo-Yo Ma, Shanghai Kunqu Theatre, San Francisco Symphony, New Japan Philharmonic, Paris Opera Ballet, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Wiener Philharmoniker all make their appearances at the Hong Kong Arts Festival. Local artists such as Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra also perform at shows at the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

While travelling to Hong Kong a stay at a Kowloon hotel is best advised. Out of the many hotels in Hong Kong, the Langham Hotel Hong Kong would be a really good place to stay.



Lacey

Saatchi Gallery asked:


The Saatchi Gallery provides an immense and inestimable resource to the artistic arm of colleges and universities around the world. It offers these institutions the exposure they need to market their students and any artistic (including performance and design) events collaboratively produced by students, faculty, alumni and other university affiliates. The Gallery hosts and facilitates the advertising and marketing efforts of these institutions by allowing representatives to upload the details of the various artistic bodies that exist within the college or university. Schools may also upload the art work of its students to give them vast exposure on the international art scene. Because the Gallery is in fact a central station that provides links to the most popular colleges and universities, your own institution is likely to benefit greatly from the large viewing audience that frequents this area of the site. Not only will you be able to attract viewers to your events, but you will also be able to attract prospective students to your halls.

The Saatchi Gallery resources provided for colleges and universities will quickly become an indispensable part of the institution’s marketing efforts. These institutions’ artistic representatives are encouraged to upload such information that presents the variety of artistic disciplines available for student concentration. Institutions may highlight the achievements and artistic interests/goals of their distinguished faculty. The Gallery also allows for the broadcast of upcoming events and the posting of notices to students, graduates, prospective students and faculty. In addition, it facilitates the solicitation of visits or sponsorship from a sophisticated worldwide Saatchi Gallery audience devoted to aesthetic pursuits. Therefore, colleges and universities are presented with the chance of not only airing their own creativity in the visual and performing arts, but also mining the creativity of the communities of the world to gain students for filling future graduating classes.



Yasmin

Eric Hines asked:


I am sure you are aware of the nationwide trend of downsizing, even eliminating, art programs in schools.

What is not entirely known is the impact of removing the fine arts from the education of children.

‘Champions of Change, the Impact of the Arts on Learning’ is the most comprehensive study on the subject of students involvement in the fine arts and how it relates to academic success.

The study builds a strong for students achieving higher levels of academic success and in higher overall numbers when involved with fine art.

Per the study;

- 82.6% of 8th graders earned mostly As and Bs who were involved heavily in fine arts versus 67.2% earning As and Bs who were not.

- 30.07% of the respondents who participate in fine arts performs community service where only 6.28% of the respondents who do not participate in fine arts perform community service.

- Students who are not heavily involved in fine arts have more than double the chance of dropping out of school by the 10th grade.

- 56.64% of the respondents who participate in fine arts read for pleasure where only 34.Chances are you will a handful of musical instruments in good condition gathering dust in a garage or attic.

These are only some of the findings in this study.

Fine arts help teach students far more than how to draw roses in a vase, or how to play the violin.

They help stimulate the creative part of the child’s mind, teach discipline, instill a sense of pride, accomplishment, and self-worth.

These attributes not only help students do better academically, but do better in their adult life, with their career, their new family, their emotional well being.

So what do you do if your child’s school has had major cuts in their art program?

Your first option is, of course, private lessons. You need to be cognizant of the pros and cons in this option.

Lets look at the pros first.

First, due to budget cuts and pressure for schools to ensure their students score well on standardized testing (oddly enough the students who are involved in the arts score better on average) the arts get less attention that other subjects in school. Thus the quality of instruction suffers.

Meaning your child has an excellent chance of getting better fine art instruction in a professional fine art instruction environment. The classes are smaller, sometimes even one on one. The instructor only has to teach that particular art form.

Another plus in private fine art education is that your child’s success is directly tied into the instructors income.

A public school teacher who has half of their art class receive failing grades will still be paid the same at the end of the week.

The equivalent in the private art instruction world would mean a bankrupt business in a very short order.

Providing private art classes is a business. They must produce a good product or risk not being around in the future.

The major con to private lessons is of course if you cannot afford them for your child.

Private lessons cost money. Knowing the benefits of a child being educated in the fine arts, I would happily drive a less luxurious car, or eat out less often to ensure their fine art education.

However if you are living on a fixed income this may not be an option.

To wrap up this point, private lessons are great, often better than what is provided even in schools that have ample art and music budgets.

An alternative solution may be needed if you you are on a limited budget.

There are things that you can do to help your local school raise money for their art programs.

First and foremost is fund raising. This can be gone about in a variety of ways.

For example in my high school in Burbank California a parent spoke to executives at NBC studios. Weeks later, NBC donated high-end production and editing equipment for our high school. Everything for the fine art of film making was at our school.

Long short or no, local businesses or celebrities should not be ignored when trying to solve this problem. In return they get good PR.

Of course you have the traditional events to raise funds. A car wash, garage sales, silent auctions, etc.

The real make break point for the above types of fund raisers is having the right person in-charge to ensure that all the details are taken care of and everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing.

If no one shows up to the car wash because no one knew about it, it won’t do anyone much good. Nor will the dozen cookies at the bake sale.

Organize and communicate.

I know a good amount of people. More pertinently I know people who know more people than I could ever hope to know.

When confronted with the difficult task of refitting your schools classical music program with instruments, it can seem overwhelming.

On the other hand, with a group of hundreds of students and adults it looks like this.

An email/phone call/mailer goes to your network about the problem.

Get your network to scourer their homes and the homes of people they know for instruments to donate. Last year I gifted a nice classical guitar that had been idle for years to a school.

Perhaps you find a few instruments in great condition that have been sitting in closets and garages untouched for 20 years.

Then invite everyone with a pulse and $20 to a bowling fund raiser. You make $20 for everyone who shows up. 50 people show. There is a $1000 right there for new instruments.

The following week target local businesses and parents in your network to gift items of worth for an auction. You get kids to pass out fliers and put up posters around town, put up announcements in craigslist, your local paper, and of course make sure everyone in your network knows and that they are telling everyone else.

The auction is a success raising $3,000.

When you have enough money for the instruments have the kids study hard and put on a fund raiser concert, charge $10 and put the money aside. Somehow someone will manage to lose a tuba.

It is plain to see, a dedicated group can accomplish much more than an individual.

What happens if your school is so strapped for cash and so over crowded that they cannot afford the fine art teacher let alone the space for art classes?

And what if there are no reputable private fine art instruction schools local, or you cannot afford them at this time?

At this point you have to take matters entirely in your own hands. However you are not entirely alone!

There are products on the market, that for a low cost, can still help educate your child in the fine arts.

Here is an example, for a onetime payment of $30 you can have you child take online violin lessons with Violin Master Pros.

There are also online lessons and DVD instruction programs for other musical instruments, writing, drawing, and more.

Any will be far more productive than another evening of video games or cable TV.

Beware of asking uncle John - who plays the piano - to teach your child. If someone demonstrates knowing how to do something well, it by no means demonstrates they can teach it well!

Bad lessons can very quickly turn your child off to the arts. Even if a huge donation is made to the school and the arts are saved, it will do little good if your kid is sour on the arts.

All in all our societies viewpoint must be changed in regards to how important the arts are to our children and our future.

It is irrefutable, children perform better on standardized tests when involved in fine art. Yet many schools will cut art and music to focus on getting better scoring results!

A small fraction of this nations defense budget could easily pay for art and music programs nationwide.

Many parents have the viewpoint, ‘if it is not reading or arithmetic then what real use is it my child’?

Yet in the top science schools in America all have a extensive fine art programs in their universities for a reason. It helps students perform academically!

It is our job as parents, budget cuts or no budget cuts, to ensure that our children receive the fine art education that they need.

If we don’t do it for our children, who is going to?



Olivia

Naveen Marasinghe asked:


The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art is a multidisciplinary museum created in 1972. The museum exhibits work of modern artists, and be expected to see anything that can be linked to art, displayed here. Modern art from around the world is displayed here. Regional, national and international artworks of modern artists are displayed here.

Initially in 1972 the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art was called the Boulder Arts Center and was established by a team of local artists as a place where visual arts can be displayed and promoted. The team later moved in 1976 to the present building, a warehouse style historic landmark building. The year 1995 saw great makeovers for the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, in this particular year the organization was renamed and the building was renovated and expanded. The building now contains three galleries and a 100 seat black box theatre. With the advent of these new developments at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, their mission was also changed. The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art now serves not only local artists but also regional as well as national and international renowned artists.

There are numerous varieties of art forms depicted here at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, classy, humorous, political and religious all these themes are portrayed in the many art exhibits at the center. The performing arts is also looked after here, drama, poetry, dance and music are all part and parcel of the proceedings at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art.

Nearby one will be able to find Boulder accommodation and for the tourists there is always the Boulder hotel that one would like to stay and get a feel of life at the town of Boulder. Various events and shows are planned for the year, including special programs available for children at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art.



Andrew

Naveen Marasinghe asked:


Cornerhouse Art Centre, located in the heart of Manchester is an international centre for contemporary visual art. However, it is more than just a centre for art; it is a cinema, art gallery, bookshop, bar, cafe and a place for debate. Cornerhouse Art Centre can also be defined as the perfect setting to get away from it all.

Cornerhouse Art Centre was envisaged by the Greater Manchester Visual Arts Trust of which the members were aficionados of visual and performing arts and film. They firmly believed that Manchester was in need of a space for contemporary arts. Therefore, with the assistance of several local organisations the old furniture shop situated on Oxford Road was selected as the place to launch this mission.

In 1985, Cornerhouse opened its doors housing three cinemas, two bookshops and three art galleries. It was made to offer its visitors a place to discover contemporary arts at its best amidst a relaxing ambience. Therefore, this alluring centre for art also comes with a bar and cafe. The bar is known to be a popular meeting place for those who are keen on the pop culture.

This place of information and entertainment offers events and educational programmes each month for those interested in film making. The art galleries showcase modern art exhibitions which mainly include work by innovative and renowned international artists. Cornerhouse also hosts many events and festivals such as Doodlebug Day which is a graffiti festival. Yet another famous event hosted at this fine art centre includes the New Contemporaries which is an exhibition executed by the best recently graduated artists.

Cornerhouse was put in place with an important motive to bring together artists, film producers and audiences. This intriguing centre for contemporary visual art and film has today become a fascinating tourist attraction. There are numerous Manchester accommodation options that provide all the essential facilities for travellers to conveniently explore Cornerhouse. The vast number of Manchester hotels welcomes guests with warm hospitality, friendly service and a host of modern amenities.



Kieran