December 2016
A monthly newsletter from the Arizona Commission on the Arts
TopARTS COMMISSION NEWS
Registration Extended for Arizona Poetry Out Loud    
Deadline: January 30, 2017  
The deadline for the 2017 Poetry Out Loud registration has been extended! Register today and be part of this incredible program. Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation contest created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Poetry Out Loud invites the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word and theater into the English class. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage all while competing for scholarship prizes!

Teachers who would like to participate register themselves for the program. Once registered, each participating teacher/school site receives a toolkit, which includes a program guide to help teach recitation and performance and a DVD and companion guide for learning recitation--free of charge.

Visit Arizona's Poetry Out Loud page to learn more about what the program can offer your school and register today!

Click here to learn more

Arizona's Academic Standards in the Arts Webpage      
Designed and programmed by the same team who developed the National Core Arts Standards Webpage, the Arizona's Academic Standards in the Arts Webpage provides the following features for educators and teachers wanting to easily incorporate the arts into their classroom instruction: supplemental enduring understandings and essential questions for each artistic process and every anchor standard, national-level model assessments, national-level student artwork samples, and customized workbooks.  
 
The new Arizona Academic Standards in the Arts Webpage can be found here.
 
NOTE: At the present time, there is an issue that prevents full functionality when using Internet Explorer. For the best user experience, please use an alternate Web browser to access the new Arizona Academic Standards in the Arts Webpage.

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OPPORTUNITIES
2017 VSA Intersections: Arts and Special Education Conference Call for Sessions
Submission Deadline: January 15, 2017
The fifth annual conference will take place Aug. 6-7, 2017 in Austin, TX. VSA invites innovative, thought-provoking and interactive sessions that provide professionals in the intersecting fields of arts education and special education the opportunity to build new skills, transfer knowledge, network and help shape best practice-improving educational experiences for students with disabilities learning in and through the arts.

Click here to learn more 
Arts Advocacy Day
March 20-21, 2017│Washington, DC  
Arts advocates from across the country convene in Washington, DC for our annual Arts Advocacy Day each year. Arts Advocacy Day brings together a broad cross section of America's cultural and civic organizations, along with more than 500 grassroots advocates from across the country, to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating increased public funding for the arts.

Click here to learn more
RESOURCES
Arts Works Blog:
How to Read and Talk About Poetry   
In this latest "Art Works" blog, Jessica Flynn interviews poets and teachers from around the nation for their advice on how to read and talk about poetry. Among those featured is executive director of the University of Arizona Poetry Center, Tyler Meier. 

Click here to learn more
FUNDING
2017-2018 NEA Big Read Grants
Application Deadline: January 26, 2017    
The National Endowment for the Arts recently released the application guidelines for the 2017-2018 NEA Big Read grants. An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, the NEA Big Read showcases a range of contemporary titles and aims to inspire conversation and discovery. The main feature of the initiative is a grants program, managed by Arts Midwest, which annually supports approximately 75 dynamic community reading programs, each designed around a single NEA Big Read selection.

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Democracyworks Essay Competition Now Accepting Entries
Deadline: February 1, 2017     
The Educational Theatre Association is now accepting entries for the ninth annual Democracyworks Essay Competition. The winner will receive $1,500 toward expenses to attend Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., March 20-21, 2017, as well as a $250 prize. This year's prompt asks students to consider this question: "Why do you think STEAM education is important to the well-rounded education of all students?"

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SEND US YOUR FEEDBACK
Feel free to send us your comments, suggestions or a story idea you'd like to see in the next issue. Email: [email protected]
FOR MORE INFORMATION
To learn more about our programs and services at the Arizona Commission on the Arts, visit www.azarts.gov
ARTS LEARNING STAFF
Alex Nelson
Director of Arts Learning
[email protected]

Anastasia Freyermuth
Arts Learning and Grants Coordinator
Harper Piver
AZ Creative Aging Coordinator
This monthly online newsletter from the Arts Learning Department at the Arizona Commission on the Arts provides relevant, current and important information from the local, regional and national Arts Learning and Teaching Artist fields.

Job and Arts Opportunities listings on the website are maintained by Arts Commission staff and are not comprehensive. Questions regarding a listed opportunity should be directed to the corresponding contact person identified in the posting. 

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