Date: Fri 23-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

Cultural-Arts-Council

Full Text:

Newtown Cultural Arts Council-

They Keep The Culture Coming!

Newtown Cultural Arts Council members are, from left, Dorothy Schmidt (Head O'

Meadow), Dede Maroun (Head O' Meadow), Debbie Owen (middle school), Kim Weber

(HOM), Ileen Graytak (Sandy Hook), Colleen Cimini (St Rose), Katharine Isles

(Sandy Hook), Shirley Berliner (HOM), Karen Pinto Kastner (middle school),

Jacki Kulikowski (middle school) and Jennie Williams (middle school). Not

present for photo was Nancy Murphy (St Rose School).

-Bee Photo, Evans

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

Why do the 12 parent volunteers in the Newtown Arts Council work so hard to

bring cultural events into their children's schools?

Ask that question at one of their regular monthly meetings and you will likely

get as many different responses as there are members.

Kids watch too much TV.

They need to see and experience the arts, live.

Education is more than math, science, social studies or reading.

Students learn in different ways.

The arts feed our imaginations.

When you go to music, you're not just learning to sing.

Children need exposure to other cultures.

Something unique - a special connection - can happen when a performer reaches

out to his or her audience.

Students' eyes are opened to new possibilities.

Believing fervently that the arts should play a vital, continuing role in

daily curriculum, the Newtown Cultural Arts Council members are determined not

to relax in their efforts to ensure the arts are promoted in three important

ways: through all-school assemblies; through enrichment activities in the

classroom and by sponsoring artist-in-residence programs.

In addition, the 12 districtwide council members representing Sandy Hook,

Hawley, Middle Gate, Head O' Meadow and St Rose schools, as well as the middle

school, have found a special fellowship through working together.

"We actually like these meetings and we enjoy each other," said Katharine

Isles, a professional musician and flute instructor who has been a longtime

member of the council.

"You don't have to be a musician, an artist or a dancer to promote the arts,"

Mrs Isles added.

Arts Council members make every effort to attend the monthly meetings, which

Mrs Isles characterized as "low key" and which are hosted in rotation at the

different schools.

They come prepared to report on the various performances and artists they've

already featured - deciding after group discussion about what "has worked" and

what hasn't.

To help with these performance evaluations, a questionnaire is frequently

handed out afterward, asking the teachers to assess what their children might

have learned and whether the event was appropriate for the age group.

Previews

Arts Council members know that before they decide to book an arts performance

and commit precious funds, they should see it for themselves.

That often means traveling to other school districts and talking to Fairfield

County Performing Arts Council (FCPAC) members or networking with other local

councils in one of the 40 participating towns.

"We share ideas," said Head O' Meadow cultural arts co-chair Kim Weber.

"It's like a big roundtable discussion," said Mrs Weber, adding that "some

schools have more money than us. You go and drool!"

Another important way the different Newtown schools' cultural arts committee

members can help each other is by doing what Mrs Weber calls "block bookings."

In other words, they join together to bring one artist or group of performers

to several Newtown schools, often several days in succession.

The StarLab planetarium visit to three Newtown elementary schools and St Rose

School in March was one example of cooperative block booking.

Block bookings are a good way to bring down the cost. Live performers are

expensive, as Arts Council members have discovered.

For example, the "Meet the Composer" series by Dennis Kobray at the middle

school in mid-May included three performances during just one day, all by one

artist at a total cost of $1,425.

The "Freedom Train" musical theater production, also at the middle school,

cost $1,250.

Each school has its own PTA-funded arts budget and only rarely has the Newtown

Board of Education designated funds to the building principals to boost such

programs.

Some schools have obtained additional arts funding through grants from the

Connecticut Commission of the Arts, but as Mrs Isles said ruefully, "we are

mostly on our own. Funding for cultural arts is usually not a line item in the

annual Newtown schools budget."

What's Happening

Another task that council member Katharine Isles has taken upon herself is to

continually bring awareness of the arts and their role in education before

Arts Council members and Newtown school administrators alike.

Recently, Mrs Isles circulated several copies of an audio cassette tape titled

"Arts Education and Work Force Skills" around the committee and charged

members to listen to the tapes and then "make copies."

"Make your principals listen," she added.

Once their homework is done and the shows are booked, Arts Council members

might even be lucky enough to slip into the back of the auditorium and join

the audience.

Then they, too, can watch a wildlife expert display live birds of prey and

exchange stares with a great horned owl. Or listen to an author/mountaineer

retell the story of his harrowing climb to the ice-encrusted peak of Africa's

Mount Kilimanjaro, and then examine for themselves the very ropes, clamps and

spiked boots that helped him make the ascent.

Watching the performers and seeing the children's faces light up in

appreciation - that's one of the nicest things about being an Arts Council

member, they will say.

But they'll also tell you in no uncertain terms, they're not just in it for

the perks. Promoting arts in education is their primary goal - and it's worth

all the effort they can muster.