Montana Arts Education News
On October 15 and 16 the Montana Alliance for Arts Education (MAAE) will be offering professional development workshops for teachers at the MEA-MFT conference in Billings, the Montana State Reading Council's annual conference in Billings and the Custer County Art and Heritage Center in Miles City. These workshops are funded in part by the Montana Arts Council and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The workshops listed below will be offered at the annual MEA-MFT conference at Skyview High School in Billings.
Cheryl Bannes – Fun with Wire: Creating Jewelry & Small Sculpture, Thursday only 1 hour 50 minutes
Using copper and brass wire, we will make fun and fabulous jewelry. We will also create small sculptures using soft bendable fencing wire. Projects can be adapted for every grade level.
Cheryl Bannes – Montana Master: Beading for Students, Friday only 1 hour 50 minutes
Using large beads and sewing on burlap, we will create original bead designs based on traditional Native American beadwork. This lesson may be adapted to all grades levels. This workshop is based on the Montana Arts Council’s poster series, “Montana's Circle of American Masters in Visual Folk and Traditional Arts” which features the work of Montana artists.
Cheryl Bannes, BA Studio Art, MA Studio Art, K-12 art teacher certification, metals artist Cheryl is an Artist in Schools teaching artist in 25 central Montana Schools, funded by the Montana Arts Council and sponsored by VSA arts of Montana.
William Chambers – Who’d A Thunk It? Storytelling in the Classroom, Thursday & Friday 1 hour 50 minutes
Everyone loves a good story, especially your students. In this workshop, we’ll explore how to use storytelling to entertain and teach at the same time. Participants will practice techniques for improving creativity, consider how to express difficult concepts through story, and generate stories that can be used in the classroom.
William Chambers is a retired Spanish and English Teacher and storyteller with Young Audiences of Western Montana.
Leslie Fontana – Native American Map of Montana, Thursday & Friday 1 hour 50 minutes
Teachers will learn how to involve students in drawing a map of Montana, including its reservations. Using books and the internet, students will be able to research each tribe, and illustrate their map to differentiate the attributes of each tribe. The lesson is aligned to the essential understanding of Indian Ed for All and the Montana State Standards for Visual Arts.
Leslie Fontana is certified in Elementary Education and Art. She has a Masters of Interdisciplinary Studies degree from the University of Montana in 1997 and taught in the public schools for 25 years. She is currently an adjunct faculty member at UGF and Park University.
Danell Jones – The Virginia Woolf Writers’ Workshop, Thursday & Friday 1 hour 50 minutes
Based on the Virginia Woolf Writers’ Workshop: Seven Lessons to inspire Great Writing, this hands-on session will introduce participants to Woolf’s inspiring advice for writers and offer innovative exercises to spark student creativity. (Session materials include a copy of the Virginia Woolf Writers’ Workshop)
Danell Jones, Ph.D., is currently a visiting Associate Professor at Montana State University and is author of the Virginia Woolf Writers’ Workshop.
Laura McCann – Teaching Is An Art, Thursday & Friday 1 hour 50 minutes
Teaching is an art-Art Journaling-can be integrated into any subject and at any grade level. Relationships-it provides an avenue to connect with your students. Tolerance-we can learn to share and respect each other’s differences.
Laura McCann teaches at Harlem, grades 7-12 art and photography. She has 26 years of teaching experience, is a former VSA arts instructor and is a member of the Blaine County Youth Court Board.
Birdena Real Bird – Crow Doll Making & Story Telling & Culture Sharing, Thursday & Friday 1hour 50 minutes
Participants will learn some Crow words, hear personal story of presenter’s educational journey, see a demonstration of cultural clan relationships and other cultural practices; doll making and story telling and writing stories.
Birdena Real Bird has been in education for 30 years, has a BS in Elementary Education and a Masters in School Counseling. She has taught grades K-8 and teaches 8th grade career education.
Sue Tirrell – Simple Fire Clay Projects for Classroom Teachers, Thursday only 1 hour 50 minutes
Participants will create a terra cotta flower pot and garden sculpture while learning the natural origins and applications of clay. These projects work well in classrooms that are studying earth science and plants. Participants will need to arrange for firing of their finished works.
Sue Tirrell – Self Portraits in Clay: Face Jugs and Figurines, Friday only1 hour 50 minutes
Participants will make two clay projects focusing on self-expression through sculpture. Use of tools, texture and fabrication techniques will be employed along with humor, drama, and storytelling. Participants will need to arrange for firing of their finished works.
Sue Tirrell is a studio artist with 11 years of experience working in the public schools as a teaching artist. Seven of those years were spent as Education Director for the Custer County Art Center in Miles City. Sue has a BFA from Alfred University in NY.
Monte Yellow Bird – Keynote Address on Cultural Understanding, Thursday only 1 hour
Monte will discuss cultural diversity addressing the needs of Native American students in order to build an open communication of cultural differences that help all students learn and work together in learning and social environments.
Monte Yellow Bird – Ledger Art: Art of the Plains Tribes, Thursday only, two 1 hour 50 minute sessions
Monte will take you on an historic journey to the 1800’s when the buffalo were nearing extinction. Ledger art was born and the boom of Western Expansion was changing the frontier. The hands-on project can be shared in your classroom and give you a greater appreciation of yourself and others.
Monte Yellow Bird is a Montana Arts Council artist-in-residence who works in schools as a teaching artist across the country. He also has a successful career in the visual arts. Monte has vast classroom experience and has worked with children with disabilities.
William Chambers will also be presenting his workshop "Who’d A Thunk It? Storytelling in the Classroom" (see above) at the Montana State Reading Council's annual conference on October 15 and 16. The conference will be held at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center.
Kevin Layton, Education Director at the Custer County Art and Heritage Center (CCAHC), is teaching a ceramics workshop 8:30 a.m.-noon, Oct. 15, at the CCAHC. This workshop is in partnership with the Miles Community College, which is offering several workshops for eastern Montana teachers Oct. 15-16.
For more information contact Alayne Dolson, Executive Director for Montana Alliance for Arts Education, 406-549-2984.