TAB Camp Northeast 2024

When: August 5 – 8, 2024
Where: Curtis Farm, Westminster MA (very close to Rt. 2)
Cost: $120.00 (VENMO @Anne-Banning) last four digits of phone 8050
What to bring: art materials of choice, optional pop-up art station or center, tent (optional), bedding, mosquito repellent, food to share, BYOB.  *Food and art supply sign-up in July
Registration is open to 20 participants. RSVP Here. RSVPs are required. 

Beautiful property includes electricity, running water, firepit, large indoor barn space for meeting and creating, refrigerator, 2 bathrooms AND a shower!, walking/hiking trails, wifi, RVs allowed

Experience the discussions, connections, camaraderie, and personal growth as a TAB / TAB-Curious practitioner through this unique UNConference-style professional development that includes rustic camping! Campfire, potlucks, art making, and large and small individual discussions will feed your TAB soul.

Sleeping Options:  Bring a tent to set up on the property OR stay at a local hotel and join us during the day/night activities (same registration fee for property rental) (barn is available for only tenters to use for sleeping IF there is a huge rainstorm)
*RV/Campers are welcome! No “hookups”, but you could use your RV as your “sleeping place”.

ROUGH SCHEDULE:
Monday, August 5:
AFTERNOON/EVENING – arrival, set up of tents, set up of art studio and community dinner at local restaurant. (*bonfire, weather permitting)

Tuesday, August 6:
MORNING – Light breakfast & coffee provided by participants. Discuss what the day will look like and create  UNConference agenda.
AFTERNOON: TAB Camp UNConference – Multiple sessions designed by attendees. Lunch and dinner will be food brought by attendees.
EVENING: The Night Studio. Communal art space for creating!
*If weather permits: bonfire! Discuss tomorrow’s activities

Wednesday, August 7 Options:
Day 2 of unconference style sessions; trip to local pond beach; hiking’ trip up Wachusett Mountain for picnic; all day studio/creating; or a trip to local art museum, Fitchburg Art Museum.

Thursday, August 8:  breakfast; closing session; take down tents; and pack up.

Image Courtesy the MFA, Boston

Upcoming MFA In-Person Workshops

Save the dates for two more in-person workshops at the MFA

Muslim Empires in the Age of Steam and Print

Saturday, March 2 – In partnership with Primary Source, join the MFA to explore the histories, legacies, and artistic contributions of global Muslim communities in the age of empire, steam, and print using a range of objects in the Museum’s collection. Recommended for teachers of high school students. $150 fee, and PDPs are available through Primary Source. Special pricing for public schools in Boston and Lawrence. Register and more information here

Approaches to Multimodal Engagement with Contemporary Art: Fashion and Jewelry

Thursday, May 2 – Join the MFA in person in the exhibition “Dress Up” for Approaches to Multimodal Engagement with Modern and Contemporary Art: Fashion and Jewelry. Free! Register and more information here.

All workshops are open to teachers of all grades and subjects and are free unless otherwise noted.  

Video Playlist for Educators
Screenshot of Zoom presentation depicting Mural Project mural, with inset of artist Rob Gibbs

Catch up on the MFA’s free content for educators on our MFA Educator Workshops playlist on YouTube. Find recordings of artist talks, workshops, and panel discussions relevant to your classroom.

**If you didn’t receive the MFA’s email for teachers and would like to you can sign up here.  Select K-12. This enews for teachers is typically sent out about 7 times a year. 

 

Later Winter/Early Spring Professional Development

MAEA is happy to share we are offering a number of different professional development offerings coming up the rest of this school year. We are offering Sheltered English Instruction (SEI) for Arts Educators February 20 – 22 online from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. each day. More information and the link the register can be found here. 

 

We are also offering monthly Hands-On Art Making sessions online. The February and March offerings have been scheduled already and will focus on stamp carving in February and working with t-shirt yarn in March. Each month the same session is scheduled for Thursday and Saturday to make it accessible for the most art educators. More information and the link to register can be found here. 

Check out our Digital Art and Media Sampler offering from March – May.  More information, including all the class dates and the link to register can be found here. 

 Check out our Art for All! which covers relevant topics for teaching special populations. More information, including all the class dates and the link to register can be found here. 

MAEA Recognitions Exhibit Logo

MAEA Recognitions Virtual Exhibit for 2024

The MAEA Recognitions Virtual Exhibit is accepting submissions now through January 24, 2024. This juried exhibit is open to students in grades 9-12. Teachers submitting work must be MAEA members. Check out the exhibit deadline and schedule below and visit the Recognitions Exhibit page for everything you need to know.

Recognitions Submissions Schedule for 2024:

  1. Eligibility for submission: Artwork that has not previously been submitted to MAEA Recognitions.
  2. Artwork accompanied by an artist statement, submitted digitally via ArtCall Open: December 5, 2023 through January 24, 2024
  3. Jurying process: January 26 – February 10, 2024.
  4. Notifications of acceptance by February 14, 2024.
  5. Online exhibit posted to MAEA website by March 18, 2024.  

Questions: student_recognition@massarted.com

Inclusion and Anti-Racism Consultant for MFA Learning Programs

Join a small team of K-12 educators who serve as MFA Art Finders Consultants for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s Learning Programs. Support the centering of students and the use of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access frameworks by (1) advising on the creation of MFA Art Finders digital resources and (2) facilitating on-going trainings connected to inclusion, anti-racism, and anti-bias for volunteer tour guides of school and college groups. 3-5 hours per week, primarily remote, $60 – $100/hour.

Applicants are welcome from all grade levels, disciplines, and roles. As we amplify our efforts toward becoming a truly inclusive institution, ensuring that diversity, equity, and access are lived values, the MFA actively encourages educators from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds in museums to apply.

For additional details about the role, watch the recorded information session with the existing team of MFA Art Finders Consultants and view the information session slides.

Applications due Monday, November 21, 5 pm. Learn more and apply

2024 Youth Art Month Flag Contest – Check out this opportunity

YOUTH ART MONTH FLAG CONTEST:

This year’s this theme for YAM and the Flag Contest this year is “DREAM IN ART”

  • The flag contest is open to all students in grades K-12.
  • Each teacher may submit up to 20 student entries.
  • Grand Prize of $200 art supply gift card for winning student. PLUS $100 art supply gift card for your classroom. And to top it off, the grand prize work will be displayed at NAEA’s national convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota!
  • In addition, $100 art supply gift cards will be awarded to one student winner in grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. PLUS an additional $100 art supply gift card for the winning students’ classrooms.
  • Digital entries will be accepted December 4, 2023 – January 12, 2024.
  • Click here for the Youth Art Month Flag Contest Submission Form.
    Please note you must be signed into a Google Account to access this form due to the file upload settings. If you have trouble submitting the form at school please try at home. Your school/districts internet settings may see this form as an issue. If you try it at home and you still have trouble submitting this form, please reach out to youthartmonth@massarted.com for assistance.

Read more about the submission requirements here. 

Are you seeking to connect with others like you in your new arts teaching career?

Then great news! You can now join a community of peers and receive support in this FREE opportunity!

Through a contract from the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Arts|Learning is connecting up to 80 arts teachers across Massachusetts who identify as novice-level in their careers with ten experienced arts-education mentors for this professional development opportunity. Eligible educators include: Music, theatre, dance, visual arts, media arts educators; Other subject-area educators who teach at least one arts-based course (e.g. ELA teacher with a theatre class).

New arts educators from across Massachusetts will have the opportunity to advance their skills in curriculum and instruction and receive support for the specific challenges visual and performing arts teachers face. This is a DESE-approved, free induction and mentoring program, and fulfills 25 hours of new teacher induction and mentoring program requirements as found in DESE’s 2015 Guidelines for Induction and Mentoring Programs

Call For Mentees

Enroll now!
Please fill out the Mentee Registration Form.
For additional information, Please click here.

Arts|Learning invites all arts educators who identify as novice-level in their careers to join a free community of peers and mentors to support high-quality arts programming and strengthen their impact through reflective practice. Learn more here.

Seeking Art Teacher Facilitators for Hands-on Artmaking Workshops

The MAEA Professional Development Committee is currently seeking art teacher facilitators to lead online hands-on artmaking workshops for Spring 2024 (January – June). These 2-hour workshops are offered once to twice a month, typically one weeknight and one Saturday of the same workshop. Facilitators receive an honorarium of $60 per workshop. See the example list of topics from last spring below.

Spring 2023 Hands-On Workshop Topics:

  • Unbound Bookmaking
  • Sculpting with Model Magic
  • Dimensional Needle Felting
  • GelliArts Workshop: Explore Mono-printing with a Gelatin Plate
  • Whimsical Animal Weaving
  • Art Journals & Urban Sketching

If you are interested please email our PD Committee Chair, Margaurita Spear, at pd@massarted.com. Remember, we are only as amazing as our members and we rely on your support to offer these programs.

2019 Art Educators of the Year

Join the Awards Committee!

Our interim Awards Committee Chair, Melissa Mastrolia is looking to meet later this month and in November to discuss plans for the 2024 MAEA awards ceremony.

If you are interested in joining this committee, please complete this Doodle Poll to note your availability by October 12, 2023.  You an also email her directly at awards@massarted.com with any questions or comments.

Details about the 2024 award winners will be shared out very soon! Our apologies for the delay.

Looking for other ways to support the work of MAEA. Learn more here.

Dream in Art – 2024 YAM Flag Contest Announced – Join the Excitement

Each year your association hosts a statewide flag contest open to all student artists in Massachusetts.  Every visual arts educator in the state is invited to submit no more than ten flags for the contest. “Flags” are essentially posters created on paper and don’t require any special equipment or supplies. The statewide winning composition IS printed on a fabric flag by the MAEA Youth Art Month committee.

There are four categories (k-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) with generous prizes for winning artists AND their teachers in each category.  Plus the Grand Prize winning flag is sent to represent Massachusetts at the National NAEA convention! What an honor for a young artist to have their work displayed in a national capacity to represent their state!

I know the idea of adding “one more thing” to an art teacher’s already packed schedule and curriculum can feel impossible, but I have some tips and tricks to make participating quite doable and well worthwhile. 

First, I decided to make participation in the contest a requirement for one grade level only. Students in all grades were encouraged to participate as time allowed, or they could create a flag at home if they didn’t have enough class time.  

I found the flag contest the perfect jumping off point to teach about the work of graphic designers. In our highly visual environment, it is essential young people learn to recognize the influence of graphic media on the feelings they elicit and the choices we make.

We worked as a class to examine a variety of print and digital media paying attention to the font, images, colors and even symbols. It was exciting to see the light bulbs come on as young artists began to recognize some of the subtle messaging presented. This was followed by having small groups work together to identify an example of graphic design and share ideas about the target audience, the intended message, and how that was communicated with images and text.

The following class period I introduced the flag contest and the criteria for entry. With a quick Google search, we looked at several previous winning flags.  Students were asked to look at the flag and see if they could deduce what the theme or message was the year the flag was created. 

Finally it was time to start brainstorming ways one might represent the theme from last year’s contest- Art Connects Us.  I was impressed with the ideas students shared including, puzzle pieces, bridges, plant roots, gears, hands, etc. We also included a google search for reference visuals of symbols and images showing connection. Students then went on to generate several ideas and select one to develop further into a draft on the flag size “rough draft” paper.  When artists were satisfied with their idea and had checked spelling, they moved on to Final Flag paper. I used 90# drawing paper.

I chose to leave the media options open to anything that particular grade level had experience working with. This was a great option for my students as they didn’t require much support around the technical skills of using media and student motivation was increased with the media choices available.

Being able to submit the flags digitally was another bonus. No trip to the post office for me! And I was able to use the physical flags around the school to promote our program and the importance of Visual Arts education.  

I hope this article is helpful and that you too will participate in the 2024 Youth Art Month Flag Contest- Dream in Art. For planning purposes, digital entries will be accepted now through January 12, 2024 via this link.

Amy Hussey, K-5 Visual Arts Teacher, Reading, MA
MAEA Youth Art Month Co-chair