| By soar, 527 contributed posts About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.  Why don’t we get the best out of people? Sir Ken Robinson argues that it’s because we’ve been educated to become good workers, rather than creative thinkers. Students with restless minds and bodies — far from being cultivated for their energy and curiosity — are ignored or even stigmatized, with terrible consequences. “We are educating people out of their creativity,” Robinson says. It’s a message with deep resonance. Robinson’s TEDTalk has been distributed widely around the Web since its release in June 2006. The most popular words framing blog posts on his talk? “Everyone should watch this.” Continue reading Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity By soar, 527 contributed posts About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.  From the Editor: I joined this cause because publishing many articles over the past two years has opened my eyes to how important the arts are in conjunction with a well-rounded education. Children whose early education includes the arts experience greater development in their brains, are better at creative problem solving and any kind of collaborative effort, are more likely to attend classes regularly, get better grades, are more likely to complete higher education, are more likely to be hired when they enter the workforce and are more creative, innovative and proficient in whichever field they choose to pursue. Despite budgetary constraints, I firmly believe that stripping arts education from the curriculum in public schools is a huge step backward for our children and the future of our country. I hope you’ll join us! Cause: Keep the Arts in Public Schools 1,231,917 MEMBERS (Follow the link to read Continue reading Help Keep the Arts in Public Schools | Keep the Arts in Public Schools | causes.com By soar, 527 contributed posts About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.  The Japanese Association of Southern Oregon is looking for Artists to donate their work to our JAPAN NIGHT silent auction. All proceeds will go directly to fund children in Fukushima, Japan, who are still affected by radiation poisoning. We invite all interested people to attend JAPAN NIGHT for an evening of Japanese Cuisine and Culture on Sunday March 11, 2012. Continue reading Call to Artists: Donations to JAPAN NIGHT Auction to Benefit Fukushima Children By soar, 527 contributed posts About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.  Illahe Studios & Gallery with Gallery DeForest invite you to an evening of Poetry in the Neighborhood, Thursday, February 16th at 7:00 pm. Please read on for more information about the poets! Dave Harvey, Morgan Hunt and Ashland High School Voices of the Young: Maureen Page, Paige Whitaker and Christina Chow. Continue reading Poetry in the Neighborhood at Illahe Studios and Gallery By soar, 527 contributed posts About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.  Last year I spoke with Tami Lohman, art teacher to the elementary students at St Mary’s School, about a show of her student’s work at the GoodBean. When it came down to the final preparations, she had to step aside as her kids got the gig to create dragons for this year’s parade, and Betsy Moore, who teaches the kids in grades 8-12, got the space for her St Mary’s High School art students instead. Naturally I was thrilled to see beautiful hearts galore from Betsy’s students come in to hang on the walls, and was really looking forward to seeing the dragons created and performed by Tami’s younger kids. Continue reading Dragons and Art for Chinese New Year 2012 in Jacksonville By soar, 527 contributed posts About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.  I spoke with Mary on the phone this morning. She was beside herself, delighted with the new show of art by Betsy Moore’s students at St. Mary’s School (grades 8-12), saying “We’re immersed in Love!” Continue reading “Immersed In Love” at the GoodBean Cafe By soar, 527 contributed posts About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world.  The Great Metal Works Metal Art by Cheryl D. Garcia February 2nd, 2012 Celebrating Chinese New Year in Jacksonville The Chinese New Year has arrived! Come celebrate the ‘Year of the Dragon’ with us in Jacksonville Saturday, February 4th starting with the parade at 10:30 AM. Cheryl will be displaying her latest creation, the five foot long metal dragon (above) at the corner of Third and East California Streets in honor of the deep Chinese cultural ties in Southern Oregon. Cheryl created this dragon as part of an art trade with fellow Jacksonville artist Katharine Gracey, you can help name him by participating in our online poll. We hope you can join us for the festivities, there will be diverse demonstrations of art, cooking and dance throughout town after the Lion and Dragon Dance Parade beginning at 10:30. Be sure to stop by and say hello to us and see the Continue reading Latest Updates from Cheryl D. Garcia By soar, 527 contributed posts About the author: SOAR: The Southern Oregon Artist's Resource is a directory of Southern Oregon artists, artisans and those who serve them and calendar of their art events, and Art Matters!, our blog posting Southern Oregon art events and matters of interest to artists and patrons of the arts near and far. SOAR was created and is maintained by art advocate and web designer Hannah West in Jacksonville, Oregon to promote our diverse and talented arts community to our visitors and the rest of the world. Join arts and culture advocates from all walks of life and every region of the state, for the CAC’s Advocacy Day in Salem on Tuesday, February 21, 2012. The Cultural Advocacy Coalition will give you an insider’s look at the work of the 2012 Session and connect advocates with key legislators. Don’t miss this chance to show your support for arts, culture and heritage—Join us! Continue reading Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon Announces 2012 Advocacy Day By Rogue Gallery & Art Center, 85 contributed posts About the author: The Rogue Gallery & Art Center is the Rogue Valley’s premier non-profit community art center, founded in 1960 to promote and support the arts in the Rogue Valley. The Gallery offers local artists an opportunity to display their work, and because of its non-profit status can display a wide range of artistic styles and mediums not seen in commercial galleries. Aspiring artists, both children and adults, take classes from local artists and are exposed to a wide variety of artistic mediums. Our mission is to promote and provide for the study, development, exhibition, and appreciation of art. Our vision: Ignite the Mind, Stir the Soul, Open the Heart…Boldly Create! Learn more with web links and contact info in RGAC's listing at SOAR.  The Rogue Gallery & Art Center is offering monthly Afterschool Art Studio I and Afterschool Art Studio II this Winter! Register online: www.roguegallery.org STUDIO 1: For children in grades 1 – 6: Wednesdays 2 to 5PM (Corresponds with Medford School District’s early-release Wednesdays) Paint, draw, sculpt, print, explore, create, and be inspired by introductory art lessons in our spacious & fully-equipped art studio! February 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 $72 members/ $85 non-members March 7, 14, 21 $46 members/ $55 non-members April 4, 11, 18, 25 $59 members/ $70 non-members May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 $72 members/ $85 non-members STUDIO 2 (intensive): For youths in grades 4 – 9: Tuesdays 4:30 to 6PM Draw and paint from life and the imagination Continue reading Afterschool Art Studios I and II offered for youth in 1st – 9th grades! | DISCLOSURE: SOAR/Art Matters! has affiliate relationships with the providers of great products and services below. Purchases made through our links give us a small commission. This helps to defray the cost of promoting Southern Oregon Artists through our sites, so please use our links!  NOW - Monday 2/20 - Save 40% Off Your Highest Priced Item AND Get FREE Shipping with Coupon code VDAY40! Utrecht's Special Discounts have been updated for 2012 though the graphics remain the same. Use the link above to save 40% off your highest priced item (Use coupon code AP1), the one below to get 15% off any order of $100 or more AND Free Shipping! (Use coupon code AP3)    Ashland artist Pegi Smith sells her art on Yessy.com - View her Yessy gallery here Make a beautiful art book yourself with Blurb's online service. Artists Danna Tartaglia and Olivia Schemanski both self-published books featuring their art using Blurb.  ImageKind, a Cafepress company, now has an artist shop site you can join for free to sell your art online. Join the Imagekind community and start selling your art today CafePress lets you design a huge variety of products with your own art and sell them for a profit! A great way to gain more exposure for your work and make a few extra bucks. Janet London of London Hummingbird Arts and Hannah West, the founder of SOAR and Art Matters!, use CafePress to sell products with their own designs.  |