 |  February 21, 2012 By Rebecca Gross The full cast of The Laramie Project. Directed by Kirsten Brandt, set design by Dennis Jones, and lighting design Joanna Hobbs. Photo courtesy of Sierra Repertory Theatre, Rich Miller Photography In many ways, the Sierra Repertory Theatre boasts that type of dream big, work hard, all-American story that we [...]  “By boosting specific funding for [National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)] programmatic grants by $6.75 million,” Arts Action Fund President & CEO Robert Lynch was quoted in the L.A. Times stating, “The White House is sending a clear message that it understands the importance of the creative sector to our communities and the economy.” Continue reading Update from the Americans for the Arts Action Fund  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.”  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 I judged a poetry slam this weekend—Louder Than A Bomb–Tulsa! It’s amazing to hear young people sharing about their lives and ideas through poetry. This was the second year for the event. The excitement and enthusiasm expressed by these students was palpable: Listening to their poetry really made me start thinking anew about just how [...] Continue reading Poetry and Promise: Education Reform & the Arts  February 17, 2012 By Rebecca Gross Vintage Postcard Washington’s Birthday, H.B. Griggs. Image courtesy of flickr user riptheskull Did you know that the White House is considered a living museum? Roughly 50,000 objects are part of the permanent collection, which includes everything from paintings and sculpture to silverware and furnishings. Did you know that the [...]  February 16, 2012 By Josephine Reed Poet/author Rita Dove with President Barack Obama at the National Medal of the Arts ceremony on February 13, 2012. Photo by Anthony Brown, Imigination Photography This week’s podcast puts the spotlight on 2011 National Medal of Arts recipient Rita Dove. Dove has had a remarkable career as a poet, [...]  Where we live is important to each of us. It is a key part of our identity. It’s a source of pride, even if our hometown is the punch line to a joke. Is it really the good schools, parks, and access to shopping centers that make us live where we live? Many people find [...] Continue reading When Working Together is as Important as the Work (from The pARTnership Movement) While state legislative sessions are just getting underway in the new year, perpetual campaigning for the election is no doubt leaving everyone already feeling cranky and cynical (or is that just me?). But take heart, advocates! Despite the cornucopia of GOP candidate positions on public arts funding—ranging anywhere from mild tolerance to total abhorrence-President Obama [...] Continue reading State Arts Funding: Good News! There Isn’t That Much Bad News  February 15, 2012 by Rocco Landesman Thanks to some camera work by my wife Debby, I was able to get a photo with Mel Tillis, one of my musical heroes! Photo by Debby Landesman Earlier this week we honored the eight recipients of the 2011 National Medal of the Arts (and the nine National Humanities [...] Continue reading Postcard from the National Medal of Arts Ceremony |       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. 
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