Art in the Community
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- Category: Programs
- Published on Thursday, 15 May 2008 06:34
- Written by WAN Team
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Art in the Community
This program is designed to provide art workshops to inner-city schools and community centers that lack the resources to have high quality and varied art programs integrated in their regular curriculum. The opportunity to receive arts education is central to the development and preservation of uniquely diverse cultures around the world, and there is no better place to start than home.
Case Statement
Even though the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act listed the arts as one of the "core academic subjects" of public education, its implementation together with the economic challenges and an ever-growing list of state mandates cramming the curriculum, has resulted in a narrowing of the art programs and arts education has struggled to remain in many schools across the country, with budgets significantly reduced, very few hours of instruction provided, and a limited exposure to mediums and art forms.
Involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill and a decrease in drop-out rates. Unlike math and reading, when children create art they are always successful because there is no right or wrong in art. This gives students a sense of achievement and success, raising their academic self-confidence.
Art teaches children and young adults to build social and problem-solving skills, and helps them recognize and express their emotions. It focuses on transforming internal thoughts into external images, words or sounds creating a superior way for children and teenagers alike to learn to communicate effectively.
Our Solution
Education policies recognize the value of the arts almost universally. Keeping in mind the challenges listed above, our initiative is based on new findings in brain research and cognitive development, and embraces the approach of integrating the arts with other core subjects to encourage interdisciplinary learning and stimulate students' enthusiasm for the learning process as a whole. We work with volunteer artists from all art disciplines to create an environment rich in arts and culture.
This is a short list of some of the resources we have used in our development of this program, and we welcome you to read them and inform yourself on some of the science behind arts education:
Music Training Changes Brain Networks - Research by Ellen Winner, professor of psychology at Boston College; Gottfried Schlaug, professor of neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School; Michael Posner, professor emeritus at the University of Oregon; and Elizabeth Spelke, professor of psychology at Harvard University.
Linking Brain Research to Art - A brief narrative description of the journal article, document, or resource. Reviews recent brain research in education. Provides five implications for teaching in art: (1) use emotion; (2) use different sense; (3) promote student self-direction; (4) enable social learning; and (5) encourage pattern finding. Describes two sample art units demonstrating how the five implications and art instruction can be integrated. (CMK)
The Arts Will Help School Accountability - Comments by Mariale Hardiman, Assistant Dean, Urban School Partnerships, and Chair of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies in Education at the John Hopkins University School of Education.
Learning, Arts, and the Brain - A conversation with Michael S. Gazzaniga, director of the University of California, Santa Barbara’s SAGE Center for the Study of the Mind and its Summer Institute in Cognitive Neuroscience.
A Portrait of the Visual Arts; Meeting the Challenges of a New Era - A report by the Rand Corporation that examines the state of the arts in America.
By working with volunteers who donate a few hours of their time, our program also helps to get people involved and change the way in which community members, teachers and families see the potential of youth. Working inside schools and community centers, our workshops give children a safe place to learn, grow and explore in an environment where children are treated with care, respect and understanding. Workshops use the mediums of painting, drawing, montage, sculpture, dance, singing/rap, theater, music, reading, writing, gardening and any other practices that allow for creation and self-expression.
We rely on the donation of art supplies for these programs, since we serve low-income areas where schools and centers do not have the capacity to provide art programs or supplies.
Click here to fill out our application form and become a volunteer today!
Artist Outreach
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- Category: Programs
- Published on Thursday, 15 May 2008 06:34
- Written by WAN Team
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Artists Outreach
We understand that the process of submitting art to galleries can at times be discouraging and taxing. At the World Artist Network we designed a program to help artists become more intimate with the art world. Our Artist Outreach program is about helping both emerging and established artists find venues to expose their work.
For artists beginning their professional careers, we work to assist them in writing, editing or polishing their artist’s statement and showing them how to best prepare and present their portfolio. We then create composite cards with a sample of their pieces and their statement and bring these cards with us to our networking meetings with various galleries to show the work of our talented artists and provide them with exposure opportunities.
If the gallery directors/curators become interested in showing an artist’s works, we act as a liaison to help both parties reach a mutually beneficial agreement.
Please note that as a non-profit the World Artist Network does not participate of the monetary aspect of the transaction. Usually galleries present artists with contracts that are fairly standard for the industry and we may assist both sides in reviewing contracts, and direct them to qualified legal advisers if necessary. WAN does not take a percentage from either the gallery or the artist.
We also assist writers, artisans, and artists from all mediums through our large network of art fairs, publishers and communities encouraged by our mission.
The art world needs fresh artists, innovative ideas and the creativity that fuels the world. Our program is here to support and encourage the exposure of many talented artists from around the world that are looking to share their message.
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Low tide at Cocktail hour Monotype Tom Bennett, USA |
LEARN, SHARE, CREATE, INSPIRE |
Little Firefly Acrylic and ink on canvas Braidy Hughes, Australia |
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Pythagoras and the Golden Mean Oil on wood Jeff Roland, France |
Spirals Acrylic with sand on paper Irina Stoyanova, Bulgaria |
Watercolor on paper Prity Poddar, India |
Please download the following documents and mail the agreement to us so that we can show your work to galleries:
Murals
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- Category: Programs
- Published on Thursday, 15 May 2008 06:34
- Written by WAN Team
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Economic Development - Murals Project
The World Artist Network is currently working with the City of Bridgeport, CT to create murals in low-income neighborhoods that are actively involved in moving away from a post industrial appearance towards a friendlier environment.
This program aims to build bridges across the community and its talented artists, and through the experience of mural-making, create art that strengthens their bonds while transforming lives and public spaces.
Each neighborhood has its own challenges to overcome, and its own stories to tell. Providing our communities with a channel to express both their troubles and hopes helps them heal, overcome, and change the minds of those who judge without being actively involved in making change happen.
Our Murals Art Program is a collaborative effort, and everything we do is by and for the community. Art is an engine of economic transformation. It drives tourism, improves the conditions of shared spaces so that businesses can thrive and it has a unique intellectual and creative value.
We open the doors to artists, students and neighbors to work together. Students are presented with art education and youth development experiences through mural making, being mentored by our participating artists and giving the rest of the community an opportunity to understand the value and talent of our youth.
These projects further our mission and purpose by bringing awareness of the arts and promoting the artistic development of the communities we become involved with, as well as providing artists with a venue to promote their work and expand their opportunities of earning compensation for their professional expertise.
Open Calls
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- Category: Programs
- Published on Thursday, 15 May 2008 06:34
- Written by WAN Team
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Open Calls
Through this program we offer both our artists and partnering galleries another opportunity to connect. Many galleries prefer to organize their exhibits through juried shows and open calls.
In today's world being able to connect and reach out to people from all over the world is an essential part of growing your art organization (be it a gallery, museum, or community art center) and we can help. Having one of the largest established social art networks, we can market art events posted in our calendar through our Facebook and Twitter feeds, which give you the opportunity to reach larger audiences.
If you are looking for ideas for your next exhibition, having a large availability of portfolios and artists from over 120 countries, we can assist you in finding the right artworks to fit your ideas, space and clientele, promote your events, and help you take care of any paperwork if you decide to work with some of our artists. We do not charge any fees to either party, our aim is to act as a bridge and be able to bring you the elements you need for a successful event, while helping our artists gain exposure for their works.
You can e-mails us your open calls/events or ideas, and we can help you get started. You are also invited to join our website and post open calls directly to our open calls calendar. Joining the site gives you the benefit of having access to contacting our hundreds of artists directly as well as managing the open call events you have posted, directly from your profile. And it only takes a few minutes to setup.
How Can You Get Involved?
If you are an artist and would like to participate of our Outreach Program, contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
If you are interested in donating time or art supplies; or you are a gallery owner, curator, collector or art appreciator and would like to know more about our programs, please contact us at (862) 371-6392 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.