Meet the ARTwalk Curator!

2015 ARTwalk curator Britta Jepsen is getting ready for your art! 

While she’s busy preparing for the annual event that is part of the Flint Hills International Children’s festival (taking place May 2015) check out some of Britta’s favorite things below:

Britta graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in May 2014.

When she wasn’t playing ultimate Frisbee or floating in a tube down the Chippewa River, she studied art and German.

Britta absolutely loves painting!  

Her favorite things to paint are trees, people, and travel memories.

She spent a semester in Germany, studying the language and culture, and visiting art museums and galleries in the towns she visited.

Hiking, biking, kayaking and running—if the activity is  outside, Britta will be there to join in on the fun!

Ice cream is one of her favorite foods; she would probably eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if she could.

Now that you know a little bit about the curator, be sure to check out the ARTwalk webpage at www.ordway.org/festivals/artwalk, so that you, or someone you know, can submit some beautiful artwork to display in downtown St. Paul!

Contact Britta for more info at bjepsen@ordway.org, or by calling 651-282-3018

Roaring 20s: The Basics of Charleston and Single Swing

Nice Work If You Can Get It will be at the Ordway theater October 14 through October 19. To kick it off on opening night, the Ordway will be hosting a master dance class about the basics of the Charleston and Single Swing. 

Participants will be swing in' back to the 20's where we will enjoy some basic single swing and throw in some Charleston flare, with Instructor Bryant Ortega from Arthur Murray Dance Center -- Saint Paul. Details are as follows:

Tuesday, October 14
6:00-7:00pm, Ages 14+
$10 per person, or $5 per person for Nice Work If You Can Get It ticket holders
Ordway Center, Drake Room 
345 Washington Street, Saint Paul

• Singles welcome
• No experience necessary

Registration is now open. Call 651-224-4222 to secure your spot!
Learn more about Arthur Murray Dance Center.

Call for Art - Raíces y Sueños: the Artistry of Cuba Art Exhibition

Call for Art - Raíces y Sueños: the Artistry of Cuba Art Exhibition

Deadline: Monday, September 22, 2014 by 12PM

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts seeks submissions for a curated art exhibition that reflects Cuban identity and the performances in the Raíces y Sueños: the Artistry of Cuba series.

Exhibit Dates:  October 2-22, 2014  

Location: Ordway Center for the Performing Arts Lobbies, 345 Washington Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102

Eligibility: Open to any artist producing original works of art in any media (including but not limited to traditional drawing, glass, printmaking, digital/new media, photography, sculpture, painting, textiles, etc.)

For more information, download the Raíces y Sueños: the Artistry of Cuba Art Exhibition Call for Art application instructions: http://www.ordway.org/education/community/ or email: artexhibit@ordway.org.

National Arts in Education Week is September 14–20

Recognizing the important positive effects of arts learning in students’ lives, in July of 2010 the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Resolution #275 designating the second full week of September as National Arts in Education Week and establishing the arts as a core academic subject essential to a complete and balanced education.

Take the time during National Arts in Education Week (September 14–20) to learn about the research regarding arts in education and discover what your state, district, and school are doing to support access and participation in arts learning. The Arts Education Partnership (AEP) offers ArtsEdSearch, a searchable database of arts education research, and ArtScan, a searchable clearinghouse of state policies on the arts in education.

Click here for more information about National Arts in Education Week.

Important Resources

• Preparing Students for the Next America (2013)
• What School Leaders Can do to Increase Arts Education (2011)
• New Opportunities for Interest-Driven Arts Learning in a Digital Age, The Wallace Foundation (2013)
• The President’s Committee for the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH)
• Arts Access in U.S. Schools (2009-10 FRSS)

Welcome Ian A. Cook, Education Intern!

Ian A. Cook

Ian A. Cook is the newest intern working in the education department at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. In addition to working with the Ordway, Ian is the Financial and Program Assistant at the Northfield Youth Choirs. He is also an active musician in the Twin Cities; Ian is an award-winning composer of new music, and he plays the trombone and sings tenor in the Academy of Voices and the National Lutheran Choir. Ian graduated from St. Olaf College in 2012 with a degree in Music Theory and Composition, Instrumental Music Education, and Educational Studies. Ian is excited to combine his experience with arts education and arts administration in his work with the Ordway.