Today is National Arts Advocacy Day !

Learn How You Can Participate Locally!

Hundreds of dedicated arts supporters from across the country have come together in Washington, DC for National Arts Advocacy Day, a united effort to tell Capitol Hill how important culture is to our communities, how much arts education means to our children, and how much the arts improve our daily lives. 84 National Co-Sponsors have helped us shape this united arts message to Congress. The 24th annual Arts Advocacy Day is organized by Americans for the Arts and is presented this year in partnership with Ovation, the only television network devoted to arts and culture.

Even though you may not be able to travel to Washington D.C. today to participate, Americans for the arts has sent up an E-Advocacy Center, where you’ll be able to send a message in less than two minutes directly to your Representative and Senators telling them why the arts are important to you  and your community.

 

 

We urge you to send your message to Congress today to coincide with our office visits to the Hill.

Click here to take action and send your message! 

BeijingDance/LDTX Ordway Extra at the Downtown Saint Paul Public Library

The Ordway is partnering with the downtown Saint Paul Public Library to present The BeijingDance/LDTX Ordway Extra this Sunday at 2pm. This Ordway Extra will feature assistant Chinese professor at Macalester Frederick Green, as well as dancer and teaching artist Karla Nweje.

Professor Frederick Green will speak about the politics of dance in modern China, and Karla Nweje will discuss and give a demonstration on modern dance. It will be a great introduction to the BeijingDance/LDTX performances taking place at the Ordway in early April.

The event is free and open to the public.

BeijingDance/LDTX Ordway Extra

March 27, 2:00pm

Downtown Saint Paul Public Library: 90 4th Street West, Saint Paul

You're Invited to TU Dance Open Rehearsals

TU Dance and the Ordway invite you to the following Open Rehearsals to observe the company as they prepare for a performance on May 6th at the Ordway, which includes the World Premiere of With Love.

Featuring the music of Donny Hathaway, choreographer Uri Sands uses the inspiration of paintings by African American artist Ernie Barnes to set the tone of With Love.

Admission is FREE, but space is limited. Please RSVP to Amy Miller at amiller@ordway.org or 651.282.3017 to reserve your space.

1st Open Rehearsal

March 30, 5:30 - 6:30pm

TU Dance Center: 2121 University Ave West, St. Paul

2nd Open Rehearsal

April 13, 5:30 - 6:30pm

TU Dance Center: 2121 University Ave West, St. Paul

3rd Open Rehearsal

April 27, 5:30 - 6:30pm

Ordway Drake Room: 345 Washington Street, St. Paul

Limited off-street parking at TU Dance Center is available; street parking surrounding the building is also available.

Supported by the Joyce Foundation with a Joyce Award.

TU Dance warms up K-12 classrooms!

In the fall of 2010, TU Dance and the Ordway received funding from The Joyce Foundation to support the commission of a new dance work, With Love, choreographed by one of TU Dance Company's artistic directors, Uri Sands. Set to premiere at the Ordway on May 6, With Love will feature the music of Donny Hathaway and is inspired by paintings by African American artist Ernie Barnes.

In addition to this commission, The Joyce Foundation grant also provides support for TU Dance and the Ordway to embed the company's aesthetic and vision in the community through a series of open rehearsals, master classes, and school residencies.

During the week of March 7 -11, several members of TU Dance held classes at Southwest High School, Saint Paul Conservatory for the Performing Arts, FAIR School Crystal, and Battle Creek Middle School. The company members instructed students on the proper way to warm-up and introduced dance techniques that included modern and African-based movement, all from the company's dance vocabulary. The residencies were a great sampling as to what TU Dance plans to offer dance students with this summer's opening of the TU Dance Center.







Debra McGee of TU Dance leads a warm-up with students from Kristy Pierce's class at Battle Creek Middle School.

Students at Battle Creek Middle School practice their new moves!

The ARTwalk: Linking Literacy and the Arts

A dedicated art teacher from Michelle and Barack Obama Service Learning Elementary has found a way to establish a connection between literacy and the arts by utilizing the Flint Hills International Children's Festival's annual ARTwalk.

Click here to read the entire article by Angie Miles at HappyReading.org

Ordway Education Festival Ticket Giveaway!

Ordway Education will be giving away a classroom set of thirty-five tickets for the Corbian the Dinosuar performance during the Flint Hills International Children's festival May 31-June 3!  The performance is recommenced for grades k-8!

To enter fill out the form below and tell us:

*Please note if you are viewing this in your e-mail account you must click here to go to the blog and fill out the form online.

• What do you feel the value of Ordway's programming is to your students?
• Do you have a favorite festival memory or moment? If so can you share it? 
• What types of articles, resources, discussions, and opportunities you would like to see on the Ordway Education News blog!

A winner will be drawn at random from entries and notified by April 1, 2011.

ARTwalk Deadline Extended to March 13, 2011 and check out the NEW ARTwalk Process Revealed Video with Curator Mike Mason!

Ever wonder what happens to your art after you submit it to the ARTwalk. Join ARTwalk curator Mike Mason as he shows us how a a piece of work goes from delivery to display in the new ARtwalk Process Revealed video!

Do you still have work that you would like to submit to the ARTwalk?
We are extending our submission deadline to Sunday, March 13th!

To learn more about the ARTwalk download a submission form by clicking on here.