Teaching Artists needed for Chautauqua County Schools

This Fall, I'm excited to be included as a potential Teaching Artist in Residence with the Arts Council for Chautauqua County's "Arts in Education". This manual lists local artists that are available for teaching residences within daytime school opportunities and after school care programs. This partnership between local schools is to provide opportunity for students to become involved with art, writing, music and theater beginning at an early age and throughout their education experience.

The Arts in Education Program is made possible in part by a grant from The New York State Council on the Arts and in cooperation with Erie2 - Chautauqua - Cattaragus BOCES.

Below is the listing of classes and projects that I will be offering to the program as well as my biography. If you have any interest in these activities or would like to book a workshop in any of these areas, feel free to contact me at eastman_tara@yahoo.com.

Arts Council Seeks Teaching Artists
The Arts Council For Chautauqua County is seeking teaching artists for the 2008-2009 school year. A variety of school-day and after school teaching opportunities are available in Jamestown Public Schools as well as other locations in Chautauqua County. The facilitated programs include, but are not limited to:

Acting, Songwriting, Music, Visual Arts, Crafts, Painting, Pottery, Dance, Movement, Poetry and Creative Writing.
For more information on the Teaching Artists in Residence Program click on this link for The Arts Council for Chautauqua County.

TARA L. EASTMAN – Visual Arts and student asset development,
Storytelling with song, and exploratory writing discovery.

Mixed Media Arts, writing and music to foster creativity and esteem development – All Ages

Students will learn how they can tap and develop their creative abilities as they discover characteristics about self and develop skills in working with others.

Treasure Boxes - Students will use a variety of art mediums (collage, drawing, and design) to complete a portable paper treasure box project that allows for student to focus on positive characteristics of self and establish opportunity for processing needs and setting personal goals.

Literature discovery in community (multiple projects) – Community building though various books that encourage students to recognize the beauty of diversity. Including a group reading of age appropriate books, creative drawing and journal projects that help students develop and internalize the message of respect, understanding and working as a community. (Book examples: Stellaluna, Horton Hears a Who, The Sneetches, Walk Two Moons, and Freedom Writers Diary.) Book selection and activities will be determined for individual classroom, age group and curriculum needs.

Collaborative theme songwriting – Students have the opportunity to brainstorm, write and perform a group project song based upon and supportive of existing themes and courses of study in classroom. This project allows for team skill development and the opportunity for students to tap musical potential.

Singer/Songwriter Performer – Available for events and occasions to share original music based on themes of creativity, storytelling, community building and group development.

The Artist:
B.A. in Writing, Literature and Counseling – 15 years experience in youth and social work. Visual Artist: Sign maker and commercial design for Wegmans, abstract painter and paper-craft. Founder of Artists Share of Chautauqua County. Performer – Vocalist, guitarist and former lead singer for The Bubble Gum Machine, Tree House Tea Party and current project Tara Lamont Music. Published Poet and avid blogger since 1996. For more information on her original music visit: http://www.myspace.com/taralamontmusic

SWB: Claustrophobia and clearings

Mary Lue shared her host post on business and rest for this weeks Sleeping with Bread Examen. Her words resonated with me in the fact that due to a significant staff change at my office, there is more work to be done and my plate is feeling fuller lately. There have been more meetings, and lots of talking and planning. For the most part, I've felt much more connected to people since I've become more involved in this way, but oddly when I'm done for the day or night - I find myself in need of some quiet. Maybe I'm still sorting and planning in the back of my mind, but silence (even my own) is something I find myself being more and more drawn too. It's like the extra noise, both internal and external, makes me feel claustrophobic . A few days after Christmas, I went into a game store with my son and was overwhelmed by all the noise and activity there. The store was tiny but filled with kids and their parents vying for their video game of choice. My head felt hot, my

Sunny and rainy day friends

There are two kinds of friends in the world: Sunny day friends and rainy day friends. This is a statement that my Mom used to remind me of when I was in the midst of drama or conflict with one school friend of another. There are lots of people that we define as friends, but they are really acquaintances. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" This story is funny, but it does help define the distinct difference between a rainy day friend and a sunny day friend. The sunny-day-friend is more concerned with watching out for their own health and wellness, than their friends' wellbeing. On the other hand, a rainy day friend is willing to take risks, work fo

What Summer Camp Means to Me...

I was around six-years-old when I first went to sleep-away summer camp. At the time I lived in PA and the camp (through my church) was in Ohio. All school year, I attended Sunday School faithfully partially because regular attendance allowed my family scholarships to help with the cost of Summer Camp. Over the school year, I attended most Sunday's and by the end of the year, my little coupon book was full of stamps - providing me with a scholarship to attend a camp session. I provide this background on how I first got to go to camp, because it is an essential part of explaining what Summer Camp meant (and means) to me. Going away to Summer Camp gave me a whole new experience of community. The whole process of going to and attending was the first times I experienced, "it takes a village", personally. From the Sunday School Teachers who drove a sedan full of kids to Ohio, to the counselors and staff who supported new campers: through the first 48 hours of homesickness

Uphill idealist

Search This Blog