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Remembering Jean Shackelford: An Exceptional Arts Advocate and Friend of Young Audiences of Virginia

February 3, 2025 By Cindy Sherwood

“Among her greatest joys was her 33 years of involvement with Young Audiences of Virginia! She served on the Board of Directors for numerous years and as President. She loved Young Audiences’ creative offerings annually to involve children in the arts.”  Obituary for Jean Hogge Shackelford

Arts for Learning mourns the loss while celebrating the remarkable life of Jean Shackelford, who died last month at the age of 95. Jean made a lasting contribution to arts education in Hampton Roads and Virginia as a whole.

“She had such a huge impact on arts education in Virginia. I think others have tried to fill her shoes, but I don’t think we’ve ever had such a strong advocate as Jean,” said Beth Hazelette, immediate past president of the A4L board of directors. “Her passion and her drive were to provide quality arts education programming for all students.”

Jean was a teacher and administrator in Portsmouth Public Schools for decades, and, as Beth put it, “built the program” as the supervisor of music for PPS. Beth, who served as supervisor of music for Norfolk Public Schools, considered Jean a mentor. They first met when Beth was a high school choral student and continued the relationship for decades as Beth became a teacher and later an administrator and board member for Young Audiences, where they worked side by side.

“She worked really, really hard for the students and educators of Portsmouth,” Beth said. “She was so tough, but for a good reason. She worked tirelessly to promote a program that could have easily gone by the wayside. She was a bulldog. She wouldn’t let it die. She wanted to make sure all the students in Portsmouth had opportunities in music.”

Longtime board member Minette Cooper first worked with Jean in 1975, developing and implementing programs that put teaching artists in the classroom to guide students in music, poetry, and dance. Minette credits Jean with smoothing the way to integrate the arts into the schools.

“She was a remarkable lady who accomplished so much because she could persuade people to help when probably no one else could,” Minette said. “She was a doer, a really well-informed doer who could get things done as easily as possible. She was phenomenal.”

Minette Cooper, Jean Shackelford, Judy Thaler, Susan Einhorn, and Marty Einhorn celebrate the 65th anniversary of Young Audiences of Virginia/Arts for Learning in 2019.

In addition to her work in Portsmouth, Jean was a powerful voice for arts education at the state level. She received Lifetime Achievement and Distinguished Service awards for 20 years of leadership as a member of the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA). And after she retired from Portsmouth Public Schools in 1989, her efforts continued—she served for 11 years as the legislative liaison in the General Assembly, working to establish the Virginia Coalition for Fine Arts Education that advocates for the arts across the Commonwealth. She acted as a vital communications link to VMEA about all legislation that might affect the arts.

“She had this passion not just for Portsmouth and Portsmouth school students but for music students across the state. She made sure that someone was keeping an eye on what was happening in Richmond because there were a lot of decisions being made that in the end did impact the arts,” Beth said.  Those decisions included the initial years of implementing high-stakes testing in Virginia. Beth says Jean was on the “ground floor” as Virginia created grade-specific Standards of Learning (SOLs), making sure the arts weren’t ignored amid the push to emphasize core academic subjects.

After her retirement, Jean also joined the board of directors of Young Audiences, serving multiple terms as president. As a recipient of Young Audiences’ Arts-in-Education Advocacy award, Jean was lauded for her leadership, insight, and vision. The proclamation states:

“Particularly of note is her guidance in helping us understand and utilize the Standards of Learning as a vehicle to better serve Virginia schools.”

Among other contributions as a board member, Jean helped secure new grant funding for various projects and was instrumental in helping to develop the current mission statement of “engaging and inspiring” students in and through the arts.

 “She lived her passion for arts education, she really did,” Beth said. “She led a very purpose-driven life.”

For more on Jean’s lasting contributions to arts education as well as other aspects of her life—such as eight years as an elected member of the Portsmouth City Council—please read this: Jean Hogge Obituary. We wish her family members peace in this time of mourning and express our gratitude for all Jean achieved for the students, educators, and artists of Virginia.

If you’d like to make a memorial contribution to Arts for Learning in honor of Jean, please click on this link: Donate Now

Filed Under: ArtsEd, News, Volunteer Spotlight Tagged With: arts advocate, Arts Ed, arts education, Arts for Learning, Arts for Learning Virginia, arts integration, arts-in-education, board of directors, Jean Shackelford, music education, Norfolk Public Schools, Portsmouth Public Schools, teaching artists, Young Audiences, Young Audiences of Virginia

Program Spotlight: “The Crack in Everything”

November 15, 2024 By Cindy Sherwood

 

Arts for Learning storyteller Robin Vivian says she was skimming her daughter’s PTA newsletter recently when her jaw dropped.

“If I were in a car, it’d be like the brakes going [SCREECH]!  I thought, that’s incredible because I have literally spent the last year creating this show that’s about accepting imperfection and the concept of looking at it in a different way.”

Robin was reacting to this year’s theme for Reflections, “Accepting Imperfection.”  Reflections is a National PTA-sponsored program. Each year more than 300,000 pre-K through 12th grade students make original works of art in response to a student-created theme.

Robin’s program for Arts for Learning Virginia is called The Crack in Everything. The title comes from a line in a Leonard Cohen song: “There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”

“[Hearing that line] immediately reminded me of one of the first stories I ever learned called The Cracked Pot,” Robin says. The story, which Robin tells in her program, illustrates the beauty that can be found in imperfection, a Japanese concept called “wabi-sabi.” Sharing three multicultural tales and one personal one, Robin uses the wabi-sabi elements of imperfection, impermanence, and incomplete to help students reframe themselves and their experiences.

Robin’s role as the mom to a daughter in elementary school influenced how she developed her program—from her daughter’s distress about needing a tutor to the amount of time that age group spends on social media, including watching YouTube videos where they see others with seemingly perfect lives.

“I imagine that it would be very easy to watch that and say, ‘Hmm, my life doesn’t look like that, my photos don’t look like that. There must be something wrong with me,’” Robin says. “If they don’t have an outlet to talk to someone about it then they start to make their own narrative and that narrative can very easily go to ‘I’m not enough’ or self-blame or ‘my family’s not enough’ or ‘I’m different,’ which can equal ‘I’m bad’ or ‘I’m not enough.’”

Robin uses the story of The Stonecutter to address that negative narrative. By the end of the story, the stonecutter realizes he had everything he needed, from the very beginning, to be content.

Whatever you have right now, you focus on what you have instead of what you don’t. That’s happiness. You don’t need anything else. So that’s the part of wabi-sabi that’s incomplete.”

The Crack in Everything is highly interactive.  In one portion, for example, students come onto stage to act out a scene and in another they call out guesses related to a “mystery box” Robin brings out—what do its contents of a chocolate chip cookie, Popsicle, Slinky, and Silly Putty have in

common?  (Think about it and find out if your guess is correct at the end of this story!)

Along with some humorous moments, the program has a part that’s both difficult to hear and that almost everyone can relate to. It’s Robin’s own story from fourth grade when she desperately wanted a best friend—plus a 90’s-era “best friend charm” to display to her peers—and wound up being rejected in a cruel way.  But in the program, Robin shows that the story doesn’t end there. Although she never did become friends with that particular girl, years later in college she met a young woman, Fayth, similar to herself (“very goofy and a lot, just like me.”) Robin had told Fayth her painful story from fourth grade. And on Robin’s 20th birthday, Fayth surprised her with a best friend charm. They remain best friends today, along with A4L teaching artist April Uhrin.

It’s a lovely twist to the story, demonstrating the ever-changing aspect of life, or the wabi-sabi idea of impermanence.

But the story doesn’t end there either.

“When my daughter was in first grade, kids came to her and said she shouldn’t talk to this other little girl because that little girl was weird. And she was struggling with that,” Robin says. “So I told her the story that I just told you. And I watched it transform her. She realized that if she would do that, it would be very similar to what those girls did to me. And that’s hurtful. And I watched her become a kid who cares about other people and she learned compassion. And so that story went on. And she was nice to that little girl.”

That right there is part of the story. The story is the wabi-sabi. That’s the beauty. We all experience things that are painful. We all go through things. Everything ends from time to time. But when we share that experience of someone else hurting, magic happens because we realize that we’re not alone. We have each other. And there’s nothing actually wrong with us. It’s just part of life.”

Robin is a professional storyteller, actor, and educator who’s based in Northern Virginia. If you’d like to book Robin for your school, library, theater, or community center, contact Katie Driskill, School and Community Relationships Coordinator, at 757-961-3737 or scheduling@Arts4LearningVA.org.

The answer to what a chocolate chip cookie, Popsicle, Slinky, and Silly Putty have in common is that they were all created by mistake—from imperfection comes beauty! As Robin puts it, who wants to live in a world without chocolate chip cookies?

Filed Under: Artist Spotlight, Program Spotlight Tagged With: impermanence, PTA, Reflections, Robin Vivian, storyteller, storytelling, teaching artist, wabi-sabi

Teaching Artist Profile: Dino O’Dell

October 14, 2024 By Cindy Sherwood

(Many thanks to Arts for Learning Maryland for this terrific article and interview with Dino O’Dell. Below is a lightly edited version.)

Music moves us. Its rhythm, melody, harmony, and lyricism catches our ears, inspires us, stirs our imaginations, and sticks in our heads. If you ask us, that sounds a lot like great teaching!

Dino O’Dell uses the power of music to teach and engage students of all ages. A teaching artist, award-winning musician, and former elementary school music educator, Dino has been writing and performing for young audiences for 20 years. Today, he travels across Virginia (and the country!) to perform participatory assemblies that transform traditional academic lessons into joyful, fun, and creative experiences.

“My background is in children’s theater,” Dino says. “It’s shaped my teaching philosophy. The goal is to create ways for students to engage with the performance—whether it’s through clapping, singing, or movement. We simply tap into what already resonates with students—such as music and stories.”

Dino’s programs cover topics like science, outer space, geography, history, and animals. And by bringing young viewers into the performance, he’s creating memorable learning experiences for kids and their teachers.

For example, in Imagine Your Journey, Dino teaches students about the continents, using catchy tunes that encourage students to sing along and make corresponding dance moves. For North America, students mimic a basketball shot, nodding to the popular sport in the region; for South America, they swim in the Amazon; and for Europe, they eat an imaginary Italian pizza!

Movement and lyrics contain information. Rhythm and melody make it easier to recall,” Dino explains. “Music is the key that opens the door to the room of knowledge. And the knowledge contains the content derived from the lyrics and dance moves.”

Dino incorporates many styles of music into his work, including blues, folk, reggae, ska, funk, and classical. “Exposing kids to a variety of styles and structures is so powerful,” he says. “They may not recognize that they’re hearing a jazz tune, but they feel a different kind of groove, they experience syncopation, and in the process, their awareness of what’s out there and what’s possible expands.” Here’s an example!

At Arts for Learning Virginia, we see a truth illustrated in all of Dino’s programs and those of our other teaching artists: creativity uniquely resonates with young people. “Kids are naturally creative,” Dino says. “In many cases, they aren’t self-conscious yet, and convincing them that what they’re learning is also fun and interesting is easy. It’s a beautiful thing to be a part of.”

Dino will be on tour in Virginia the week of February 24th, 2025. We’re booking visits to schools, libraries, and community centers now!

To learn more about Dino and explore his programs available for your school or classroom, visit his artist profile on our website or contact Katie Driskill, School and Community Relationships Coordinator, at 757-961-3737 or  scheduling@Arts4LearningVA.org.

Filed Under: Artist Spotlight, ArtsEd Tagged With: 757 arts, 757 nonprofit, Arts Ed, arts education, Arts for Learning Virginia, arts-in-education, Dino O'Dell, music education, teaching artist

A Night to Remember: Cheers to 70 Years!

October 1, 2024 By Cindy Sherwood

Staff members of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, with President and CEO Deborah DiCroce holding a plaque commending the organization for its exceptional support of Arts for Learning Virginia and other regional nonprofits. Also pictured (far right) is Tyler Williamson, CEO of FACT, Families of Autism Coming Together. The event was held September 26, 2024 at the Westin in Virginia Beach.

It was an evening none of us here at Arts for Learning Virginia will ever forget. What a joyous way to celebrate our legacy of seven decades of enriching lives through the arts! We have hundreds of wonderful photos to share, thanks to JB Digital Photography. Enjoy browsing through them here.

A4L CEO Chris Everly honored the Hampton Roads Community Foundation for its “deeply meaningful work it does in the community as a whole—our entire community is better for the Foundation’s initiatives and the hard topics it has brought into the light.” Accepting the award was HRCF President and CEO Dr. Deborah DiCroce.

We are humbled by her words:

Arts for Learning has made a tangible, audible, visible difference in our region for decades thanks to its inspiring work to provide arts education by artists for students.”

Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond, A4L Board President Dr. Michael Geller, and CEO Chris Everly.

We are also moved by a proclamation from Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer, presented by Virginia Beach City Council member Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond. Dr. Ross-Hammond is the founder and chairman of the Virginia Beach African American Cultural Center and Director Emeritus of the Arts for Learning board.  The proclamation states that Young Audiences/Arts for Learning has “enriched the lives of countless students and families through diverse and dynamic arts programming.”

Along with scrumptious appetizers and drinks during the cocktail hour, Cheers to 70 Years featured a collaborative mixed media collage, led by teaching artist Asiko-oluwa Aderin. In the interactive project, guests were asked to reflect on what the arts mean to them and write brief thoughts on paper leaves, which will form the vibrant canopy of a final piece created by Asiko.

Guests later enjoyed exceptional artistic performances as they ate their dinners.

A4L poet Stephanie Lask delivered two original poems. While playing exquisite melodies for guests, Norfolk Public Schools’ Strolling Silver Strings served as living examples of the impact the arts have on students’ lives.

And A4L singer/songwriter Roberta Lea gave a heartfelt performance on the transformative power of music.

Thank you to our amazing sponsors for your generosity and for making Cheers to 70 Years a tremendous success!

Our staff worked hard to make “Cheers” a memorable evening–and they’re now hard at work again doing the day-to-day business of running an arts-in-education nonprofit. That means organizing and scheduling and creating and communicating and planning–but more than anything collaborating. They do so with artists, educators, and community partners, who share a vision of all children, regardless of circumstances, having access to an education that’s made whole by the arts.

Thank you to all who came and celebrated with us! If you weren’t able to be at Cheers to 70 Years but would like to support our work, you can donate here.

A4L CEO Chris Everly, Programs and Community Engagement Manager Aisha Noel, Operations Coordinator Stephanie Jackson, School and Community Relationships Coordinator Katie Driskill, and Chief Operations Officer Anna Heywood Green.

Filed Under: ArtsEd, Cheers to 70 Years, News Tagged With: 757 arts, 757 nonprofit, arts education, Arts for Learning, Arts for Learning Virginia, arts-in-education, Barnes Brock Cornwell & Painter, Cheers to 70 Years, Cherry Bekaert, Cooper Realty, Cushman & Wakefield, Enspire Energy, Hampton Roads Community Foundation, KPMG, Mancon, Mellen Creative, Norfolk Public Schools, sponsors, teaching artists, TechArk, Tidewater Community College Educational Foundation, TowneBank

Celebrating 70 Years and Honoring the Hampton Roads Community Foundation

August 29, 2024 By Cindy Sherwood

With September 26th less than a month away, we’re in a party-planning, anticipatory mood for our Cheers to 70 Years celebration!

We’re especially looking forward to honoring the Hampton Roads Community Foundation for its exceptional and unwavering support. Dr. Deborah DiCroce, HRCF president and CEO, will represent HRCF and accept the tribute on its behalf.

Established in 1950, the Hampton Roads Community Foundation is a charitable network of generous people, nonprofit partners, and civic leaders working to make Hampton Roads a thriving and more inclusive community for all. Arts for Learning has been the beneficiary of many grants, learning opportunities, and connections to other nonprofits through the foundation, so we’re elated to formally express our appreciation.

In recent years, we would not have been able to offer three innovative programs if it hadn’t been for HRCF’s financial support and counsel:

  • K-Readiness, arts education focused on literacy and other academic skills for children going into kindergarten.
  • Military Child Initiative, after-school arts ed providing creative outlets for children with family members in active military service.
  • IDEAL, a three-year after-school residency at underserved elementary schools, highlighted by student art exhibitions at the Chrysler Museum.

But that’s not all. When the pandemic hit, HRCF was there. With 350 hours of programming canceled after schools shut down in March 2020, we were struggling financially. HRCF came to the rescue with a special COVID-related relief grant of $15,000.

We hope you’ll be able to join us as we honor HRCF for its outstanding support of our community!

Cheers to 70 Years is set for September 26th at the Westin in Virginia Beach, where guests will enjoy great food and drink and a chance to mingle with our artists. The festivities will include live music from Arts for Learning’s Roberta Lea and Norfolk Public School’s Strolling Silver Strings; spoken word poetry by A4L’s Stephanie Lask; and a collective visual art piece led by A4L’s Asiko-oluwa Aderin.

Your ticket purchase directly contributes to our arts-in-education programs, ensuring that we can continue to inspire and educate future generations.

Please visit our event page for more details.

Filed Under: Cheers to 70 Years, COVID-19, Grants, News Tagged With: anniversary, Hampton Roads Community Foundation

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Main Office
Arts for Learning
420 North Center Drive
Suite 239
Norfolk, Virginia 23502

Phone: 757-466-7555

Main Office

Arts for Learning
420 North Center Drive
Suite 239
Norfolk, Virginia 23502
Phone:
757-466-7555

Arts for Learning Virginia Names New CEO to Lead Arts-in-Education Nonprofit

The Board of Directors of Arts for Learning, the Virginia Affiliate of Young Audiences, voted at its annual meeting to name Anna Heywood Green as CEO of the organization. Heywood Green has served as Interim CEO since January 1, following the retirement of former CEO Christine Everly. Prior to January, Heywood Green worked as the organization’s […]

Join the A4L Mailing List!

Sign up to receive the latest news on arts integration from Arts for Learning! Thank you for supporting arts-in-education.

Select list(s) to subscribe to


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Arts for Learning Virginia. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
At Arts for Learning Virginia, we’re proud to be part of the Virginia Commission for the Arts’ Passport Program. While Passport holders typically receive free admission and 50% off classes at participating organizations, all our programming is always free—no discount needed. To learn more about our public events, check out our calendar of events page here.

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