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A Chat with Molly Stanley, A4L’s new Learning & Community Engagement Manager

October 28, 2021 By Cindy Sherwood

When Molly Stanley first saw the job listing for this new role at Arts for Learning, she grew excited. She and her husband Ethan, a lieutenant in the Navy, along with their newborn baby, were in the process of being transferred from California to Hampton Roads. As someone who had worked as an arts teacher and who had a master’s degree in arts administration, Molly found the opportunity intriguing. Plus, as a new mom, she was searching for a career with greater flexibility.

“If I wasn’t going to be teaching, I still wanted to work in education because that’s what I’m most passionate about, along with arts administration.

This position was like marrying the two things—arts administration and teaching art.”

Molly began her teaching career several years ago when she worked as an art teacher at a Title 1-designated elementary school in North Philadelphia. Although she grew up less than an hour away, it was a different world from her rural home in Blandon, Pennsylvania.

“I gained a lot of perspective and learned a ton while I was there [teaching]. It was a really hard year. I thought because I knew my craft and knew how to teach art that I could do anything, but I wasn’t aware of what trauma responses looked like in the classroom and so my classroom management definitely wasn’t good.”

From Philadelphia, Molly became an art teacher at a middle school in Maryland.

Molly helps a student at her middle schoolin Maryland
Molly helps a Vietnamese-American student translate a passage at the middle school where she worked in Maryland.

The school also was in a high poverty area, but she says she had many more “tools in her toolbox” and learned how to be a successful educator while forming close relationships with her students and her partner teacher.

During her second year of teaching, she and Ethan married.

Molly says goodbye to the preschoolers she taught in California.
Molly says goodbye to the preschoolers she taught in California.

As a military family, the two first moved for a few months to Washington state and then to southern California, where Molly taught preschool and worked on her master’s degree on-line, earning it a week before she gave birth in May to baby William. That coincided with Ethan receiving orders to come back to the east coast for what is expected to be a long-time assignment.

Molly started at Arts for Learning in September, where she’s been putting her curricular knowledge to good use, writing classroom guides for our Spread Kindness (Not Germs) video project and more programs. She has big goals for her time here.

I’m hoping to be able to put out quality content and curriculum that aligns with what teachers need, as well as what the art form is, whether it’s a music program, a dance program, a visual arts program, or some other art form.”

“I want to be able to provide a smooth transition into either a teacher being able to take that content and teach it themselves or assisting teaching artists in making that content as relevant as possible to what the kids are going to need,” she says. “Specifically, like with Spread Kindness (Not Germs), the first project I was given, I made it my goal to try and make sure it’s as user friendly as possible and that anyone could teach it.”

So far one of the most satisfying parts of Molly’s new role has been pitching the Spread Kindness project to fine arts supervisors from different school divisions and discovering how enthusiastic they are about implementing the music videos in their classrooms.

As for the hardest part?

“I’ve never not been a teacher. I’ve always been a teacher, and I know what to expect as a teacher. But it’s also been the best part because I’m learning how to function in an organization that isn’t a school. So it’s been interesting getting acclimated to the job and also at the same time it’s super exciting because there hasn’t been one part yet that I haven’t enjoyed.”

Fun Facts About Molly:

#1 Though she doesn’t have much time these days between the new baby and new job, Molly is a visual artist who typically draws using colored pencil. Architectural portraits and landscapes are favorite subjects.

#2 She’s primarily of Irish descent, and even though she comes from a “big, proud Irish family,” she’s never had the chance to visit Ireland. Her maiden name was Molly McKenna Flannery.

#3 William is her first human baby, but she and Ethan first had a fur baby named Dixie, a Labrador Retriever, who now adores baby Will and wants to be by his side constantly. Dixie looked especially pretty decked out in flowers for the couple’s wedding ceremony.

Filed Under: Arts Integration, ArtsEd, Staff Spotlight Tagged With: 757 arts, art teachers, arts curriculum, Arts Ed, arts education, arts programs, curriculum, military families, new staff member, Spread Kindness (Not Germs), Teachers

Hotter than July!

July 15, 2021 By Cindy Sherwood

Our artists love being back in front of families and children with in-person performances, and there are so many free public programs for you and your kids to experience. Here’s a quick look at what’s happening during the next couple of weeks, starting tonight!

Dylan Pritchett

Thursday, July 15 from 6-6:50 pm, Newport News Public Library. Enjoy a performance of “Anchor Tales” by storyteller Dylan Pritchett (moved indoors in case of stormy weather).  Please register here: https://www.library.nnva.gov/264/Events-Calendar

Jasmine Marshall

Saturday, July 17 from 10-11 a.m., Abram Frink Jr. Community Center, 8901 Pocahontas Trail, Williamsburg: Dancer Jasmine Marshall will get you up and moving in this high-energy workshop, “African Fusion,” which blends West African and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. No dancing experience required! Stay for more fun as the Williamsburg Regional Library celebrates its new Bookmobile! https://www.wrl.org/event/funfest-at-abram-frink/

Harold Wood

Wednesday, July 21 from 10-10:50 a.m., Williamsburg Regional Library, downtown Williamsburg: Magician Harold Wood performs “The Magic Library.” https://www.wrl.org/event/harold-wood-the-magic-library/

 

 

 

 

 

Dylan Pritchett

Saturday, July 24 from 2-2:50 p.m., Chesapeake Public Library, South Norfolk Memorial branch: Storyteller Dylan Pritchett presents “Essential African Threads.” https://events.chesapeakelibrary.org/event/5252884

 

Sheila Arnold

Tuesday, July 27 from 6-6:50 pm, Chesapeake Public Library, Indian River branch: Storyteller Sheila Arnold presents “Old School Classics.” https://events.chesapeakelibrary.org/event/5223390

 

Gary Garlic

Wednesday, July 28: It’s triple entertainment by Gary Garlic as he performs his “Caribbean Dreaming” steel drums program at three locations in a single day. He starts off at 10 a.m. at WRL’s James City County branch at 10 a.m. https://www.wrl.org/event/gary-garlic-caribbean-dreaming followed by a 1 p.m. show at the downtown Williamsburg branch. And he wraps up with a performance at the Poquoson Public Library at 4 pm. Register here: Poquoson Public Library-Gary Garlic

Video Programs

Want to stay home and watch a program from the comfort of your own living room? Norfolk Public Library is hosting videos by J&J Dance  and Arabic folk singer/dancer Karim Nagi. Click the links for details!

Filed Under: Artist Spotlight, Arts Integration, News, Summer Programs, Virtual programming Tagged With: 757 arts, arts education, dance, free programs, music, public programs, storytelling

“Snacks” Bring Smiles

June 12, 2021 By Cindy Sherwood

Everybody loves snacks…and our Arts + Learning Snacks are no exception. Look at the big smiles on these kids’ faces as they received their free art activity kits. We handed out 250 snack kits to children who attended the “One City Wake Up and Read Summer Kick-Off” this month in Newport News. And word has it that at Virginia Beach Public Libraries, they’re flying off the shelves  because “everybody loves them.”  

Who wouldn’t love an engaging, hands-on art activity?

Seven-year-old Everly can’t wait to dig into this delicious art snack!

Find out more about our Learning Snacks by clicking here!

Filed Under: ArtsEd, News Tagged With: 757 arts, art activity kits, art enrichment, arts integration, comics, mini-comic, Newport News Public Schools, Root Beer Comics, Virginia Beach Public Libraries

Dominion Energy Honors Arts for Learning with ArtStars Award!

January 27, 2021 By Cindy Sherwood

Woo-hoo! It’s a happy day here at Arts for Learning, as we were thrilled to receive the Dominion Energy ArtStars Award for Eastern Virginia last night at the Virginia Commission for the Arts’ live virtual conference. Dominion Energy presented the award, which comes with a $10,000 prize, for A4L’s “Take 10” digital programming, recognizing the project’s innovation, enterprise, and artistic quality.

When Virginia’s schools shut down last March, more than 350 hours of our programming was canceled, threatening our mission to connect students with the power of the arts. But our mission was not interrupted. Within days, the Arts for Learning office in Norfolk was transformed into a makeshift recording studio, artists took a leap of faith and tried something new, and our program team figured it out on the fly, including how to shoot and edit video while following strict safety protocols required by the global pandemic. The result: 118 ten-minute video segments that served as engaging and educational art breaks for students and families who were suddenly thrust into remote learning.

Take 10 was a major team effort,” says Christine Everly, CEO of Arts for Learning. “We had no budget, no prior expertise, and no production studio—but we knew we had to find a way around those obstacles. Especially during the COVID crisis with students learning at home, we needed to reach them through the power of the arts. And we also wanted to provide some income for our artists who suddenly found themselves unemployed.”

Participating artists received stipends for their work on Take 10. The program ended in June, but Arts for Learning’s commitment to quality virtual arts programming did not. Thanks to an investment in new video technology and additional training for staff and artists, Arts for Learning now offers dozens of virtual arts experiences to schools, libraries, and community centers. The $10,000 ArtStars’ prize money will support Arts for Learning’s efforts to continue to build a digital library of engaging and innovative new programming to connect students with the arts, wherever and however they are being schooled.

Filed Under: Arts Integration, ArtsEd, COVID-19, News, Press Releases, Virtual Learning, Virtual programming Tagged With: 757 arts, 757 nonprofit, arts education, ArtStars Award, coronavirus, digital programming, Dominion Energy, Take 10, virtual learning, virtual programming

Artist Spotlight: Karim Nagi and “Arabiqa”

December 31, 2020 By Cindy Sherwood

With all the challenges Arts for Learning has faced in the past year, there’s one very positive side effect—thanks to virtual programming, our roster has expanded to include vibrant and culturally diverse artists who live in other parts of the United States. We’re especially excited about Chicago-based artist Karim Nagi joining our team. Karim is an Arab musician, dancer, and folklorist whose program “Arabiqa” is now available for booking.

As a native of Egypt, Karim immigrated to the United States when he was eleven years old, along with his mother and father. The family settled in Boston, where Karim attended public school and where few students knew much about his home country, culture, or Muslim religion. Karim eventually became a professional performing artist. Since 1999, he has led the Sharq Arabic Music Ensemble, a group dedicated to preserving and presenting traditional Arabic vocal and instrumental music.

After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, a school invited Karim to make a presentation about Arab culture to students who “only had the frightening impressions from the news.” With close to 500 presentations since that time, he’s refined his performance into a dynamic and informational exploration of Arabic culture. The program blends music, dance, language, and traditional costumes. Karim demonstrates the traditional percussion and string instruments he plays and shows different dance styles he learned growing up in Egypt, as well as folk dances from Lebanon, Syria, Morocco, and other Arab countries.

In addition to exposing students to new art forms, Karim has a more personal motive for his performances.

“If everyone relies on the news or some type of media portal to get their information about another person, they’re only going to have stereotypes and simplistic renderings and one-sided reports. When people are learning about other cultures, it’s very important that they interact with people from those cultures,” Karim says. “I believe it’s important that they learn about my culture specifically because it’s so central in news and world politics, but I’m more interested in the process of people becoming tolerant and receptive of diversity so I think it’s important for them to interact with actual people from each segment of society.”

In the twenty years he’s been performing in schools and performing and leading workshops for adults, Karim has seen a positive shift in perception.

“People are more aware that the arts have a role in sharing culture and creating dialogue between people. I think before people thought of the arts as just entertainment. But these days people really give it the credit that it deserves.”

When schools shut down across the country last spring, Karim had an advantage over many performing artists because he was already experienced working with video and audio. With his virtual presentations, he adjusts to the needs of an individual school, with both live and recorded performances available. But whatever the format of his performances, he’s committed to make them interactive.

“I still need to engage with each student behind the screen and make them feel that they need to participate. That’s the important thing, rather than just performing in a block for forty-five minutes and students having to watch. This is true in real-life, in-person performances as well. With digital, I have to make sure I still keep it engaging and in a way that students participate.”

So how does Karim know that he’s making a difference through his school presentations? Earlier in his career, the words of a student from Virginia made a big impression.

One of the fourth graders came up to me and said they wanted to be Arab when they grew up. This fueled me a lot. I’m helping people become less afraid of something that’s foreign or something that’s perceived as anti-American by some people. I was expressing my culture and a young child saw it as something that they would like to emulate. Even if they didn’t understand the difference between ethnicity and career at the time, it still meant that they weren’t afraid of it, that they could relate to it.”

Interested in Karim doing a virtual presentation at your school, library, or community center? Contact Aisha Noel at 757-961-3737 or email us at programs@Arts4LearningVA.org for more information. We may have funding available to help offset the cost of Karim’s performance!

Filed Under: Artist Spotlight Tagged With: 757 arts, 757 nonprofit, Arabic culture, arts integration, arts programs, arts-in-education, digital programming, folklore, Karim Nagi, performing artist, virtual learning

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