Artist, educator, writer, musician, and master storyteller Amir Rashidd likes “to go and fit in with the kids.” Before starting his creative arts residencies, Amir likes to visit and get to know the young people and adults with whom he’ll be working. It sets the atmosphere for an engaging and fun experience.

“My wife says this is my way of living out my second childhood!” he says.

Known as “Baba (father) Amir,” Mr. Rashidd joined Gateway’s roster in 2009 as a storyteller in our summer Story Time programs for libraries. Amir is starting off his 2010 work with Gateway through a number of visual arts residencies.

Pedestrians in downtown Pittsburgh are accustomed to the occasional pigeon in their path, but imagine encountering 250 of them, all three feet tall with heads bobbing and coo, coo-ing, as they head towards the Byham Theater?

This unlikely scenario will soon become reality as children from downtown child care centers practice their pigeon moves as they make their way to a performance of Pigeon Party!, presented as part of the 2009-2010 Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater season. 

This experience with live theater is the nexus of a series of four artist residency workshops which Gateway to the Arts is providing for the children at nine downtown child care centers.

In preparation for the May 2010 Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children (PAEYC) Early Arts Conference, Creativity: Where the Future Begins, Gateway is offering a series of 12 early childhood professional development workshops. Workshops in dramatic play, music, movement/dance, as well as in puppetry, and the visual arts will be taught by Gateway’s professional teaching artists. Many of these trainings will also be featured again at the conference itself.

Your end of year donation really makes a difference helping us reach more underserved children with arts learning magic!
 
$10 is a box of arts supplies for a classroom
$25 is a box of child-sized musical instruments for a classroom
$50 sends a Teacher to a storytelling workshop
$100 brings a Teaching Artist to a classroom for hands-on learning
$350 is an Artist Residency for 20 pre-schoolers
$700 is a performance by the Etta Cox & Al Dowe Quintet for 350 students
$1,000 is 5 Teachers learning how to integrate the arts into their classroom learning! 

This year, every gift counts.

If the arts were important in your education, make sure our children have the same opportunity.
Donate here via PayPal or mail to:

 

GATEWAY TO THE ARTS

6101 Penn Avenue, Suite 301

Pittsburgh, PA 15206

When Tom Breiding took the stage to a round of hearty applause from the students at Richland Elementary on November 6, it was not just a highlight for students participating in this year’s Gateway Arts in Education Partnership, but it also marked the ten year anniversary of Richland Elementary and the Pine-Richland School District’s participation in the program.

The Gateway Arts in Education Partnership is a program which uses a work of art as a text for learning. The partnership is a mutual commitment to ongoing professional development and arts integration that begins with the Gateway Arts in Education Institute and includes a classroom residency.

Tom Breiding’s performance Steeltown was chosen by the Partnership teachers at Richland as the focus work of art for this year’s residency. More than 50% of their current teachers have attended the Gateway Arts in Education Institute.

Breiding is a locally-based, nationally-acclaimed American folk songwriter and recording artist. Playing guitar and banjo, he delivered his original songs depicting generations of steel, railroad and factory workers and discussed their role in the development of Western Pennsylvania, as well as Pittsburgh’s role in building the nation.

Gateway to the Arts is excited to be partnering with the Homewood-Brushton YMCA as part of their Lighthouse Project at Westinghouse High School. The Lighthouse, now in its second year under the direction of James Armstead Brown, offers after-school programming from 3-8 pm for any interested student in the Homewood area.

This year Gateway to the Arts has two teaching artists working in the first eight-week session. Dr. Tameka Cage is offering the creative writing class What Makes a Poet Black. Students are exploring the writing of African-American poets, creating their own writing and will prepare to perform their poetry for an audience. In Introduction to Gong Fu martial artist Chris Young helps students learn the physical and mental discipline of this ancient art.