Open up a whole new world of learning for your students through an artist residency!

Artist residencies are sequential workshops that take place over an extended number of days, creating powerful, in-depth learning experiences for students. A residency can be designed to heighten the impact of a school performance, provide specialized instruction in the arts or explore unifying ideas and academic curriculum in an exciting interdisciplinary manner.

Gateway to the Arts offers a wide variety of residencies which may comprise only a few workshops or extend through an entire school year. Subject areas are diverse and could take the form of:

• master classes for music students
• specialized visual arts instruction for advanced students, including professional development for educators
• a series of workshops for the gifted or special needs students
• community and after-school programming
• interdisciplinary projects culminating in presentations or exhibits
• culturally-specific residencies in dance, music or visual arts

Gateway teaching artists are practicing professionals in their respective fields. Together, classroom teachers and artists co-design the residency projects with specific curricular goals in mind, carefully weaving activities into the curriculum to achieve these goals.

Although students always take pride in the end result or product, the emphasis of a residency is always on the creative process. Teaching artists guide creative exploration, sparking imagination and self-expression. Students become highly motivated as energy is directed into curricular activities.

Planning:
Before the project begins, teachers and artists meet to clarify objectives and detail what the teacher and artist can expect from one another. They create a schedule of each day's activities and discuss required materials and workspaces. The teaching artists and educators work as a team to ensure that the residency meets curricular objectives and actively engages all students.

Pricing:
The cost of a residency depends on many variables, including any artist performances, core group(s) of students, number of workshops, materials/supplies and any culminating student activities. Please contact Carol Wolfe, Education Director at Gateway to the Arts, to discuss your residency goals so that we may determine pricing.

Residency matching funds may be available through the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts' Arts in Education program. The PA Council on the Arts logo identifies rostered artists on their linked pages.

Many residency artists are available for after-school and community programs. Contact our office at 412-342-4444 for more information.