For the 2015-2016 school year, over 9,000 students in Lane County experienced joy, creativity, and excitement through participation in the arts at their schools. Through partnerships with Lane Arts Council, they painted wildlife murals, welded dragons, coiled clay pots, cartooned monsters, danced our hearts out, and integrated painting, performing, graphic design, and studio habits of mind into math, science, language arts, and social studies.
The Lane Arts Council’s roster of diverse teaching artists and mentors shared their passion for the arts in almost all of the 16 school districts across the county. They have opened students’ eyes to the possibilities of creativity as a career and an outlet for self-expression.
Lane Arts Council increased our programming in rural communities. We added more schools to the arts apprenticeship program. We worked intensively with over 600 middle school students and their teachers to support their curriculum through the arts. Students learned to observe their surroundings, explore new possibilities, and envision a brighter future through art-making. They also learned to clearly present their ideas, defend their opinions, and collaborate with each other. The arts provide them with way to connect with themselves and to their peers.
Lane Arts Council advocates for the arts in education on a local, state, and federal level. We led the Culture and Education Alliance and served on the Eugene 4J School District Visioning Committee, Lane County STEM Hub, and other strategic planning meetings for the future of education in our communities. We surveyed Lane County schools and will produce an arts asset map to highlight current arts offerings in schools. This website will be available to the community in the coming months.
As Lane Arts Council celebrates our 40th year, we look forward to many more decades of inspiring artists, students, teachers, and community members through the power of arts education. We are committed that the arts are made available to ALL students.
Our arts education programs are only possible through the generosity of our funders.
