On February 18th, Principal Michael J. Calderone and the students and staff of the Warren G. Harding Middle graciously served as hosts for the official launch of ArtsRising (Arts for Children and Youth). Student escorts welcomed guests, including representatives from the School District of Philadelphia, and members of Philadelphia’s arts and cultural and educational communities. Varissa McMickens, Director of ArtsRising served as the event’s emcee. Natalye Paquin, Kimmel Center Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and ArtsRising Steering Committee Chair, thanked guests for their commitment to ArtsRising, particularly to members of the ArtsRising Steering Committee and its funders.
During the launch, the five schools selected to participate as the inaugural ArtsZone hubs were announced. The schools selected are:
CCA Baldi Middle School
Dimner Beeber Middle School
Warren G. Harding Middle School
John B. Stetson Middle School
Grover Washington Jr., Middle School
Students from several of the schools demonstrated the wide breadth of the arts thriving at their schools through music, poetry, dance, and musical performances.
Several members of the arts and cultural community, including Glenn Knapp, Executive Producing Director of Philadelphia Young Playwrights, offered celebratory remarks and reflected on the importance of integrating the arts into children’s lives. Bunmi Samuel spoke briefly on behalf of Jill Scott and Blues Babe Foundation, noting that the Grammy-winning singer and actor’s interest in ArtsRising is to connect kids to school through the arts so that they persist to graduation and to college.
Interim Chief Academic Officer Pamela Brown offered congratulatory remarks on behalf of the School District of Philadelphia.“The demands of the core curriculum make it difficult for the District to always focus on the arts,” Brown stated, “but this does not mean that the arts are not important. Indeed, they are integral to education, not as an add-on, but as a way to improve academic achievement.” Brown also went on to add that the School District of Philadelphia hired an unprecedented 100 additional art teachers and 100 additional music teachers this year, the biggest increase in nearly 40 years!
Both Gary Steuer, Chief Cultural Officer for the City of Philadelphia and Dr. Lori Shorr, Chief Education Officer for the City of Philadelphia, remarked on how the arts have the ability to change lives.“When students say yes to the arts, they say no to other less desirable activities,” Shorr concluded. “If we don’t find a way to engage youth, especially in the middle years, they will be less persistent to high school graduation.”
To conclude the launch, guests were invited to leave their handprint on an ArtsRising banner which unveiled the new logo for the initiative. Each handprint represents a commitment to arts education and to the students of the greater Philadelphia region.
> Visit the brand new ArtsRising website
> Learn more about ArtsZones
