Celebrating DC art and music teachers with the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative.

On Thursday, The DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative is gathering to celebrate those teachers who work hard to find a place for arts in every school and for every child. More than 80 DC public school art and music teachers will join for a recognition event at the Goethe Institute. I'm lucky to have lots of friends and associates in the city who are remarkable artists and photographers. So I reached out to a few of them, including Patrick Ryan, Susan Finsen, Marielle Mariano and Joshua Titkin of DEKKA and asked them to consider donating a piece of art to the event.

I was inspired when all of them said yes! Their pieces of art will go as a gift to lucky art and music teahers at the appreciation event. The Arts For Every Student (AFES) Teacher Celebration will acknowledge the hard work of educators who serve as AFES program leaders at 120 DC public and chartered schools.

Through their efforts, in 2008 more than 33,000 public school students have experienced the arts and humanities through the DC Collaborative’s 80 members from the local arts and cultural community. Students have seen the treasures of the Corcoran Gallery, soared along with internationally-renown dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company, and experienced classroom lessons that incorporate design and artistry into typical math, science and reading classes.

Patrick Ryan, one of my favorite DC photographers donated the piece (pictured above) “Untitled [Bike Rack/Storm Rolling In On Jersey Shore]". In Patrick's own words............................

"I’m very proud of this image. A few years back, it was selected for a juried exhibition by Kathleen Ewing, a respected photo gallery owner in Washington who was Executive Director of The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) at the time. "

Students from the Duke Ellington School for the Arts, who have also benefited from the hard work of their classroom teachers and the DC Collaborative, will be on hand to perform during the reception. Attendees will include teachers, administrators and representatives from DCPS central administration and from the chartered public schools.

Patrick, Susan, Marielle and Joshua are a few of the many talented artists and photographers in the city. And their donations truly show the artistic spirit and collaboration that can take place when we come together as an art community and philanthropic DCers! Prost to them all. Jade