• Student Opportunities:
  Districtwide Events
  External Events
  
• Professional Development:
  State Conferences
  Districtwide Meetings
  After-School Seminars
  Educator Opportunities

Winning artwork will serve as monthly illustrations for the 2008–2009 DPS safety and health calendar, designed to promote safety and health awareness and distributed to all DPS classrooms and departments in August 2008.

Download the 2008 contest packet (PDF). Packets for the 2008 contest are also being distributed to all DPS visual arts teachers and art department heads the week of January 7, 2008.

For more information, contact DPS Risk Management at 720- 423-3832 or visit their Web site.

Thursdays, March 6–April 17, 2008
6:30–8:00 p.m.

For more information, see flyer (JPEG) and registration (Word or PDF).

Monday–Sunday, April 7–27, 2008
Denver Public Library, 10 West 14th Avenue Parkway, Level 5

DPS elementary, K–8, and middle school students

April 14–May 1, 2008
Choice of 9:45–11:45 a.m. or 1:00–2:30 p.m.
Your school

For more information on availability and signing up, see flyer (PDF).

Smiley Middle School Band Spring Concert

Rehearsals for DPS Citywide Elementary School Band/Orchestra members

Performance open to public

Rehearsals: Saturday, April 19, 2008
1:00–5:00 p.m.
Cole Middle School, Auditorium

Performance: Sunday, April 20, 2008
3:00 p.m.
Cole Middle School, Auditorium

Free

DPS high school students

North High School Vocal Consortium Concert

Thursday, May 1, 2008
7:00 p.m.
North High School, Auditorium

West High School Student Art Show

Free

West High School Art Walk Demonstration

Free

Visions of Peace From the Hands of Children

Through May 30
Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m. and Sunday, 8:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Roberts K–8 School, 2100 Akron Way, Denver 80238-3087

Family Art Workshop: Sunday, May 11
1:00–3:00 p.m.
Roberts K–8 School, 2100 Akron Way, Denver 80238-3087

Reception: May 12, 2008
5:30–7:00 p.m.
Lecture: 7:00 p.m.
Roberts K–8 School, 2100 Akron Way, Denver 80238-3087

School groups are welcome during the day!

See flyer to learn more about this show, which was created by children living in war zones in the Middle East and addresses the issue of “Peace in Our Time.” The exhibit, containing 50 paintings and collages, was previously displayed in Prague and Estonia.

On Mother’s Day, the school is hosting a free family art workshop (open to general public), led by Maureen Kushner.

During the May 12th reception, Kushner will give a lecture and slideshow. Her work helping children address their fears and dreams through art making is inspirational; the kid’s art is moving and emotionally charged.

Contact Thom Padick, visual arts teacher at Roberts at thomas_padick@dpsk12.org with any questions or to volunteer.

North High School Instrumental Consortium Concert

Hill Middle School Schoolwide Art Show

Denver School of the Arts Spring High School Choral Concert, Foreign Classics

Admission: $7–12,  adult/students

Box office number is 720-424-1713

Teachers who contact school can get comps.

Denver School of the Arts’ Visual Art Quarter Show

Broadway Bound, Middle School Broadway Revue

Admission: $7–12,  adult/students

Box office number is 720-424-1713

Teachers who contact school can get comps.

Lions Club of Denver's 2007–2008 Peace Poster Competition

This year’s theme is “Peace Around the World.”

For guidelines and instructions, contact Andy McKean at 303-333-3434 or 303-755-4510 or LibertyDay@acl.com.

Deadline: January 11, 2008

Cyberbullying is a growing problem among children on the Internet. The anonymity and ease of communication the Internet provides creates a vehicle for bullying, harassment, and defamation, making the Internet a hostile and dangerous place. Cyberbullying is a problem that filmmakers can help address and solve.

Help end cyberbullying by creating a public service announcement on the issue. Sony Creative Software, the National Crime Prevention Council, and the Ad Council are seeking entries from independent producers and K–12 academic institutions. The top submissions may be eligible for national broadcast, and their producer or sponsoring academic institution will receive a complete multimedia editing suite for their facility or school valued at more than $18,000. Prize sponsors include Sony Creative Software, Sony Electronics, and Sony VAIO.

Click here for more information, prizes, rules, and submission guidelines.

Deadline: February 29, 2008

To prepare for Denver’s Arbor Day celebration, the Forestry Division is sponsoring an Arbor Day poster contest. This year's theme is "Trees are Terrific…inside and out!" Join fifth grade teachers across America in the 2008 Arbor Day national poster contest. Denver’s participation in the national contest continues to grow, leading the state in poster submissions the past six years, but a Denver poster has yet to represent Colorado at the National Poster Contest! Please help achieve the goal of 25 participating schools, so an aspiring Denver artist can represent Colorado at the national contest.

The first place winner receives a framed copy of his or her poster during Denver’s Arbor Day festivities, and the winning poster will be displayed in the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Building.  Additionally, a school winner from each participating school will receive prizes from the Colorado State Forest Service and the Denver Forestry Division.    

Winning entries from Denver are submitted to the Colorado State Forest Service where a state winner is chosen, who receives special recognition from the Colorado Tree Coalition. The winning poster is entered in the National Arbor Day poster contest. The national winner, his or her parents, and the winning student’s teacher receive an expense-paid trip to Nebraska City, NE, birthplace of Arbor Day, during the National Awards Weekend. The national winner also receives a $1000 savings bond and a lifetime membership to The National Arbor Day Foundation. The national winner’s teacher receives a $200 check.  National second and third place winners also receive prizes.

Please contact Doug Schoch at 720-913-0661 or douglas.schoch@denvergov.org if your class is interested in participating. A copy of the 2008 Arbor Day National Poster Contest Lesson Plans and Contest Rules will be provided to each participating class. Lesson plans correlate with national fifth grade science and social studies standards.  Do not mail contest entries to the La Junta address listed in the Lesson Plans and Contest Rules, as all Denver entries will be picked up before the deadline.

Spring Apprenticeship and Summer Intensive: March 11–May 20, 2008

Summer ArtLab: June 10–August 8, 2008

PlatteForum, 1610 Little Raven Street, Suite 135, Denver 80202

ArtLab is a long-term learning in the arts program to help youth develop academic, personal, and workforce skills. Student will create exciting collaborations with the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, Denver Film Society, RedLine Studios, and University of Colorado, Denver on projects such as Cinemocracy and Dialog: City. Each project is connected to the upcoming 2008 Democratic National Convention. Spring and summer ArtLab will focus on training, events, and projects leading up to (and some taking place during) the convention. PlatteForum ArtLab interns will be involved as artists, mentors, teachers, curators, docents, and coordinators. With these amazing opportunities, ArtLab youth gain real-world experience. ArtLab Interns are paid a stipend for the spring semester. Those who successfully complete the spring training are eligible for paid summer intensive positions.

Contact Trish Thibodo at trish@platteforum.org for more information.

For more information about ArtLab, visit http://www.platteforum.org/workshop.htm or http://www.platteforum.org/collaborations_artlab2007.htm.

Elementary students

Drawings must be complete by March 14

Miracles, Prestige Real Estate Group's foundation, helps ill
children and their families. One event they sponsor is a May 3rd run at Invesco Field. This year,
the run's logo for t-shirts and other run-related items will be artwork done by a local third grader. Local schools are sponsored by Prestige agents with entry forms, markers, a $50 gift to the art department, and three prizes.

Third graders are asked to draw what they think a miracle looks like. A school representative and sponsoring agent pick the top three winners, and the agent provides first, second, and third prize gifts.

Several agents in the Cherry Creek office want to sponsor DPS schools. Third grade teachers who are interested in having their students participate should email Rebekah Brock at Prestige Real Estate, rbrock@prestigerealtygroup.com.

See the flyer (PDF) for more information.

Through April 2008

See schedule (PDF or Word) for more information.

Half- or full-day multi-activity camps, indoors and outdoors that engage children in the joys of summer through cultural discoveries and enriching art expeditions!

Download CampM brochure and registration form.

Dino Art 2008

Deadline: May 23, 2008

Winners announced: Week of May 26th

Anniversary celebration and awards presentation: June 7–8
Guest speaker Savannah College of Art and Design professor Paul Hudson presentation: 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

RMDRC
201 South Fairview, Woodland Park, CO (18 miles west of Colorado Springs on Highway 24)

Theme: “Savage Ancient Seas.” Winning entries will have the opportunity to travel with Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center’s traveling exhibition, “Savage Ancient Seas.” What types of creatures were swimming in the oceans while dinosaurs ruled the land? Visualize what the Cretaceous oceans looked like: Mosasaur—the T. Rex of the ocean, giant 25-foot sharks and 20-foot prehistoric fish, sea turtles large and small…Use your scientific imagination to bring the oceans to life!

Four judging categories: Pre-school–grade 2, grades 3–5, grades 6–8, and high school to adult. Schools with the largest percentage participation will also be recognized.

Download entry form (PDF).

For additional information and directions, visit www.rmdrc.com or call 719-686-1820.

For additional information, contact Tracie Bennitt at 719-686-1820, extension 112, or tracie@trieboldpaleontology.com or Carla Deemer at 719-686-1820, extension 111, or Carla@rmdrc.com.

The new year is the perfect time to scratch a creative itch, sharpen an artistic skill, or discover a new passion. Jump in and get messy at a one-shot Create! Workshop. Recharge your skills or pick up new ones in a multipart Studio Class. Or make something priceless for just five bucks in our DIY Drop-Ins. Prefer learning about art to making your own? Take some time for yourself in a course, join us for a chat in the Conversation Lounge, or sign up for a book club.

DAM members enjoy discounted rates for Life Meets Art programs.

Through June 2008

See schedule (PDF or Word) for more information.

Educators will execute independent research and curriculum development on how to use a community event as a learning tool in the classroom. Course includes visiting artists and local curators involved with Dialog: City, the International Arts and Cultural Exhibition to occur during the Democratic National Convention.

For more information, visit http://courses.cudenver.edu/ or http://dialogcity.org.

Funding available to assist with course fees.  Please contact Elizabeth Newton, Education and Community Engagement Director, Denver Office of Cultural Affairs at elizabeth.newton@denvergov.org

Amish & Mennonite Quilts from the Big Valley and Beyond

Rehearsals: Thursday evenings
Abraham Lincoln High School, near Federal and Evans

Mile High Community Band offers four bands (Beginning, Intermediate, Concert, and Jazz) and provides opportunities for kids and adults of all ability levels. The bands provide a unique and supportive opportunity for kids to learn a new instrument, supplement private lessons, play with a group, and have fun. Family participation is encouraged, so siblings, parents, and kids participate together. For more information, visit http://www.milehighcommunityband.org/.

Arts Resource Council Web site

For information, contact Clark Strickland, chair, DPS Arts Resource Council, at 303-556-6588.

A guide (PDF) to workshops, assemblies, field trips, tours, and matinees from the 28 members of the Scientific and Cultural Collaborative in the arts, culture, and science. Twenty copies are being sent to each school to the front office/librarian, and the directory is divided by grade level and subject area and contains all the information needed to schedule a program! For more information about the directory, contact Charlotte D’Armond Talbert, Coordinator, at charlotte.talbert@comcast.net or 303-893-6093.

Arts Students League of Denver Summer KidArt Camp and Ongoing Art Classes Scholarships

Summer camp scholarship application (PDF or Word)

Ongoing art classes scholarship application (PDF)

Art Students League of Denver awards scholarships for visual arts classes and camps. Submit completed applications via email to programming@asld.org, fax to 303-778-6956, or mail to Art Students League of Denver, 200 Grant Street, Denver, CO 80203.

For a complete listing of museum tours, please visit www.denverartmuseum.org. To book more than one tour, call the school programs office at 720-913-0075, Monday–Friday, 1:00–5:00 p.m.

Denver Public Schools’ teachers: The district prepaid for a number of tours, so inquire when booking.

Introduction to Art Tours
Sample DAM art collections while learning basic viewing skills. Introductory tours focus on a few works from the museum’s collection—masks, chairs, sculptures, paintings, or other works of art—from a variety of cultures and time periods.
Language Choices: English, Spanish, English/Spanish
Length: One hour
Cost: $3.50 per student; free for teachers and adult chaperones

Imagination Games: In this active tour, students sharpen their looking skills by imagining themselves in the world of a painting, holding the pose of a sculpture, or comparing two objects from their own point of view.
Levels: K– grade 2
Tour Size: 7–100 students
Times: Tuesday–Friday, 9:45 and 11:00 a.m.
Colorado Standards: Visual Arts 1, 2, 4, 5; Reading/Writing 2, 4; Geography 6; Science 1; Math 3, 5

Perception Games: We learn 80 percent of what we know through our eyes. Each child will discover the unique quality of his or her own perception through games that teach looking skills.
Levels: Grades 3–6
Tour Size: 7–150 students
Times: Tuesday–Friday, 9:45 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and noon
Colorado Standards: Visual Arts 1, 2, 4, 5; Reading/Writing 2, 4; Geography 6; Science 1; Math 3, 5

Artmaking Tours
Delve into the art and culture of different peoples through interactive guided tours and artmaking activities.
Length: 2:15 hours
Cost: $5.50 per student; free for teachers and adult chaperones

Maya Messages from the Past: Students create an incense burner or decorate a plate and learn about Maya art and symbols by examining artwork and touchable objects.
Levels: Grades 4–8
Language Choices: English, Spanish, English/Spanish
Tour Size: 15–30 students (depending on day)
Times: Tuesday and Thursday, 9:45 a.m.
Colorado Standards: Visual Arts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Reading/Writing 2, 4; History 1, 3, 6; Math 1, 3, 5; Geography 2, 6; Science 1

Art and Culture Tours
The museum is full of treasures from around the world. Learn more about a specific culture or the architecture of our buildings in a collection spotlight tour.
Length: One hour
Language Choices: English, Spanish, English/Spanish
Cost: $3.50 per student; free for teachers and adult chaperones

Mexico: Old and New: This interactive tour focuses on Mexican art objects from pre-Columbian times to the present. Students discover important themes in Mexican art and explore the meaning of symbols as they participate in lively hands-on activities.
Levels: Grades 4–8
Tour Size: 7–30 students (depending on day)
Times: Tuesday–Thursday, 9:45 a.m., 11 a.m., and noon
Colorado Standards: Visual Arts 1, 2, 4, 5; Reading/Writing 2, 4; History 1, 3, 6; Geography 2, 6; Math 1, 3, 5; Science 1

The Ancient Maya of Mexico: Students visit the fascinating world of the ancient Maya through touchable art objects that relate to the sculpture, pottery, and jade in the museum’s collection.
Levels: Grades 4–12
Tour Size: 7–30 students (depending on day)
Tuesday–Thursday at 9:45 a.m., 11 a.m., and noon
Colorado Standards: Visual Arts 1, 2, 4; 5; Reading/Writing 2, 4; History 1, 3, 6; Geography 2, 6; Math 1, 3, 5; Science 1

Lei-making and Hawaiian culture classes and demonstrations

For more information, contact Maile Inagaki at maile@spreadingaloha.com or 720-974-4090.

Contact Cathy Ewing at 303-733-8107 or cathy-ewing@comcast.net or go to www.IfYouCantDance.com.

Fourteen different dances in ballroom, Latin, country-western, and swing. Current classes free to DPS teachers who commit to start and maintain a social or ballroom dance program for children in their school(s). She will train teachers to teach students and provide support for your program.

Contact Tim Grant at 303-564-1374 or cladenver@earthlink.net.

CLA brings to life curriculum through the creative arts with professional actors. Students may adapt Greek myth short stories into a Greek theatre masked performance, explore through drama an America without the Bill of Rights, create and present stories in the Japanese Kamishbai tradition, or mount a Shakespeare production in a week. CLA can work to create a program for your “challenging” unit. Workshops in Shakespeare available as well. Rates range from $30 to $1,000.

Call 303-798-4719 or 303-679-0482 or visit www.denverconcertband.org.

The Show and Tell Band presents a 30–45 minute music program children relate to, such as marches and Disney tunes. During the presentation, performers talk about their instruments, demonstrate how they sound, and show how they are played. The musicians teach that sound is created by vibration, that pitch depends on instrument size, and that making music is a lifelong joy.

Contact Chip Ross from Colorado Ushers at 303-282-8885 or coloradoushers@msn.com.

Colorado Ushers offers K–2, 3–5, and 6–8 multimedia assembly programs with three primary objectives:

1. To get children excited about attending live theater and concerts
2. To teach children theater etiquette
3. To recruit adult volunteers for the performing arts

This program is free to any public school in the Denver Public Schools system.

Musical Life Skills Web site

Flyer (PDF)

Physical Education and Dance Summer Institute 2008

September 2007–June 2008

See schedule (PDF or Word) for more information.

October 2007–April 2008

See schedule (PDF or Word) for more information.

Registration deadline: May 16, 2008

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, July 1–31, 2008
9:00 a.m.–noon

Exhibition: July 31–September 5, 2008

PlatteForum, 1610 Little Raven Street, Suite 135, Denver, CO 80202

• Participate in a one-of-a-kind studio-based course that encompasses entire creative process from ideation to presentation
• Develop new body of work and create collaborative exhibition with artist Julia Karll
• Develop lessons plans that can be integrated into classroom
• Collaborate with students and exhibit their work based on lesson plans
• Earn three credits (certificate or graduate credit) from University of Northern Colorado or 45 hours

Only 15 teachers can register, so register today. See information and registration form or visit
http://www.platteforum.org/index.htm.

Visit the Web site for registration information or contact Judy Anderson at judy@platteforum.org or 303-893-0791.

July 7–9, 2008
The Art Institute of Colorado, 1200 Lincoln Street, Denver, CO 80203

Prepare for the new school year by learning skills from the Art Institute's trained faculty. Workshops will provide current industry information on trends and technology, new ideas for your classrooms, and valuable career information to pass along to your students. Participants can also receive two Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for their attendance. Contact Sonya Pritchard at 800-275-2420, extension 4932 for more details.

Free "Sinfonietta" band music

To introduce the moderately easy (grades 1–2), four-movement "Sinfonietta" and promote more enjoyment and performances of the piece, composer is offering a choice of one free performable movement to any eligible band that wants one. To obtain a copy of the music:

1. Go to http://jeremyirish.com.
2. Select one movement of "Sinfonietta" to receive electronically, free of charge.
3. Print as many copies as you need.
4. Use for concerts, festivals, or sight-reading practice.
5. If you have questions, contact the composer at jeremyirishmusic@earthlink.net, 655 Lisburn Road,
   Belfast  BT9 7GT, United Kingdom, +44 (0)28 9066 0822.