Naea Connections Across The Bay Pp

Vicky N. CookRicky Trione

Paige V. Baggett

National Art Education National Art Education AssociationAssociation

Minneapolis, MNMinneapolis, MNApril 18, 2009April 18, 2009

 In A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink (2006) conveys that “story exists where high concept and high touch intersect; context enriched by emotion.” Across the Mobile, Alabama Bay and two school districts, a K-12 fine arts supervisor, artist who is blind, and university art educator, have high concept, high touch stories to tell about their journeys toward building a more cohesive professional community among art educators and artists.

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The communication and collaboration among these presenters has resulted in numerous and varied partnerships including, school systems, universities, artists, museums, and businesses. Sponsorships, grants, professional development, and a revived art education masters program have resulted thus far.

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Vicky N. CookBaldwin County Fine Arts Supervisor251-972-8550 [email protected]

Ricky TrioneBlind ArtistBCPS Artist [email protected]

Paige V. BaggettAssistant Professor,University of South [email protected]

And Ricky’s wonderful and supportive wife Bonnie Trione who is an integral part of the process!

Vicky

Ricky

Paige

Bonnie

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Baldwin County Public SchoolsMobile County Public Schools

Connecting the Dots: The Big Picture

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Looking for community connections, a key to the big picture, and connecting the dots

Supporting staff and key patrons

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Lulu's Homeport Marina

In the Fall of 2005 Lucy Buffett, owner of Lulu's Homeport Marina in Gulf Shores, AL, was approached in a grocery store by Baldwin County Public Schools' first Fine Arts Supervisor, Vicky Nix Cook, to consider adopting the K-12 fine arts as a Partner in Education. Buffett, the sister of the famous singer Jimmy Buffett, and her restaurant manager, Johnny Fisher did not hesitate to take on the challenge. Together they have created several annual and ongoing projects to maintain support for arts education in Baldwin County. A few of the many successful ventures by Lulu's include a cookbook- Crazy Sista Cookbook, the Art Fresh Market, and underwriting the AL Shakespeare Play of Gee's Bend performed in Baldwin County.

One of the first projects Cook used the Lulu's funding for included facilitating blind artist, Ricky Trione’s presentations in classrooms. Buffett's dedication to and confidence in the Baldwin County Public School Fine Arts Department has led to a hugely successful partnership with Ricky Trione by the BCPS system to provide art and character education experiences to all k-12 students. Since the first grocery store encounter, the initial donation of $500 has blossomed into approximately $60,000.

It is essential to establish local support for the arts from individuals such as Lucy Buffett to encourage others to support the school arts programs.

Baldwin County Public School Fine Arts appreciates Lulu's! http://www.lulusathomeport.com/index.php

Initial drawing and painting : Vicky

Cook & Ricky Trione

Vicky & Ricky with Wioana Hamby,

president of Very Special Arts

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http://media.bcbe.org/play.php?vid=372

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Networking, connecting, and relating to those with common interests leads to Dr. Paige Baggett and collaboration with faculty and preservice teachers at the University of South Alabama

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Bringing it Across the Bay:Inspiration for Future Teachers

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“Mr. Ricky was amazing!! He told his story but gave each of us a lesson in art, character education, and special education at the same time. He taught me that I should focus on what people can do, instead of what they cannot do, which applies to special education, as well as everyone else. He defiantly taught a lesson on perseverance, because he never quit, but found a new way to do what he loved, which was art. He also encouraged the students as well as the adults, to use their creative minds, anything can be art, you just have to be creative.The best part of the presentation to me was seeing how he related to the students so well, and also watching him paint the shrimp. It was amazing!”

“Mr. Ricky's story is one that inspires both children and adults. After loosing his sight, Mr. Ricky did not allow this disability to stop him from pursuing his passion, art. I learned that when someone looses one sense other senses become stronger. Also, I learned that there are so many aids for helping the disabled. Mr. Ricky's computer gives him verbal commands, his watch and weighing scales were invented for his specific needs.The best part of the presentation was when Mr. Ricky interacted with the children. It made me smile. Just to see someone who is trying to make a difference in our society and schools. I enjoyed the presentation and interaction with Mr. Ricky, I wouldn't change anything about the experience.”

“I learned so much about just living life. The fact that he has overcome so much and is still joyful speaks volumes. Also, he is so confident and doesn't mind calling himself an artist even though he doesn't see his work. I LOVE it! The best part of the presentation was actually getting to create with him! I also loved when he came around and asked what people were doing. It was very difficult to describe to him what I had painted and how I had done so. That experience really got me thinking about how I see the world. Do I really stop and take the time to notice the green oak leaves while I'm stopped at a red light at Bit and Spur and University? Do I notice the gorgeous sunset while waiting in stalled traffic on Airport? I don't know that I would change anything. The time went by so fast but it was a fascinating experience.”

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The arts teach children to make good judgments about qualitative relationships.Unlike much of the curriculum in which correct answers and rules prevail, in the arts, it is judgment rather than rules that prevail.

The arts teach children that problems can have more than one solutionand that questions can have more than one answer.

The arts celebrate multiple perspectives.One of their large lessons is that there are many ways to see and interpret the world.

The arts teach children that in complex forms of problem solvingpurposes are seldom fixed, but change with circumstance and opportunity. Learning in the arts requires the ability and a willingness to surrender to the unanticipated possibilities of the work as it unfolds.

The arts make vivid the fact that neither words in their literal form nor number exhaust what we can know. The limits of our language do not define the limits of our cognition.16

The arts teach students that small differences can have large effects.The arts traffic in subtleties.

The arts teach students to think through and within a material.All art forms employ some means through which images become real.

The arts help children learn to say what cannot be said.When children are invited to disclose what a work of art helps them feel, they must reach into their poetic capacities to find the words that will do the job.

The arts enable us to have experience we can have from no other source and through such experience to discover the range and variety of what we are capable of feeling.

The arts' position in the school curriculum symbolizes to the young what adults believe is important.

SOURCE: Eisner, E. (2002). The Arts and the Creation of Mind, In Chapter 4, What the Arts Teach and How It Shows. (pp. 70-92). Yale University Press. Available from NAEA Publications. NAEA grants reprint permission for this excerpt from Ten Lessons with proper acknowledgment of its source and NAEA.

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New Beginnings

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Through our common passion for EDUCATION and the ARTS, the multiple paths Vicky, Ricky, and Paige have taken lead us to the place where we…

“Speak with One Voice”

Thank you for listening

Question? Comments?

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Vicky Cook http://

www.southalabama.edu/librarygalleries/cookhudson.html

http://www.bcbe.org/?DivisionID=824&DepartmentID=962&ToggleSideNav=

http://images.pcmac.org/Uploads/BaldwinCounty/BaldwinCounty/Departments/DocumentsCategories/Documents/2008-2009_Fine_Arts_Brochure%5B1%5D.pdf

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Ricky Trione http://media.bcbe.org/play.php?vid=372 http://www.rickytrioneart.com/ http://www.5riversearthfest.org/Ricky%20

Bio.htm http://www.myspace.com/rickytrione http://www.al.com/news/press-register/

baldwin.ssf?/base/news/1230286546316280.xml&coll=3

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Paige Baggett http://www.southalabama.edu/coe/

baggett.shtml http://ponderingpaige.blogspot.com/ http://arttalk.wetpaint.com/ http://artandsocialstudies.wetpaint.com/ http://artscience.wetpaint.com/ http://artmath.wetpaint.com/

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