Arts Horizons Programs Benefit Many Englewood Agencies

Arts Horizons, a premier arts-in-education organization located in Englewood, NJ partners with several Community and School based organizations in our community. Working with professional, highly qualified teaching artists who are masters in their field, Arts Horizons provides workshops in the Visual and Performing Arts to both in school and after school programs.

With a grant funded by the Englewood Municipal Alliance Arts Horizons partnered with the Liz Corsini, Director of the ZONE at Dwight Morrow High School and the Janis E. Dismus Middle School to provide incoming freshmen with an in school assembly and a series of follow up summer workshops focusing on the theme of drug and alcohol prevention, conflict resolution and peer pressure. Through the Visual Art and Beat Boxing workshops, with teaching artist Yako Prodis, student participants were able to express themselves and their thoughts on peer pressure and drug and alcohol prevention through their art work and the music they created in the workshops.

Yako working with students

Each summer Arts Horizons works closely with the Englewood Youth Librarian, Lynn Kaminski, to enhance the Teen Summer Reading Program at the Englewood Library with arts workshops. Funded by a grant from the Community Chest of Englewood, Tenafly and Englewood Cliffs, Arts Horizons provides teaching artists to conduct a series of visual art and music workshops. Teaching artist Mansa Mussa brings Wearable African Art to the participants, introducing them to the symbolism behind each item used to make the jewelry. Ritika Gandhi instructs the participants on the ancient art of salt resist painting using silk and fabric dyes to create an individual piece of art. Latin rhythms are brought to life as musician Hector Morales leads the participants in the Latin percussion workshops.

Arts Horizons worked with the Edward Choi at the Bergen Family Center to provide an after school Visual Art residency to the students at Janis Dismus Middle School as part of their after school program. The “Urban Illustration” workshops led by teaching artist Aaron Lazansky, introduced students to graphic design and illustration through the creation of a “Drop Book”. Students created their own art work focusing on contemporary character design using techniques such a graphic design, topography and illustration expressing themselves through the arts using popular youth culture. Each Student then assembled their individual art work into a “Drop Book”.

A generous grant from the Englewood Rotary Club makes it possible for Arts Horizons to offer The Southeast Senior Center for Independent Living a series of Visual Art and Creative Movement workshops for its seniors. The hands on Visual Art workshops instructed by Mansa Mussa introduce senior participants to photography, graphic design and collage while demonstrating various concepts and techniques.  The Creative Movement workshops led by master dancer and choreographer, Yahaya Kamate, are appropriate for all seniors who enjoy innovative exercise and dance.

Please contact Michele Renaud at michele@artshorizons.org or 201.567.1766  x114 to book your program today!

The Spring Music Recital was a proud night

The Spring Music Recital was a proud night for K-3 scholars, educators, families and artists at Cultural Arts Academy Charter School at Spring Creek, Brooklyn, NY.  Arts Horizons is honored to work with this strong team under the leadership of Principal Midgette and Dean Hoard.  The supportive audience, collaborative staff effort and students’ showcase of talents exemplified the school’s mission for standards-based arts education program that promotes superior scholarship and strong cultural arts proficiency.

The April 30, 2013 evening showcased a lively step show under CAACS Professor Jones, Recorder and Piano performance under Arts Horizons Professor Kiah, Violin performance under Noel Pointer Foundation Professor Jones, and a lively dance performance under CAACS Professor Brooks.  The scholars showed exceptional focus, enthusiasm and aptitude for the arts to a packed audience of family, friends and community members.  The evening was further amplified by performances by all the adult educators to highlight their art expertise and the caliber of opportunities presented to the scholars.

Arts Horizons is proud to be part of the 2013 CAACS community and excitedly awaits the Spring Visual Art show!

Contact Dena Malarek for more information, dena@artshorizons.org

Scholars practicing musical selections in Keyboard Class.

Full Chorus of CAA scholars during the grand finale, proudly singing ‘Lean on Me,’ under the direction of Arts Horizons Professor Kiah.

A Jazz collaboration of Arts Horizons professor Tim Kiah on Upright Bass and vocals, Noel Pointer Foundation Professor Jamaal Jones on violin, and Professor Lamar Robinson on drum set.

Last chance to Bid in honor of Celeste Holm to support Heart & Soul and Arts Horizons!

Bid on 2 tickets to a Joshua Bell concert with a “meet’n’greet” by Joshua afterwards!

Marline Martin receives Community Partnership Award!

Congratulations to Marline Martin, Director of the Arts Horizons LeRoy Neiman Art Center, who received the Community Partnership Award from the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority (Sigma Nu Chapter) and the Five Pearls Foundation, at their Scholarship Brunch on Saturday, April 6, 2012.  The Archonette Club-Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. consists of 20 girls, ages 14-18, who participate in Art & Enterprise workshops at The Center working with different professional artists and designers on a variety of visual and wearable art-making processes. The event was held at the Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem,  and speakers included Scott Stringer, Manhattan Borough President, John Liu, NYC Comptroller and Mayoral Candidate, and Reverend Dr. Calvin Butts, Pastor of the Abyssinian Church.

Photo caption: Marline with Cheryl Pemberton, Chairperson of the Five Pearls Foundation, and Sharon LaDay, President of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority (Sigma Nu Chapter)

The Arts Horizons Creative Special Education Program

Arts Horizons is pleased to announce our 2013 Creative Special Education Program under contract with the Kennedy Center and its affiliate VSA.

The Arts Horizons Creative Special Education Program is a partnership between AH and NYC Department of Education District 75/Citywide (D75) to serve two groups of special needs children – those in special education classrooms and those in hospitals for extended stays.   Arts Horizons Teaching Artists facilitate interactive music, theater, movement and visual art workshops to promote quality arts education, support academic learning, and support rehabilitation for special needs students in an arts-rich, safe, creative, and emotionally uplifting environment.  Through standards based art education programs we anticipate reaching over 240 students with disabilities in NYC based hospitals and special education classrooms.    We are grateful and excited to continue our meaningful programs in arts in special education.  Stay tuned for more information as the programs begin!

The New York Times — Letter to the Editor

In response to the 2/9/13 The Secret to Fixing Bad Schools

 

To the Editor:

Arts Horizons applauds David Kirp’s recent article on the Union City, NJ school system, and believes that arts organizations like ours have contributed to the school system’s remarkable success. As an organization that introduces the arts to students throughout the New York metropolitan region, we know that the integration of The Arts into the school curricula is essential to turning around bad schools.

The arts engage and impact all ages, cultures, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds. Music, art, dance, theatre, creative writing and now digital media inspire creativity, invigorate classroom learning and motivate students and parents alike. In school systems like Union City, our teaching artists work alongside classroom teachers to fan the sparks of creativity and encourage students to experience what we would like to see in all education – involvement, discovery, energy and direction.

Mr. Kirp could have added another example of a beneficial lesson that helped bring some Union City immigrant children into the mainstream. Middle school students recently interviewed their grandparents, wrote their stories and, under the tutelage of a professional painter, created paintings from the stories. Through this exercise they connected with their grandparents as they never had before.

Creativity and innovation are essential ingredients in today’s workplace, and have an important place in today’s classroom. Yet when school budgets are reduced, the arts are invariably cut first. All schools should follow the example of Union City. We cannot afford to put the arts on the back burner of education.

ELIZABETH HALVERSTAM

Executive Director

Arts Horizons

www.artshorizons.org

Englewood, NJ, Feb. 14, 2013

After School Program at Janis Dismus Middle School

An Urban Art and Illustration Workshop is part of an after school program funded by the Bergen Family Center, a group of students at Janis Dismus Middle School in Englewood, NJ were introduced to the art of “Urban Art and Illustration” led by Arts Horizons teaching artist Aaron Lazansky. Using urban art as the platform and contemporary character design as the focus, students created a “Drop Book” using art techniques such as graphic design, topography and illustration.