All-City Art Exhibition 2011

Once again, the Office of Arts Education (OAE) will recognize the work of CPS students and their high school art teachers during the All-City Art Competition.  The program officially begins on Tuessday, January 25, 2011 with submittals due for all 10 categories ranging from painting and drawing to photography, ceramics and sculpture.  This year, we would like to see an increase in submittals for both mixed-media and printmaking and encourage more students to participate and be recognized for their achievements.  The All-City Art Exhibition will take place at two venues including the Illinois Institute of Technology and at another venue this year.

For more information please call the Office of Arts Education at 773.553.2170.

View the 2011 All-City Art Exhibition Handbook.

CPS Pictures America

In partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Office of Arts Education and the Office of Libraries have requested Picturing America curriculum guides and posters for all CPS elementary and high school libraries. These resources include over forty 18”x 24” reproductions of traditional and contemporary artwork and corresponding activities for K-12 classroom educators.  School libraries have received these resources (in September of 2008) and should be making them available to English, Social Studies and Fine Art teachers upon request.  Teachers are encouraged to create collaborative lessons utilizing these new materials.  Online resources for this program are also available. 

Snow Days Teen Sculpture Challenge

At the end of January, the Mayor’s Office of Special Events will again host their Snow Days Festival in Grant Park featuring a variety of activities and an outdoor snow gallery.  Last year, CPS high school students and professional artists were invited to carve large snow blocks (measuring 6’ high and 8’ high respectively) that were viewed by hundreds of visitors to the festival (off Michigan Avenue).  Guidelines for this year’s school participation will be posted in the coming months for any interested art departments.  Each high school sculpture team consists of a lead art teacher and 4-6 art students (with parental consent). To see pictures from last year’s festival and CPS student artwork, click here. 

World Art Chicago: My Dream City

The World Art Chicago Program offers students in Chicago and around the world the
opportunity to engage in global dialogue through the art-making process and showcases
their artwork side-by-side in an online web gallery. This is the 3rd year that the Office of
Arts Education has partnered with several agencies and departments to provide this program
including the Mayor’s Office of International Relations, Sister Cities and the Office of Language
and Culture. This year’s World Art Chicago theme, My Dream City, encourages students
in grades 5-12 to imagine how their cities can be altered for communities of the future. By
examining all the characteristics that symbolize a city’s people, identity and culture, students
can begin to explore where they live and make comparisons with other places around the world.
This program is not a contest but serves as a vehicle to showcase artwork through a student
exhibition and as part of an online gallery. This year’s exhibit will again take place at Chicago’s
Daley Center from May 2 to May 27, 2011. Participating teachers will also receive thematic
curriculum for Grades 5-6 and Grades 7-8 and passwords to post images of student artwork
to the World Art Chicago site at www.worldartchicago.org For program guidelines or more
information please email the Office of Arts Education at nacortes@cps.k12.il.us

World Art Chicago Curiculum 5-6

World Art Chicago Curiculum 7-8