All-City Art Exhibition 2010

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 Thursday, January 28, 2010 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 2010 All-City Art Exhibition Handbook.

Rediscovering Chicago Public Schools' Murals Project

An updated version of the 2002 CPS Mural Curriculum Guide, including a new supplement with more overviews, images and classroom resources is now available to CPS educators in DVD format.  In an effort to promote greater appreciation for the CPS Permanent Art Collection and through generous support from the Terra Foundation for American Art, the Office of Arts Education worked with the Chicago Teachers’ Center (at NEIU) to create this resource. It was first introduced to Social Studies, English and Art teachers during workshops held last year to coincide with Hidden Treasures: The Lane Tech Murals Exhibit.  For more information or to request a copy of the guide with its mural images, art-making tutorials and downloadable handouts, please call 773.553.2170.

Professional Development Workshops

OAE has planned several professional development opportunities for elementary and high school art teachers focused on curriculum and arts discipline-based instruction. This year, the new Chicago Guide for Teaching and Learning in the Arts is officially released on Friday, October 23, 2009 to participating teachers at Saucedo Elementary.  Other workshops to examine this new Pre K to12 framework for arts teaching will occur on scheduled professional development days in January and April.  Our office is also partnering to provide teacher workshops with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Design with Nature) and with the Marwen Institute (The Art of Books) along with an afterschool Art Teacher Salon Series at the Chicago Cultural Center  in October, December 2009 February and April 2010.

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. 

World Art Chicago: One People, One Earth, Our Home

The Office of Arts Education is partnering with the Mayor’s Office of International Relations, Sister Cities International and the CPS Sister Schools Program to provide a thematic exhibition opportunity for CPS students in grades 5 to 8.  This year’s theme, One People, One Earth, Our Home will focus elementary students on issues of environmental advocacy and preservation through both individual and collaborative art projects.  This annual program is not a contest but serves as a vehicle to showcase the artwork of elementary students through a physical exhibition and an online gallery. The World Art Chicago exhibition will take place at the Daley Center and the City Hall Pedway starting April 26, 2010.  Images of artwork created by students in CPS and from sister cities around the world will be posted to the World Art Chicago 2010 website for up to one year. Program guidelines and participation forms will be sent to elementary schools at the end of October. For more information please call the Office of Arts Education at 773.553.2170.

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.