Winter Festival Youth Art Exhibit 2010 on display now until Jan. 11, 2011

Bird Eating Berries by Sanija Waller
Kindergarten; WT Moore Elementary School
Art Teacher, Jason McMillian

The Winter Festival Youth Art Exhibit 2010 showcases youthful talent and imagination through 85 pieces of student artwork. Forty-three elementary, middle, and high school art teachers submitted work on behalf of their students for the competition. And, the entries represent 33 different area public and private schools. The dedication and professionalism of our area art teachers is evident in the quality of the student artwork on display in the City Hall gallery. And the exhibition is stunning.

A public reception for the exhibition begins at 6:00pm on Friday, December 3rd, and lasts until 7:30. The awards ceremony will start at 6:30pm in the City Hall Gallery. Mayor John Marks has chosen one piece of artwork to receive the best in show, "Mayor's Award." It promises to be an evening of great pride for the students and awe-inspired admiration for those who see the show.

For nearly 20 years, the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA) has partnered with the City of Tallahassee’s Parks and Recreation Department to present the Winter Festival Youth Art Exhibit. It is one of a dozen exhibitions curated by COCA and is part of the City of Tallahassee’s Art in Public Places program. For more information about this exhibition, upcoming exhibitions, or the Art in Public Places program, contact Amanda Karioth Thompson (Amanda@cocanet.org) at COCA, (850) 224-2500.

Photofest 2010 Winners Announced

The Photofest 2010 opening reception and awards ceremony was held on Thursday, Nov. 18th. Although it is an honor to be selected for this exhibition, COCA announced some additional kudos to a few of the artists exhibited in this show.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

Volcano Arenal, Costa Rica by Inger Avant

Lily Magic by Diana Orrick

Bay Scallop by David Moynahan

3rd Place: Life is Fragile by Amy Higgins

2nd Place: The Thick Air Is Murderous. I Would Breathe Water by Bill Humphries

1st Place: Silence by Robert Hudson

Congratulations to these six artists and to all of the artists selected to exhibit in Photofest 2010.

Photofest 2010 Exhibit

The Council on Culture & Arts is pleased to present Photofest 2010, an annual exhibition at the Artport Gallery from November 14th, 2010 - January 7th, 2011 as part of the Arts in Public Places program.

From breathtaking landscapes to the mind-bending use of extreme close ups, the Photofest 2010 exhibition features photographs by twenty two local artists. The artists were selected by this year’s Arts Advisory Panel. COCA recruits a citizen committee of accomplished fine artists and non-artists to review images and select work for exhibition.

Photofest 2010 opens November 14th, with a free public reception and awards ceremony on Thursday, November 18th from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm. Awards will be announced at 6:30 pm. Guests are asked to park in long-term parking and present parking tickets at the gallery for complimentary validation.

The exhibit continues through January 7th, 2011 and is an annual event presented by the Council on Culture & Arts as part of the Art in Public Places program sponsored by the City of Tallahassee. The gallery itself is located in the Tallahassee Regional Airport, 3300 Capital Circle SW, and is open daily from 8:00 am until 11:30 pm.

Call for Art - Gaines Street Public Art Project

(DEADLINE: Nov 12, 2010)

Sponsored by COCA and the City of Tallahassee. COCA is now accepting applications for a unique project to be completed in 2011. A regional artist or artists will be selected to install permanent original artwork on a retaining wall being built on Gaines Street to protect a historic oak tree. Call is open to all artists living within 100 miles of Tallahassee. The budget for this project is $15,000. Download the complete information, application and detailed illustrations of the wall here. There is an entry fee of $25 or $10 for current COCA members. Questions: contact Amanda Thompson at amanda@cocanet.org or 850-224-2500.

Tallahassee Selected as LivCom Finalist

The City of Tallahassee is one of the top 40 Cities in the World, as determined by the International Awards for Livable Communities (LivCom Awards). In addition, we have been named as one of the 8 international finalists in our population category for a Whole City Award.

In June, City staff and a community representative from the Council on Culture & Arts collaborated to prepare and submit the City's nomination package for this prestigious, international award. The areas highlighted in the competition are enhancement of natural and built landscapes; arts, culture and heritage; environmental best practices; community participation and empowerment; healthy lifestyle; and strategic planning.

"We are proud of being an 'All America City' and having some of the best parks in America," said Mayor John Marks. "Now, to be a finalist for international recognition for our environmental practices and being a livable community is another major accolade for the citizens of Tallahassee. This recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire community."

A Tallahassee delegation will attend the November 4-9 finals in Chicago. Due to limited funding, community sponsorships will be sought to help cover participation. Contact the City at 891-2476 for additional information.

Arts in Education Week Proclamation

announced by Mayor Marks

on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010

Whereas, arts education, comprising a rich array of disciplines including dance, music, theatre, media arts, literature, design, and visual arts, is a core academic subject and an essential element of a complete and balanced education for all students; and

Whereas, arts education enables students to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, imagination and creativity, discipline, alternative ways to communicate and express feelings and ideas, and cross-cultural understanding, which supports academic success across the curriculum as well as personal growth outside the classroom; and

Whereas, to succeed in today’s economy, students must masterfully use words, images, sounds, and movement to communicate; and

Whereas, as the arts equip students with a creative, competitive edge at a time when the nation is working to strengthen its foothold in the 21st century global economy; and

Whereas, the arts provide the skills and knowledge students need to develop the creativity and determination necessary for success in the global information age; and

Whereas, extraordinary results occur where schools and communities delivering high quality learning opportunities in, through, and about the arts for children; and

Whereas, studies have found that schools in under-resourced environments with large populations of students in economic poverty who are highly involved in the arts have better grades, less likelihood of dropping out by grade ten, have more positive attitudes about school, and are more likely to go onto college; and

Whereas, attracting and retaining the best teachers is vital and can be achieved by ensuring that schools embrace the arts, becoming havens for creativity and innovation; and

Whereas, arts education has the power to make students want to learn not just within the arts, but other areas of study; and

Whereas, art is integral to the lives of all citizens and essential to the health and vitality of our communities.

Now Therefore I, John R. Marks, III, in order to raise awareness of the value and importance of arts in education for all our children at every level of education and to acknowledge the extraordinary teachers who provide these students with the very best arts education here in the city of Tallahassee, proclaim September 12- 18, 2010 as

Arts in Education Week

Join us for Tallahassee's Arts in Education Week Announcement

Wednesday, September 15; 4:00pm at City Hall (300 S. Adams Street)

Mayor John Marks will present Leon County School Board member, Dee Dee Rasmussen with a proclamation during the City Commission meeting designating the second week in September as Arts in Eductaion Week in Tallahassee.

Inspired by the recently passed Congressional Resolution (H. Con. Res. 275) which does the same, the procalmation shows support for and celebrates all of the arts education disciplines including but not limited to dance, music, theater and visual arts.

COCA encourages all arts education supporters as well as arts educators who work within and outside of the school day to join us in the commission chambers on the second floor of City Hall at 4:00pm for this exciting announcement. Public parking is available in the Kleman parking garage and on the street.

Let's show the city just how much arts eductaion means to this community!