THE PROGRAMS

Requests for arts programs in the schools and community grows each year. This is due in part to the diminishing support of the arts at state and local levels. It is also because of LTBA’s reputation for providing excellent, quality programs by certified and/or professional artists and arts educators. Programs fall into two categories: Arts Education in the schools and Arts and Cultural events in the community.

ARTS IN SCHOOLS

Including After-School Programs, Artists in Residency, Concerts, Taft 7-12 Music Program, Art Based Fieldtrips, Mural Projects and Creative Dramatics

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Since 2000, Let There Be Arts has partnered with Lincoln County School District to provide arts classes, support art clubs, provide materials or special guests artists for after school programs. The program began at Taft Elementary when that school got a small grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to provide after school arts for one year. The principal asked LTBA to implement and oversee the program. Local and regional artists and educators were hired to teach a variety classes, including music, movement, visual arts and drama. It was a huge success and parents asked for more. We never looked back. LTBA continues to provide after school arts program every year and has expanded community partnerships to include the 21stCentury After- School programs and the Lincoln City Cultural Center.

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCY
This dynamic program brings local, regional and national artists directly into the schools to work with the students. LTBA has not only developed and scheduled residencies independently, but has also formed partnerships with organizations such as National Endowment for the Arts, Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Coast Council for the Arts and the Ford Family Foundation’s rural Artist in Residency program to bring professional, working artists and teachers directly into the classrooms. Without fail, when students have these hands-on learning opportunities with ‘real-life’ artists, everyone wins: students, artists, parents, teachers and communities.

CONCERTS IN THE SCHOOLS
Without this program, many children in Lincoln County would never attend a Chamber Music or Jazz concert, hear a harpsichord, classical guitar or lute, or listen to an operatic soprano hit her high notes and then demonstrate to them the specifics of her training. These are just a few of the opportunities Let There Be Arts has provided through its concerts in the schools program. By partnering with organizations, such as Neskowin Chamber Music, the Newport Symphony, Lincoln County Community Concert Association, or the Portland Youth Symphony Organization, LTBA is able to capitalize on their musical calendars to schedule those musicians directly into schools. As a result, some of the notable musicians who have played for students are The Allora Baroque Ensemble, The Oregon Renaissance Band, The Ethos String Quartet, Don Latarski and Marilyn Keller, Bottom Line Duo, Russian pianist, Pavel Egorov, Brazilian pianist, Alexandre Dossin, lutenist Ronn McFarlane, and The Newport Symphony Orchestra.

TAFT 7-12 MUSIC PROGRAM
The Americana Project was introduced at Taft High School in 2005 to demonstrate the cultural and historical significance of American roots music and cultural expression. The project began with three distinct components: a music class to teach students to play guitar, write songs, record and perform. The class has evolved and expanded under the current music teacher to include electric guitar, rock, and contemporary music. An integrated curriculum is used to make educational ties between the history, creative writing, music, social studies, art and video production classes.

ART BASED FIELDTRIPS AND ASSEMBLIES
In this rural coastal community, students have limited opportunities to see art shows or museum exhibits, or to attend plays, concerts or dance performances. To help alleviate this situation, teachers and administrators are able to submit funding requests to LTBA for admission to a specific event or to bring a show to perform at a school assembly. Through this program, Lincoln City students have visited the Portland Art Museum and a variety of local and regional art galleries, seen productions at Oregon Children’s Theater and Northwest Children’s Theater in Portland, and a variety of theater and dance productions at the Performing Arts Center in Newport and the Lincoln City Cultural Center. Assemblies have included performances by Tears of Joy Puppet Theatre, Artists in the Schools, the Jefferson Dancers and more.

MURAL PROJECTS
Since 2009, LTBA has completed mural projects in three Lincoln County School District Schools: Taft Elementary, Oceanlake Elementary, and Newport Intermediate & Isaac Newton Middle School. We have also collaborated with Lincoln City Public Arts Committee to complete a mural under the Driftwood Public Library featuring student artwork and student painters. In all mural projects, arts education is an integral part of the process. Working with classroom teachers, we collaborate on themes, artists and styles. Then a team of artists, teachers, parents and community volunteers are assembled to plan the scope and sequence of the project. Eventually, students at all grade levels are engaged in the studies relevant to the mural. All murals are designed using only student artwork. Once the mural is designed, students in work with the artists paint it. To date, the entire student bodies in each school mural project have participated in the project. Likewise, the artwork for public murals is also designed and painted by students under the guidance of mural artists and arts educators.

CREATIVE DRAMATICS
Students at Oceanlake and Taft Elementary schools have been able to participate in rotating drama classes during or after school since 2003. Drama in education is based on the natural abilities of students to express themselves in dramatic play. It employs the child’s natural processes of perceiving, responding, imagining and improvising. Drama is active and fun while teaching concentration, relaxation, trust, control of body movement and characterization. The goals of involving children in drama are to increase a child’s ability to communicate ideas and feelings effectively, to build self-confidence, self-awareness and self-motivation, to develop creative as well as intellectual curiosity and eagerness for lifelong involvement with the arts, to encourage each child’s unique talents, to teach children to respect different talents (audience skills) and to introduce children to the power of movement and body language as a communication tool.

ARTS AND CULTURAL EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY

Including Children’s Summer Arts Workshops, Children’s Saturday Arts, Public Arts in the Community, Annual Fundraising Gala

CHILDREN’S SUMMER ARTS WORKSHOPS
Let There Be Arts, in partnership with the Lincoln County School District and Lincoln City Cultural Center, has sponsored annual Children’s Summer Arts Workshops since 2004. The workshops have taken place at one of the school campuses or at the Lincoln City Cultural Center and are open to all children entering grades 1-10. Coastal visitors are welcome. The workshops vary each summer and have included a variety of mediums such as painting, tile making and mosaics, silk screening, computer arts, jewelry making, Japanese art and culture, mask making, drawing Japanese comics, calligraphy, recycled art, theater, mural painting and more. Talented local and regional artists and teachers conduct the workshops.

CHILDREN’S SATURDAY ARTS
Let There Be Arts partners with Lincoln County School District and Neighbors for Kids in Depoe Bay to offer a variety of Saturday Arts classes and activities. The program has been held at both Oceanlake and Taft Elementary Schools for a series of Saturday morning sessions in a variety of mediums. Saturday Arts programs have also been held at Kids Zone in Depoe Bay in conjunction with the annual Wooden Boat Festival. Students attending produce artwork focusing on the boat and ocean theme and their work is then displayed at the Festival.

PUBLIC ARTS IN THE COMMUNITY
LTBA has collaborated with the Lincoln City Public Arts Committee and Sitka Center for Arts and Ecology to produce public art works done by students. At Regatta Grounds, painted wooden salmon painted by area 3rd graders are hanging on the retaining wall above the parking lot facing Devils Lake. At the Lincoln City Community Center, two silk banners featuring local beaches and the kite festivals were created by local and visiting children and now hang above the lobby. In August, 2011, an undersea mural featuring artwork done by students in grades 4-8 was painted, by kids, on the south facing wall in the covered parking area under the Driftwood Public Library.
A rotation of artwork produced by students throughout Lincoln City is continually displayed at the local coffee houses. Student work has also been displayed at bookstores, The Lincoln City Cultural Center, Lincoln City City Hall, and at the annual fundraising gala.

ANNUAL FUNDRAISING GALA
This event has become one of the most popular, must attend parties of the year. Hailed as the main fundraiser for Let There Be Arts, the gala was held at the fabulous Freed Gallery in the spring time for ten years. In 2011, the event moved to the fall and Sitka Center for Arts and Ecology welcomed us during our transition. Starting in 2012 the October event will be at the Lincoln City Cultural Center. No matter where the gala takes place, it will always feature fabulous dishes prepared by local restaurants, a variety of delicious wines, fine artwork for sale, and the opportunity to purchase art, gifts and services donated by local and regional businesses and individuals. It’s an occasion to dress up, enjoy excellent food and wine, good company and many activities and opportunities to support Let There Be Arts. Watch for it every fall!