Masterpiece Art Flagstaff - Art Education for Northern Arizona Schools

June 2011 show at the downtown Flagstaff Library

Welcome to Masterpiece Art!

The Masterpiece Art Program of Flagstaff is dedicated to providing opportunities for elementary school children to become familiar with the work of local, national, and international artists. We accomplish our mission through monthly class presentations and art projects. Volunteer art guides, mainly parents, visit participating classrooms every month to present works of art, lead discussions, and supervise a related project.

Our guides use our ever-expanding collection of 300 prints featuring artists from many time periods and cultural backgrounds. In addition to facilitating training workshops, we provide the guides with packets full of research/support materials and outlines of projects that have been kid-tested in the classroom. Each of our member schools also receives a box containing high-quality art supplies for the art projects.

For the past 20 years, the Masterpiece Art Program has been a vital supplement to Flagstaff’s art education programs, serving and enriching the children of our community!

To become involved, click Join above!

Volunteer! It's Fun and easy! Click link for more information

*Funding provided by the Flagstaff Community Foundation and/or its collaborators and affiliates of the Arizona Community Foundation.*

History
Vision and Mission
Current Goals
Board Bios

History and Volunteerism

The Masterpiece Art program originated as an extension to the current art programs in the FUSD schools; we collaborate with the existing art program and integrate with the classroom curriculum. Today, we work with both FUSD and several charter schools. Our records show presentations going back to 1987 in some art packets. Since 1991, we have been recruiting and training volunteer art guides for the classroom, but it wasn't until 1997 that we grew large enough to incorporate and receive funding through grant writing to pay for operating costs. Concerned and involved parents have brought attention to the artistic needs of children in Flagstaff for almost 20 years. Through our program, we reach them while they are young and impressionable so as to empower them to be creative and to inspire a life-long appreciation for the arts.

Our program also relies completely on volunteerism. Our most important volunteers are the parents who become school coordinators and art guides. The coordinators meet with the teachers at the beginning of the school year to set up a schedule of presentations, and to see if they can select works of art that relate to that year’s curriculum. They keep track of the prints, packets and supplies, and provide the art guides with everything they need to do their job successfully. In addition, they serve as the communication liaisons between the schools and the Board of Directors. This past year, we worked with 17 coordinators and 85 art guides. The latter spent 2-3 hours preparing for and presenting the art masterpieces in the classroom. They also made sure that the classroom was cleaned up at the end of the day. Because our art guides commit to 3-5 presentations per school year, this translates into a substantial in-kind donation from these individuals. To keep these volunteers coming back year after year, we do our best to provide them with effective materials, training sessions, and supplies for them to use in the classroom.

All of the members of the Board of Directors are also volunteers who donate in-kind work (e.g., grant writing, financial expertise, etc.) which contributes greatly to the success of our program.

In sum, our records indicate that during the 2010-2011 school year:

85 art guides gave 358 presentations in 17 schools.

2377 students were served

Many students enjoyed multiple presentations: the total number of student encounters was 9850.

Vision and Mission Statements

Vision

To empower children to be creative and inspire a life-long appreciation for the arts.

Mission

To provide opportunities for elementary school children to become familiar with the work of local, national and international artists through monthly class presentations and art projects.

To recruit all educational programs charged with education of children to participate: private, charter and home schools, as well as FUSD schools.

To support school coordinators in recruiting enough volunteers so that each classroom has enough adult supervision to provide at least 7 presentations per year per classroom (7 out of the 9 month session).

To bring attention to the artistic needs of children, collaborating with the existing art program (if one exists) and the classroom teachers to provide variety and integration with the classroom history curriculum.

To increase parental involvement and awareness of their child's art education, including training volunteer parents to present, providing support resources such as a web page with access to tools and help guides, as well as partnering with other artistic organizations who could also provide volunteers for the classroom, spreading the responsibility and support to more people.

Current Goals

Goals for 2011-2012:

During the 2011-2012 school year we will increase the number of our volunteer art guides by amplifying our recruitment efforts and strengthening our partnership with NAU's Art Education Program.
We will increase the number of works by local, women, and non-traditional artists in each of our 17 print sets.
We will increase the variety of media represented in our 17 print sets by purchasing new prints that represent masterpieces in architecture, sculpture, collage, printmaking, mosaic, and drawing.
In order to increase our visibility in the community, we will hold an invitational group art exhibition at the Coconino Center for the Arts in March 2012.

Board Bios

Gretchen Gee
President
Gretchen has lived in Flagstaff since 1995, and has been involved with Masterpiece Art since 2002, first as an art guide, and then as a board member. Her love of art comes from her childhood in Taos, New Mexico. She is a Lecturer in the Politics and International Affairs Department at NAU, and wishes that she could do Masterpiece Art presentations for her college students.

Alexandra Carpino
Vice President
Alexandra moved to Flagstaff nine years ago when she accepted a job at NAU in the Department of Humanities, Arts and Religion (she teaches Art History). She has two children who attend the Montessori Charter School at Switzer Mesa, and she serves both as the school’s Coordinator and as an Art Guide for her children’s classrooms.

Audrey Cullen
Treasurer
Audrey has a B.S. in Psychology from NAU, and served as the School Coordinator for Marshall for 3 years. She has two children, one now in middle school and one in high school. She has been active in the Marshall PTO, where she served on the board as the Volunteer Coordinator. She has also attended site council meetings at FHS and has been an active member of the Family Involvement Partnership for the past two years, where one of the projects was opening the Family Resource Center.

Suzanne Edmonds
Secretary
Suzanne has lived in Flagstaff for the last three years. She has been a medical illustrator for over 20 years and is currently also an anatomy instructor at College America in Flagstaff. She is married, has one son, and has been active in Masterpiece Art, as a board member and a presenter, for three years. She was previously involved in the Redondo Beach School District Hands on Art program, which also brought art into the schools. Her undergraduate degree is in Interdisciplinary Studies: Biology/Art from The University of the Pacific, in Stockton, California, and her graduate degree is in Medical and Biological Illustration from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore, Maryland.

Joan Carstensen
Boardmember
Joan has lived in Flagstaff for over 30 years and has had a love of art ever since the 3rd grade when her class designed and produced their very own tapestry. She has a BFA in Graphic Design and Visual Communications and currently has her own design studio. She has been an art guide and coordinator at her daughter's school, and is continuously inspired by the level of student participation and creativity with Masterpiece Art.

Curtis R. Smith
Boardmember
Curtis has lived in Flagstaff for three years with his wife and two wild boys, both of whom attend Marshall Elementary. Curtis holds a BFA from Ohio State University and an MFA in Sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is part-time faculty at NAU’s School of Fine Arts, owns EuroGeek Motosports, LLC, a European motorcycle service center, and is the current Masterpiece Coordinator for Marshall Elementary.

Evaluations
Tips
Video
Print Set
Useful Links
Feedback

Click here to download the Presentation Evaluation Form.

Click here to download Presentation Tips.

Click here to download the Print Set List.

Useful Links

Art Education Tools

Art Project Ideas

Supplies

Dickblick.com

Articles

Make Art a Part of Your Childs World

Advocacy Organizations

Feedback

Click here to download the Volunteer Feedback form.

Timeline
Responsibilities
Print Set
Check Out
Evaluations
Feedback
Contacts

Coordinator Timeline

August – October

Let the office and PTO president know that you are the new MA coordinator. Ask about access to the copy machine. You can also use the one in the district office. Let the PTO treasurer and the principal know that a letter will arrive requesting $60 for dues and is due on September 30.

Contact previous presenters via phone or e-mail and introduce yourself. Let them know you will contact them as soon as prints and packets are available at the school. Keep a list of presenters and the classroom(s) they are volunteering in.

A member of the Masterpiece Art Board will let you know when and where to pick up prints, packets, and art supplies. Find a place to store them in the school and let returning presenters know where they are located. They can begin presenting in the classroom whenever they and the teacher agree on a time.

Set up an information table at Open House and any other school events that are held at the school before training. Pick a print to display and a few packet materials. Also include a sign-up sheet, mission statement, tips for art guides, etc. Have some flyers handy for parents to take with them. They should include training dates and times.

Send home flyers and/or have a blurb in the school’s newsletter with information about the program and that you’re recruiting new presenters. Include your contact info.

Contact new and returning presenters to remind them of training dates. (Note: starting this year, returning presenters are also required to attend training for new information about the program; approximately 15 – 30 minutes at the beginning of one of the training sessions.)

Attend both training sessions. Meet with presenters to let them know where prints/packets/art supplies are located within the school; explain the sign-out system, setting up presenting times with teachers, etc.

Contact teachers to let them know they have a MA presenter for their classroom. Include the presenters name and contact info. The teacher and presenter can make a schedule as to when presentations can take place. Assist with this, if necessary.

Follow-up with the PTO to ensure that MA dues ($60) have been paid by September 30.

December

Contact all presenters to inquire as to if they have presented and if they’ve encountered any problems that you might be able to help with.

May

Gather all prints, packets, and art supplies. Track down any that may be missing. A member of the board will let you know where to drop them off. Distribute presenter surveys and complete a coordinator survey yourself. Ask presenters if they will be continuing with the program next year.

Throughout the Year

Periodically check up on the presenters, especially new ones, to offer support. This can be done by a phone call, e-mail, or in person. Let all presenters know if there is anything new (eg. art supplies) that they would be interested in knowing. Occasionally, check that the prints and packets are in good order and that the sign-out sheet is being utilized.

Promote the program whenever possible. If a bulletin board is available to you, use it to display MA artwork. At the beginning of the year before art work is available, you can display a print and packet info as well as info about Masterpiece Art. At the end of the year, display a thank you to presenters along with their names. You can also express appreciation to the presenters at the end of the year in the school’s newsletter.

If your school has any art-related events, set up a Masterpiece Art project. Make info about the program available.

HAVE FUN!

Click here to download the Coordinator Responsibilities document.

Click here to download the Parent Volunteer Responsibilities document.

Click here to download the Print Set List.

Click here to download the Print Check Out form.

Click here to download the Presentation Evaluation form.

Feedback

Click here to download the Coordinator Feedback form.

Contacts

Contact Audrey Cullen at adurey@nilesradio.com

Schools and Coordinators
Invoicing

Schools and Coordinators

Cromer
Don and Lisa Godfrey
E-mail: yerfdog1836@yahoo.com

Cornerstone
Susan Fox
E-mail: shfoxmom@yahoo.com

DeMiguel
Lisa Lee
E-mail: lisalee56@yahoo.com

Eclectic
Lissa Sullivan
E-mail: lissainflag@yahoo.com

Haven
Julie Lancaster
E-mail: lancasterjm@msn.com

Killip
Jerry Evenson
E-mail: jmongoose44@q.com

Kinsey
Michelle Gleason
E-mail: michelle.gleason@kaff.com

Knoles
Anne Wallace
E-mail: all5wallaces@hotmail.com

Maine
Rebecca Cauthen
E-mail: rebeccacauthen@hotmail.com

Marshall
Curtis Smith
E-mail: smithcurtis@hotmail.com

MEMS
T.B.D.

Montessori
Kathy Stock
E-mail: kathy_ed@yahoo.com

Montessori MS
Stephanie Petrie
E-mail: redrocks2@hotmail.com

Mountain
Elizabeth Miller
E-mail: miller1elizabeth@gmail.com

NAU
Pam Stephens
E-mail:pamela.stephens@nau.edu

Puente
Sandra Smith
E-mail: sandra.smith@nau.edu

Sechrist
Jeni Jensen
E-mail: jenijensen94@gmail.com

Sinagua
T.B.D.

Thomas
Heidi Robinson
E-mail: heidi.robinson@nau.edu

Invoicing
(The following PDF documents will need Adobe Reader in order to open them)

Sponsors List

Thank you to our sponsors and partners in Flagstaff:

Flagstaff Community Foundation
We are very grateful to the Flagstaff Community Foundation and the GeoFund for their support of our programs. Just like the FCF, we believe that our community is improved when children and their parents, grandparents and teachers are exposed to works of art from all over the world, and when they express themselves through personal artistic practice. Learning about great art makes individuals and communities better off.

Eurogeek Motorsport

Joan Carstensen Design

Transcognition, Inc.

School Membership Information
Volunteer Recruitment Pack Materials

We are so glad that you are interested in our program. We have created this recruitment packet in order to tell you about Masterpiece Art and to give you information on how you can be involved.

Masterpiece Art has been operating in Flagstaff elementary schools since 1991. We are a non-profit, 501c3 organization that is focused on bringing free art education to the children of Flagstaff. Our vision is to empower children to be creative and inspire a life-long appreciation for the arts. Our mission is to provide opportunities for elementary children to become familiar with the work of local, national and international artists through monthly class presentations and art projects.

We rely upon volunteer art guides to give presentations, which usually last about an hour, to elementary school classes. We provide each member school with a set of 15 prints, each of which is paired with a packet of information and ideas about the presentation and an art project. Each school has a school coordinator who keeps an eye on the packets and prints. We also provide each school with a supply box which is filled with art supplies.

We offer the following levels of participation -

Level 1: Masterpiece Demonstration
This level has no cost. A Masterpiece Art board member or art guide will come to an interested school and give a one-time Masterpiece Art presentation to a class. This level allows a potentially interested school to see Masterpiece in action.

Level 2: Trial Membership
This level costs $160 in a one time fee. This allows a school to join Masterpiece for one year. Masterpiece Art will provide a supply box and a set of 7 packets and prints. This level of membership lasts only one year, and at the end of the year the school must either commit to full membership or decline the program and return the supplies, packets, and prints. This level allows a school to try Masterpiece for one year to see how well it goes.

Level 3: Full Membership
This level costs $300 as a one time start up fee, and then member schools pay an annual $60 fee. Member schools receive a supply box from Masterpiece which is refilled with art supplies twice a year. Member schools are also provided with a set of 15 packets and prints. The prints and packets are rotated and updated annually.

Note, the Board may modify the financial terms of membership depending upon the financial resources of the interested schools. Scholarships may be available to cover part or all of the fees.

If you are interested in our program or would like more information, please contact Gretchen Knudson Gee at 928-526-1388.

Digital Recruitment Pack Materials

Click here to download the Masterpiece Art Brochure.

Click here to download the Masterpiece Poster.

Click here to download the Recruitment Packet Cover.

Click here to download the Volunteer Information Flyer.

Training and Information Dates
Coordinator Drop Offs and Pick Ups
News

Upcoming Dates to be Announced

Coordinator Drop Offs and Pick Ups

TBA

News

Viola Award Nomination:
This spring, the Masterpiece Art Program of Flagstaff was nominated for a Viola Award in the “Community Organization” category. Sponsored by Flagstaff Cultural Partners, these awards “celebrate excellence in the arts in the Flagstaff area” (http://www.culturalpartners.org/awards.htm). Although we didn’t win this year, we were delighted by the nomination, testimony to the support we receive from our community volunteers.

Our Programs Grows:
In January 2010, the Roots and Shoots Homeschool Group became a new member of MAP. They fell in love with the program right away, and plan to expand the number of presentations this coming year (this past year, they held two classes a month). As noted by one of their art guides:

“We love this program. The concept is brilliant, a fun way to introduce various artists and artwork to students, while at the same time requiring us parents to become engaged. What a wonderful way to instill a love of art!”

The best thing about the Masterpiece Art Program is that the children love it. They love learning about art, and they love making art:

“The children get really excited when they realize what is on the schedule for the day. By giving them a few simple guidelines for their projects and letting them use their imaginations, they produce some truly amazing art.” (Sechrist Art Guide)