For Immediate Release: October 10, 2008
Contact: Jeff Morgan
Public Relations
515.281.3858
Jeff.Morgan@iowa.gov
New cultural learning tools available to educators, students, public
Curriculum-based programs focus on folklife and traditional arts and artists
(DES MOINES, Iowa)— The Iowa Arts Council has introduced two new curriculum-based learning tools that focus on folklife and traditional arts and artists.
Working in partnership with the University of Northern Iowa as well as many folk artists and their communities, IAC has launched “Iowa Folklife Volume II” on-line at www.uni.edu/iowaonline/folklife_v2.
The new resource offers K-12 students and educators units about Iowa’s Vietnamese, Lao, Danish, Asian Indian and Meskwaki cultures as well as Latino, Gospel, Old Time, Polka and Blues music. The Web site includes content pages as well as lesson plans, photos, audio samples, videos, suggested readings and more.
“Students and teachers can use the whole curriculum or just one unit,” IAC Folklife Coordinator Riki Saltzman said. “We strongly encourage educators to bring featured traditional artists or those from their community into the classroom to enhance the learning experience.”
Hotlinks in each unit take participants to featured traditional artist pages, and to the Iowa Folklife Roster and Iowa Roots pages for artists’ contact information. For funding, educators should visit www.iowaartscouncil.org to apply for an IAC grant for artists’ fees and other program expenses.
The program’s first phase, the award-winning “Iowa Folklife: Our People, Communities and Traditions” – online at www.uni.edu/iowaonline/folklife/intro/index.htm –contains resources, activities and learning guides for teachers, students and senior citizens.
In the second curriculum-based program, IAC is making “Influence and Inspiration: Iowa’s Cultural and Artistic Legacy Evolves” educational packets available to Iowa teachers and students.
Designed by a group of multi-grade level educators, the packets contain DVDs of contemporary, folk and traditional artists; images of each artist’s work; lesson plans that adhere to national and Iowa education standards; artists’ biographies; and Web and print resources related to each artist.
One DVD is a recording of two television programs IAC produced in partnership with Iowa Public Television showcasing seven of Iowa’s most compelling contemporary artists. The artists share what fuels their creative spirit and inspires their artwork, which ranges in medium from aerosol art to kinetic sculpture.
The second DVD highlights the folk traditions of Czech Egg Decorating, Meskwaki Beadwork, Amana Quilting, Norwegian Wood Carving and traditional Lao instrument making. The five featured artists explain how they learned their traditions and how their work preserves their cultural heritage.
“The DVDs introduce students to each artist, while additional resources give them the opportunity for an in-depth exploration of these Iowa artists,” IAC’s Sarah Ekstrand said. “Students will explore the artists themes, techniques and artistic influences, and then do their own creative work.”
The DVDs and curriculum packets are produced as part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ “American Masterpieces” initiative.
Packets will be available to educators by December 2008. Educators can request a packet beginning Nov. 1, 2008 by visiting www.iowaartscouncil.org.
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The Iowa Arts Council is a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and works to enrich the quality of life for Iowans through support of the arts. Funding for the Iowa Arts Council and its programs is provided by the State of Iowa and the National Endowment for the Arts. Please visit www.iowaartscouncil.org for more information.