A Day with Teaching Artists

As editor of Links & Threads, an Ohio Arts Council publication for school leaders and their arts partners, I have many opportunities to visit and talk with people about exemplary arts education programs. One of my favorite experiences is an annual meeting of teaching artists who spend anywhere from one day to two weeks working with teachers and students in Ohio's schools. This group is inspiring for a number of reasons:

• Though they are passionate about their work as artists, their residencies are clearly about the kids. They share their skills with students but they also think deeply about the meaning of the students' creative work.
• They are genuinely interested in each other's work and ideas.
• They bring their artistic sensibility even to non-arts areas. When a speaker gave an update about budget cuts and urged the group to write letters, they started to think about new possibilities. One artist suggested that everyone use their art to make a statement to share with the Governor.

We need more thinking like this in every area of life.