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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

If you are new to the AIS program the following topics may answer some of your questions. If you have further questions, or need more clarification, please contact Heather McNally, AIS Coordinator.

mural from Buckingham Elementary School, Bend, OR made with artist Deb Fisher

Common questions include:

What do teaching artists bring to my school?
What is a standard residency?
How do I bring an AIS Artist to my school?
How do I plan a residency?
What is the cost of a residency?
What are the expectations for the classroom teacher?
Can we create a custom residency?

What Do Our Teaching Artists Bring to Your Students?

Focus:

(You may combine two or more for a richer program. Arts Central staff and teaching artists will create a specific plan with you before each residency or presentation).

· Arts enrichment and/specific art skill building for its own sake. Students experience visual or performing art elements and principles and use them to create artwork or presentations

· Arts linked to specific classroom learning objectives. Teachers and artist plan how content knowledge (such as science cycles), specific skills (such as re-telling or writing) or skills (such as measuring) can inspire artistic expression

· A meet the artist lecture-demonstration usually one hour for 1-3 classes at a time. Engaging, interactive but not usually hands-on. Where do artists and performers get ideas? How do they prepare and how do they create? Will include artist demonstrations and may include media such as slides, art samples, and career information you can print out for students

· Assembly performance in theater, dance or music

· A family art night. Artist leads families in hands on fun and learning or may be performing

dance, music or theatre work for the families

· A custom-designed project for a class or larger group

· Curriculum development and alignment of art standards with other content standards

· Staff and/or parent leader in-service. Call for information on variety, focus and presenters.

· An art installation or media production for a classroom, school or community site. Permanent or semi-permanent, with or without student art involvement. Examples: garden, entrance or courtyard sculpture, murals, DVD or other semi-permanent media (book, film/video creation or documentation, etc).

· Contemporary and historical art and culture presentations with slides, visuals and/or artifacts and original works. For elementary classrooms and secondary art, humanities, and social science classes.

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How Do I Bring an AIS Residency Artist to My School?

• Review the AIS Artist Directory to select an artist to meet your needs.

• Fill out the AIS Application and send it to us to start the process, or

• Contact Heather McNally, AIS Coordinator, if you have unanswered questions.

• Plan your residency.

Tumalo Community School-Printmaking Residency
with artist in residence - Abigail Merickel

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How Do I Plan a Residency?

•Select a planning group to discuss ideas for a residency (teachers, administrators, and/or parents).

• Download and review the application .

• Appoint an on-site coordinator who will be an effective leader. This is an important choice for creating a successful residency experience for all. The coordinator serves as the liaison between the artist and faculty, administrators, parent volunteers, and PTA; plans the residency with the artist; and is the “go-to” person for the artist.

• Select an Artist. Review the AIS Artist Instructor Directory and select one (or more) artist(s). Residencies are available on a first come-first served basis. Some artists are very popular and their schedules fill early. Please have a second choice option available.

• Print and fill out the AIS Application and either mail or fax it to Arts Central. Arts Central will contact the artist, confirm dates of residency, and notify the site coordinator. Contracts will be sent to the site. The site coordinator will contact the artist directly to plan the residency. An incomplete residency application will delay processing.

•Schedule a pre-residency planning meeting with the artist at the school site or by phone (if the artist does not live in the area) to include participating teachers, principal, and/or staff, at least three weeks before the residency. The artist is paid for this planning meeting, which is usually included in the 20-hour residency week. All the details of the residency should be discussed, including scheduling, expectations, supplies, curriculum links, teacher and volunteer assistance, and school rules.

• Teacher In-service Training is encouraged during the residency. The artist can train teachers in their specific media for integration in the classroom curriculum.
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What Does a AIS Residency Cost?

• Many schools rely on their parent associations to help raise the funds to pay for an artist residency.

• Arts Central provides 25% of the actual residency cost by raising funds through donations and grants to pay for administrative costs.

• Residency payment is due at Art Central one month prior to the scheduled start of a residency.

•The site is responsible for the cost of supplies. Additionally, for out-of-town artists, lodging and one round-trip/week mileage charge at 51¢/mile, is also paid by the site. Many (not all) artists are willing to do a "home-stay" at out of town locations. This needs to be negotiated with the individual artist.

*Residency Fees (as of January 1, 2011)

HALF-DAY $200 (Up to 4 consecutive hours of service on-site any time during a calendar day/evening) 180 minutes of instruction, plus 60 minutes for required advance and on-site planning with staff, prep before, between and after classes. Half day can occur during any 4 hour period in the day (AM, mid-day, afternoon, PM).

FULL-DAY $300 (Up to 8 consecutive hours of service on-site any time during a calendar day/evening). 300 minutes of instruction per day. Plus 180 minutes for required advance and on-site planning with staff, prep before, between and after classes.top

What Are Expectations For the Classroom Teachers?

Tumalo Community School - teacher ??:

• Teachers must remain in the classroom (State law) and actively participate and manage the students. We recommend arranging for parent or adult volunteers for additional assistance, especially for classes with over 24 students.

• Provide name tags for students.

• Prepare students in advance for the residency. This might include a discussion of the art project, the artist, and the art form being taught.

• Upon completion of the residency, each participating teacher should complete a Residency Evaluation Form distributed by the site coordinator. The site coordinator will return all evaluations to AIS Coordinator at Arts Central.
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Can We Create a Custom Residency?

We can help you design a custom residency to meet your students’ needs. Possibilities include creating a multi-disciplinary residency specifically geared to your lesson plans or customizing a dramatic production or play for your curriculum.

More or less than one week—You can have an individual artist for additional weeks. You can also condense five days into three to four longer days to better accommodate an out-of-town artist or to facilitate scheduling.

Small schools— Because of a small student population, a school may use the 20 hours to increase the amount of time an artist works with students for a more intensive learning experience. You can also use some artist hours for a teacher in-service.

Larger schools— We strongly recommend limiting the amount of classrooms an artist visits in one week. The more time the artist spends with students, the more effective and significant the residency will be. If you want more than four classrooms to have an artist, then consider adding additional weeks. If you can afford only one week, you can serve a particular grade(s) each year and students will rotate into that grade in subsequent years.
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