Invite a painter, African drummer, drama coach, or writer into your classroom! Watch the delight on your students’ faces as they learn new skills in music, drama, visual arts, and creative writing.

(High Lakes Elementary School, 5th grade mural, Deb Fisher)

We have an AIS Artist Directory of 20 professional dancers, musicians, artists, actors and writers who love to teach children and youth their art form. Let one of our talented and skilled teaching artists transform your students and curriculum and bring the magic of the arts into your classroom.

AIS is an educational outreach arm of Arts Central, the non-profit regional arts and culture council for Central Oregon. AIS is a partner of a 30-year-old statewide Residency Network of similar residency programs.

Scholarships for Title 1 Schools (updated as of October 21, 2008)

Arts Central is writing grants to secure funding for ten “Title 1” schools outside Bend. We are hoping to raise enough funding for two weeks of residencies per eligible school. Our goal is to provide students in small, rural schools an opportunity to experience the joy of the arts and learn a new skill. Part of the scholarship includes the visiting artist to provide an in-service to the teachers so they can incorporate an arts lesson plan into their academic curriculum.  If you are interested in applying for a grant for your school please email Ingrid Lustig, Education Director.

Service Region

Residency artists travel to schools in five counties: Deschutes, Jefferson, Crook, Lake, and Klamath (a 22,000 square mile area). Any public or private school is invited to host a residency artist.

To bring artists to other sites such as pre-schools, senior centers, youth facilities, or community centers, contact our mobile art studio, VanGo.

In-Service Teacher Training

Residency artists also can provide in-service training for teachers to learn a particular art project or skill to use in their classrooms. Arts Central believes the arts should be more fully integrated into Oregon’s elementary curriculum. Therefore we encourage your school to include in-service training during the residency.

Our residency artists can provide reading materials, instruction, lesson plans, tips, and demonstrations in their art form so school teachers can easily include art activities in their curriculum.