2017-’18 to be MPS ‘Year of the Arts’
Art offerings to expand, widen student exposure
Milwaukee Public Schools announced plans Thursday to expand art offerings at its 150-plus schools, designating 2017-18 as a “Year of the Arts” at an event aimed at showcasing the vast talents of its nearly 80,000 students.
Speaking at Red Arrow Park in downtown Milwaukee, where MPS alumnus Dontre Hamilton was killed by a police officer 2014, Superintendent Darienne Driver called the arts “powerful and transformative,” and a force for healing in cities beset by poverty, segregation, violence and strife.
“The arts help us rebuild by reminding us of the common emotions and humanity that we share,” said Driver, whose own education was enriched, she said, by exposure to theater, music and dance.
“Art, I believe, can be a powerful force that can truly bring us together.” As part of the new initiative: » MPS said it will work with partners around the city, including the coalition known as CRE8MKE, to expand art offerings and integrate the arts into the district’s broader curriculum.
» Students and their families will receive art “passports,” that will give them entry to a wide variety of art venues in the city over the next year.
» Don Smiley, president and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, announced it would host a citywide student art festival on the Summerfest grounds in May.
Thursday’s event showcased the artistic talents of MPS students, including dancers, poets, visual artists and more.
The new initiative aims to expand on the programming adopted at four Milwaukee Schools that were named Turnaround Arts schools by the White House in 2016.
Turnaround Arts brings together schools, nonprofits and artist mentors to enhance arts instruction at poorly performing schools and help staff integrate the principles and instruction into the rest of their curriculum.
Research suggests that exposure to the arts — music, theater, dance, the visual arts — can have widespread positive effects for students, among them increasing creative thinking and problem-solving skills, boosting confidence, improving attendance and lowering suspensions.