Art in the Schools

The IMA and the San Juan Island School District (SJISD) have partnered since 2010 to build a community based program to provide art education for our youth. We are working together toward a common goal: To establish and sustain a visual arts education program of excellence, ensuring that every school-aged child, regardless of economic means and developmental ability, benefits from art instruction as an integral part of their basic public school education.

Our project has three basic components:

• At the Middle School Level: Re-establish two periods of daily Visual Arts Instruction for grades 6, 7, & 8
• At the Elementary School Level: A collaborative Art Enrichment program has been implemented to augment and enrich the core curriculum and align with the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs). The program consists of residencies in each class with teaching artists from our community.
• At the Community Level: Community awareness and support has increased dramatically. During 2012 we held 10 public events/displays reaching at least 1,200 parents and community members. These included the annual Art Walk About event and a special Art Enrichment Program Exhibition at FHES. Student artwork was exhibited extensively in the FHES and FHMS libraries and hallways, at San Juan Fitness Center, the Islands Museum of Art, and in the San Juan Island Public Library. Fourteen K-8 grade students worked on painting the background and props for the Fall Community play "Oh No! Granny's Got the Remote" and the FHMS Spring play "Charlotte's Web". Fall trimester 8th grade art students participated in the Soroptomist's Logo design competition and spring trimester students designed the cover of the 8th grade promotion program. Throughout the year, 317 students and parents participated in walking field trips to the local IMA museum and galleries to see exhibitions and watch local and visiting artists create artwork and discuss their inspiration and process.

The Art in the Schools project is supported by the IMA through donations and grants. We wish to thank the following organizations for their generous support:

Washington State Arts Commission
San Juan Community Foundation
The Women's Fund of the SJICF
FHES PTA
San Juan Public Schools Foundation
Private donors – like you!

On-going research on the arts and cognition demonstrates a correlation between training in the arts and improved academic performance, which emphasizes the importance of the arts as core discipline and provides solid reasons for the College Board to become a strong advocate for the arts becoming an integral part of the core curriculum.
-National Task Force on Arts in Education College Board report, 2009.

FRIDAY HARBOR HIGH SCHOOL PUBLISHES "Eclipse"....Fine Arts and Literary Magazine

U. S. World and News Report ranks Friday Harbor High School #9 out of 626 high schools in the state of Washington, winning its highest gold ranking. Those award winning high school students have created their Eclipse....Fine Arts and Literary Magazine which highlights some of the student art produced in Andy Anderson's art classes, as well as literary works composed in English classes through the efforts of teachers, Amy Harold, Susie Hale and Tami Sindelman. Yearbook students, under the direction of teacher Barbara Ray, collected, selected and published student work to recognize "the arts." Because of the contributions of the IMA organization to the San Juan Island School District, arts education flourishes. A copy of the 32 page Eclipse may be obtained for a suggested donation of $10 to Friday Harbor High School Yearbook Class. Contact Barbara Ray at 360-378-2519 or bray98250@gmail for more information.