At Suncoast Arts Fest, it’s all about the kids, and raising funds to support arts education for all students in all grades in all the arts in our community!
Since the festival’s first year, Fine Arts of the Suncoast has donated event proceeds back to the community through arts education awards in Pasco County public and private schools. To date, over $97,000 has been donated, benefitting over 15,000 children and teens with supplementary visual and performing arts opportunities. Any school in Pasco County (public or private) is eligible to apply for a project in any of the artistic disciplines – Visual Arts, Music, Dance, Theatre or Multi-disciplinary, and funds may be used to cover any necessary expenses.
Here are some examples of past projects that have been funded through this valuable program.
- Christopher Still Murals with CD and lesson plans
- “Art Tubs” for classroom lessons – print, theater and modern art
- Annual support and transportation to National Portfolio Day at Ringling School of Art and Design
- Scholarships for teachers to attend the Florida Art Education Association and the Florida Alliance of Arts Education conferences
- Transportation for a student to attend the summer program at Massachusetts College of Art and Design
- Stipends for student music and drama groups
- Art supplies for classrooms with special needs students
- Drum circle in-service demonstration for teachers
- Annual cash awards for high school artists (winners of SAF’s Emerging Artists exhibition)
- Purchase of visual arts exhibition equipment
- Sponsorship of Pasco County Arts programs exhibition at the Pasco County Fair
In January, school board member, Allison Crumbley, was on hand at The Shops at Wiregrass to present the 2016 awards to 11 Pasco County schools.
2017
Funded projects for 2017 included:
Arts Clubs for Young Artists – Lacoochee Elementary School
Instructor, Marcia Workman, received funding to support supply costs for extra-curricular art clubs for each grade level. These clubs were created to give students with a special aptitude for visual art additional opportunities to learn and grow their talents.
Architectural Building Center – Seven Oaks Elementary School
Instructor, Patti Holcombe, received funding to create an architectural building center in her classroom. This hands-on area embraces the STEAM philosophy, giving students experience with balance, leverage, geometry and the principles of physics while stacking, adjusting and constructing. The architectural design process also sparks students’ imaginations and encourages self-expression while teaching important skills in creative problem-solving. This project benefits students in grades K-5 and will last for many years to come.
Texture Printmaking – Sunlake High School
Instructor, Nicole Kintz, received funding for her unit on 19th century Japanese printmaking. Students learned a two-color block print that emphasizes texture in printmaking and how the ink helps reinforce the illusion of depth.
Sanders Memorial Music Department – Sanders Memorial Elementary School
Instructor, James Coyne, received funding to grow his music department’s iPad Band. Students in the band play covers of popular songs using different apps on the iPads, allowing them to create music in a non-traditional way. As a part of the band, students learn lessons in audio engineering, performance and self-motivation.
QB Research Center – San Antonio Elementary School
Instructor, Craig Jacobowitz, received funding to set up a research and activity center for students who finish their classroom projects early. This extra-curricular station uses iPads and QR code technology to take students to lessons about contemporary artists who work in non-traditional mediums. The iPads also give Mr. Jacobowitz the tools to support differentiated learning opportunities for all students at all learning abilities.
3-D Clay Sculptures – CRES
Instructor, Michelle Parris, received funding to support her clay unit for every grade level. Clay and 3D art promotes fine motor skills, as well as various thinking strategies, such as problem-solving, sequencing, and exposure to Level 3 vocabulary words. It is also interesting for the students to see the transformation clay goes through in its stages from soft and pliable to hard and strong after firing.
SLAM: Students Learning through Art and Music – Marlowe Elementary School
Instructor, Diane Fournier, received funding to hold a SLAM day for the entire school. Throughout the day, students were able to rotate through three centers, focusing on experiential learning in art and music. The centers included activities in 3D and 2D art, collaborative art and vocal performance.
The Pitched Percussion Proposal – Classical Preparatory School
Instructor, Dr. Jeremy Scarbrough, received funding to start a music program at this new classical-model charter school in Spring Hill. Funding was used to purchase melodic instruments that are used in all of Dr. Scarbrough’s K-8 classes. He was also able to purchase an Alto Xylophone and a chromatic set of resonator bells.
African Cultural Masks and Weavings – Cypress Elementary School
Instructor, Pamela DeVito-Hill, received funding for a school-wide cultural art project. Students learned about a variety of African cultural traditions and their symbolism. They were, then, able to create their own weavings and masks showing personal symbolism using African styles.
Program Portfolio – Wesley Chapel High School
Instructor, Wade Slater, received funding to help low-income students build professional portfolios of their work, which they could use to apply for college art programs and in job interviews.
Vincent van Gogh on the Go – Connerton Elementary School
Instructor, Mary Hensel, received funding for her students to visit the “Vincent van Gogh on the Go” travelling art exhibit. This opportunity gave students living in a rural community the opportunity to see artwork in a museum setting without leaving the school’s campus. Afterwards, the students created Van Gogh-inspired artwork, which was on display at the school’s annual art show.
2016
Funded projects for 2016 include:
Live Jazz for the Community – Crews Lake Middle School
Crews Lake Middle School received an award for music instructor Dennis Rowan’s project called “Live Jazz for the Community”. The grant will be used to purchase more jazz standards for the school’s small library and will help cover bus rental for the students public performances at American Legion Halls and for residents of The Angelus. The jazz students at Crews Lake are excited to expand their repertoire and audiences in Pasco County.
Mural Madness – Fivay High School
Fivay High School was awarded for instructor David “Wade” Slater’s “Mural Madness” project. This year’s funds will go to continue the mural project that was started with Suncoast Arts Fest funds in 2015. It will go to purchase enough paints and art supplies to complete several small murals around the high school. The goal is to add a little school spirit and personality to the new building.
Project Quality Learning – Fivay High School
Fivay High School received a second award for instructor Sarah Childers’ “Project Quality Learning”. The goal of the project is to provide students with resources that will enhance their learning in the music classroom. These will include: classroom set of metronomes, classroom set of tuners and tuner clips for the instruments. The metronomes and tuners will be available for students to check out and use for at home practice as well as utilize them in the classroom learning.
Printing Press – Wiregrass Ranch High School
Wiregrass Ranch High School received a grant for art teacher Darcy Fermin’s project called “Printing Press”. For this project, the class will be working with a printing press to create etchings and linoleum carvings to create one of a kind prints. Students will research and learn about various types of printmaking and the pro and cons to each method. Through their research, students will decide which method best suites their talents and styles. Then each student will develop their very own print design and print it twice, using the printing press.
Clay Daze – Classical Preparatory School
Classical Preparatory School and teacher Lynne Brown received a grant for “Clay Daze”. Classical Preparatory School opened in 2014, with temporary portables. Art classes were provided by an art teacher on a cart. Only middle school students were able to use air dry clay to make a project. This year art is in a permanent building with an art room. The school acquired a used kiln over the summer. This grant will provide a ceramic art experience for each of the school’s 403 students this school year. That’s kindergarten through ninth grade. The funds will cover costs for low fire clay, glazes and a class set of ceramic tools/supplies. All students will benefit from a three dimensional clay piece this year.
Sailing into Wellness – Anclote Elementary School
Anclote Elementary School and teacher Dan Garcia’s were awarded for “Sailing into Wellness”, a program created by the art department to support the school’s goal to improve the mental and physical wellness of its students. Grant funds will provide each student in the program with a sketch pad and art pencils to serve as an emotional outlet. Studies show that both manuscript and art journals are a wonderful outlet for a student to let out emotions that might otherwise manifest into some type of negative behavior.
Cameras – River Ridge High School
River Ridge High School received an award for Julianna Stewart’s “Cameras” project, which will focus on teaching students how to shoot creatively on a DSLR camera. They will learn to interact with settings, lenses and lighting to create and design artwork and to prepare students for a future career in digital design. This program will challenge students by asking them to think outside the box and move beyond cell phone photography with easy snap and shoot. This project will allow serious art students to thrive in photography and digital imaging.
Shine on St. Pete Murals and the Dali Museum – Land O’ Lakes High School
Land O’ Lakes High School received funding for Cindy Smith’s project “Shine on St. Pete Murals/Art District and the Dali Museum”. This grant will allow Ms. Smith to take her art students on a day trip to downtown St. Pete that will include a guided tour of the Dali Museum, followed by a walking tour of the downtown arts district to view the “Shine Mural Project” that has become such a rich tradition there. Students will be expected to photograph the architecture at the Dali and of St. Pete’s surrounding urban settings. After the trip, students will be asked to submit their favorite photos for a school photography exhibit that documents the trip.
Have Paint – Need Brushes – West Zephyrhills Elementary School
West Zephyrhills Elementary School was awarded for Becky Brown’s project “Have Paint – Need Brushes”. West Zephyrhills Elementary has approximately 850 students, but only one full time and one part-time art teacher. This grant will help these teachers purchase new paintbrushes for use in their classrooms. All the students at West Zephyrhills will benefit from having the appropriate brushes and learning proper painting techniques.
Linoleum Block Painting – Rushe Middle School
Rushe Middle School received a grant for art teacher Amy Wilson’s “Linoleum Block Printing” project . This grant will allow students to learn and experience printmaking and how to reproduce artwork. Funds will purchase more linoleum cutters, new blades, linoleum blocks and ink. Printmaking is part of the curriculum and standards for Exploring 2D Art, and this project will help better prepare Rushe’s students for high school.
Clay Sculptures – Cotee River Elementary School
Cotee River Elementary School received funding for Michelle Parris’s, “Clay Sculptures” project. The supplies asked for in this grant will be used for unit on Form/3-D art for kindergarten through fifth grade. Students learn about 3-D sculpture through manipulation of clay, while also differentiating between utilitarian and non-utilitarian sculptures. They learn clay hand building methods appropriate for their age and grade level as they follow sequential procedures to complete their projects.
2012
2012 Funded Projects:
Land O’ Lakes High School – $500.00
“found” object instruments – Band
Fivay High School – $500.00
Half cost of bus to festival – Band
Wesley Chapel High School – $500.00
Bringing in USF professionals – Band
Dayspring Academy – $295.00
Music Writing Software – Music
Longleaf Elementary – $500.00
Musical Scripts, Costumes, Set – Theater
Wesley Chapel High School – $500.00
Professional Development – Dance
Mitty P. Lock Elementary – $426.93
iPad – Visual Arts
West Zepherhills Elementary – $120.00
Plaster mask making materials – Visual Arts
Wesley Chapel Elementary School – $500.00
Animation – Visual Arts
Connerton Elementary – $500.00
Family Clay Night – Visual Arts
Shady Hills Elementary – $390.80
Leathercraft – Visual Arts
Anclote Elementary – $499.00
iPad – Visual Arts
Pine View Elementary – $363.01
Mask Making – Visual Arts
Denham Oaks Elementary – $490.00
iPad – Visual Arts
Lacoochee Elementary – $500.00
Japanese Straw Painting – Visual Arts
Longleaf Elementary – $500.00
iPad – Visual Arts
Wiregrass Ranch High – $500.00
Artist in Action NAHS – Visual Arts Secondary
Ridgewood High – $500.00
Clay Monoprints – Visual Arts Secondary
Land O’ Lakes High School – $500.00
Figurative Clay Sculptures – Visual Arts Secondary
RB Stewart Middle – $454.33
O’Keefe Pastels – Visual Arts Secondary
River Ridge – $448.00
iPad – Visual Arts Secondary
Mitchell High School – $428.84
Cultural art, weaving, paper clay – Visual Arts Secondary
Fivay High School – $500.00
School Murals, Display Boards
Thomas E. Weightman Middle – $100.00
Art supplies – VSA Extension
Total awarded = $10,813.91
2011
In 2011, Suncoast Arts Fest expanded its giving with a new “Arts for Kids” mini-grant program. In its first year, the festival was able to award 11 project grants and funded tuition for 16 teachers to attend the Florida Art Education Association conference.
Project grants included:
Crews Lake Middle School – $475
Classroom Supplies
Centennial Middle School – $480
Intro to Digital Design
Connerton Elementary School – $500
Adaptive Tools
Gulf High School – $500
Kids With Cameras
Land O’ Lakes High School – $500
Electronic Music Apps
Land O’ Lakes High School – $500
Art Appreciation & History
Odessa Elementary School – $500
Clay Sculptures
Ridgewood High School – $500
Fusing and Reusing
River Ridge High School – $218
Adobe Photoshop Class
Woodland Elementary School – $500
Environmental Wall Mosaic
Zephyrhills High School – $500
Plein Air Painting Workshop
2010
In 2010, Suncoast Arts Fest funded a youth arts-based calendar at www.ArtsGoForward.com. This site was created to promote Pasco County youth arts programs and resources with plans to grow its services to include direction and resources for futher education in the arts.
2009
In 2009, festival funds were used to promote elementary art to offset arts education budget cuts in Pasco County schools.
2008
The 2008 SAF raised funds were used to send fifty 11th – 12th graders to the Ringling College of Art and Design for “Portfolio Day”, where 53 national arts colleges review works of aspiring art students in a variety of creative fields.
2007
The 2007 show raised enough funds for five “Art to Go” teaching trunks full of visual and performing arts resources. These trunks remain available to all Pasco county schools and include the following themes and teaching materials:
- Modern Art: including books, videos, posters, sculptures and mobiles.
- Printmaking: including books, videos, lesson plans, Gyotaku fish print models, brayers and ink trays.
- Theater: Viola Spolin – Theater Game File, on stage theater games, activities for kids, props (all from Spolin Collection).
- Egypt: Artifacts
- Native American Art
2005
In 2005, fine artist Christopher Still made a presentation alongside members of Suncoast Arts Fest that featured ten of his murals depicting Florida history. Framed prints of these murals, interactive audio CD’s and teacher lessons were placed in a “traveling tub” for use by all Pasco County Schools both public and private, K-12. The original murals currently hang in the House of Representatives located in Tallahassee, Florida. Pasco County school board members, art teachers, students and the public were invited to Longleaf Elementary School for this presentation.
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