When every 750 students in a Chicago Public School share one half-time art or music teacher, how do students get the opportunity to explore ways of learning that can mean the difference between academic success and failure? Convergence09, an exhibit organized by Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE), will celebrate the efforts of professional artists and public school teachers to increase student achievement by integrating the arts into the classroom.
Convergence09 will feature artwork, installations, video and recorded performances from schools participating in CAPE’s Veteran Partnerships, an arts integration program for teachers and artists. The exhibit will take place from Monday, June 1 to Friday, June 5 at IIT Institute of Design (350 N. LaSalle, 6th floor) and will be open to the general public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A reception and performances will be held Wednesday, June 3rd from 5 to 8 p.m.
In CAPE’s Veteran Partnerships program, professional artists work together with Chicago Public School teachers and students to explore social issues, music, math and other academic subjects through the arts. These partnerships often yield academic and artistic results that are inspiring, surprising and sophisticated and Convergence09 will showcase the classroom collaborations of the 2008-09 school year.
“My colleagues and I have come to see ourselves, through our arts-integrated work, as educational leaders in our school, and our students have come to see themselves, through their performances and exhibitions, as arts stars in our schools”, says Jesl Cruz, a special education teacher from Victor Herbert Elementary School that will participate in the exhibit.
Founded in 1992, Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) is a nationally-recognized arts education organization that serves over 100 Chicago Public Schools with arts partnerships, after-school programming, professional development for teachers and artists, and measurement/assessment of arts and education initiatives. CAPE is funded by grants from Polk Bros. Foundation, the Illinois State Board of Education, the National Endowment for the Arts, and contributions from other foundations and individual donors.
For more information about CAPE and Convergence09, please visit http://www.capeweb.org or contact the CAPE staff at 312.870.6140.
