ESPrit de Corps

A few weeks ago, I posted the following query on the ESP Facebook page

” ESP started as a NYSCA program. Does it end, as NYSCA ends “Empire State Partnership” grants? Or does ESP endure? If so, how?”

Floyd Rumohr, former Executive Director of Stages of Learning  (a frequent ESP grantee) drafted a very thoughtful response, which I’ve posted below.   It covers the perspective of what the field can/should do, as well as what individual organizations can and should do.   Floyd and I both hope you find it of value.  Floyd’s email is at the bottom, should you wish to contact him directly.

Cheers,

Phil

 The ESP Identity

by Floyd Rumohr

            “Identity” is an essential process outcome of a thoughtful strategic inquiry that examines vision, mission/purpose, environmental context (including the overall industry, if that in fact, can described before it changes again), core values/beliefs, etc.  A key context issue of the Empire State Partnerships involves government funding priorities and resources in an already tumultuous up and down, in-an-out (trend-wise) of hot topics in education.

            Unpacking and describing language that describes identity almost always requires courage among the stakeholders because the process can cut to the quick of raw nerves sensitive to change.  Evolutionary change is implicit in organizational and programmatic identity because who an organization/program is does not exist in an environment divorced of external and internal forces that can act up on it.  An example of an external force is the global economy bombarding enterprises of all kinds that can destabilize under or (previously) well-resourced operations.  An example of an internal force could be the integration of new office software and the increased professional development needs of staff who have had to experience furloughs and consistent pay cuts instead of pay increases for work well done.  Such reductions can demoralize a staff and steadily act to erode unity and ultimately performance quality through the years.  The staff is changing.  The external environment is changing.  And the program or organization changes, too.  Essential questions for leadership include:

1. Did we plan for these changes and if not why not?
2. What is the process for understanding and communicating who we are as an organization or program?
3. Once understood, what do we do with that information? 
4. What does sustainability look like for us given who we are in our current reality?  If sustainability can only exist as an abstract idea and no longer continue to be operationalized in our current way of thinking, then what are the options?

      Courage will be needed to ask such questions of ESP stakeholders – but that’s nothing new.  ESP stakeholders have been through good times and bad.  They have been funders’ flavor of the week and on the lowest rung of the social priority ladder.  They have prioritized, improvised, hypothesized, and even hypnotized stakeholders with their astonishing work.   It’s always important to look around and within, but now more so than ever–within thoughts about identity among our own boards and staffs.  Look around for some really smart non stakeholders who can bring a fresh perspective to the process, too.  Many existing members of our community might be too in love with an idea as it existed in the past to conceive of appropriate evolutions.

As some members of my beloved ESP community are aware, I was President & CEO of Stages of Learning for 15 years.  Several years ago, I began to notice changes in the external environment that could threaten organizations at $1m in annual revenues – vulnerability that I wasn’t sure the organization could surmount.  But even more importantly, I escalated tough questions about identity and sustainability.  Stages began to ask, How do we sustain an A+ program amid a C- institution? and shifted its thinking away from institution-building and toward alternative strategies to stabilize the core program.  By October 2007, Stages of Learning was looking into innovative solutions to ensure mission-driven sustainability in an intensely competitive environment for small nonprofits.  Conversations commenced with possible strategic partners until March 2008 when the boards of both Stages of Learning and Queens Theatre in the Park approved the idea of a merger. It seems to me the ESP program itself and many organizations within its community might be in a similar place.  That is, asking themselves about strategically sustainable options for core programming.

Not all great ideas are sustainable in a market-driven, recessed economy – even if those ideas have been effectively operationalized in the past.  Stages of Learning is a good example of this. While extremely effective for sixteen years, and its future was always uncertain, a key question the organization is now asking itself is Can the environment support an organization whose singular focus is to provide collaborative drama instruction to the public schools? 

I do know that whatever happens next at Stages will be a thoughtful, graceful plan of action because of sensible understanding of its identity in the current and anticipated world around us and not an unplanned reaction to environmental forces (An unplanned reaction would be a rapid bankruptcy, for example, which we have seen in a handful of programs in our community over the past two-three years).

“Who” (identity) an organization or program is should not be divorced from “what” (mission/purpose). What you do, the actions taken on daily basis to fulfill the vision, are the manifestations of organizational/programmatic identity. Any process concerned with identity should seek alignment between vision and mission. The unfortunate and sad outcome of misalignment, I think, will be obvious.

Identity is a process theme that will be more and more evident in a world that is generating more new information each year than in the all of the combined years preceding it.  Like teenagers who dye their hair, pinch a nerve, or pierce anything in pursuit of understanding who they are, programs like ESP might experience a makeover, offend some and exhilarate others, and penetrate into the heart of what makes it tick.  Or not, as the case may be, going forward.

For more information, contact Floyd Rumohr at frumohr@yahoo.com .

Trails of Learning
AIE Institute of Central New York Community Arts Council and Greene CSD
2008-2009

Teaching Artist: Charlie Bremer
Classroom Teachers: Donna Dajnowski (art teacher), Kelly Erickson (3rd grade), Marion Giannetto (4th grade), Anne Beach (5th grade), Ben Eggleston (5th grade), Kim Rullo (5th grade)

Nature Trail Journals
Students grade 3-5

This year’s focus was on the school’s nature trail, for which large embossed concrete markers were created under the guidance of teaching artist Charlie Bremer.  In Art Class, students designed covers for Trail Journals they used in their classrooms to document the theme of trails throughout the year. For the covers, 5th Graders based their designs on Wycinanki, symmetrical, highly stylized Polish papercuts featuring plants & animals.  4th Graders were inspired by the colorful & intricate radial designs found on many oriental rugs, & for their designs, they chose flora & fauna motifs.  3rd Graders created colorful & stylized  insect designs  based on Molas made by the Kuna people of San Blas Island. Students also worked collaboratively in Art Class & their classrooms to create designs & templates for the concrete nature trail markers.

Listen to Visual Art teacher Donna Dajnowski provide an overview of this project
GreeneCSD1.mp3 (7448 KB)

Listen to Donna Dajnowski talk about the importance of collaboration on a project like this one.
GreeneCSD2.mp3 (3109 KB)

Puppetry Story Telling

Young Audiences New York (YANY) with PS 205XTeaching Artist: Erin Orr
Classroom Teacher: Jackie Mellusi

Grade 1
March – May 2009

Yam Puppet (for Anansi story), Jessica Dominguez
Spider Mask, Jessica Dominguez
Tiger Mask, Jessica Dominguez
Cat Mask, Jessica Dominguez

The students made puppets and masks as part of a storytelling unit. The students worked with clay, sequins, crayons, and construction paper to create the masks and puppet. The students expressed themselves through storytelling with masks and puppets.

Self-Portraits

Young Audiences New York (YANY) with PS 205X

Teaching Artists: Rachelle Street
Classroom Teachers: Sonia Mazza, Lauren Lamantia, Jamie Guglielmo

Grade 2
February – May 2009

Student Artists:
Francesca Mejia, Brandon Gonzalez, Mark Spencer,
Noe Zambrano, Selena Cipriano, Sheila Mohammed

Pastel on paper

We were chosen to participate in a Bright; Light Art Residency at the beginning of the year.  Through the Bright Light program we created a 12 week residency that connected art with our social studies curriculum.  Each art lesson was designed to enhance the students knowledge of Leonardo DaVinci, Art, and Italy.  Leonardo DaVinci created many portraits and we thought it would be a great experience for the kids to create their own but of themselves. My favorite part of our residency/the project was seeing the students perspective of themselves and talking to them about their art, it allowed me to get to know my students on a different level.  I was able to see their creativity and personalities shine through their self portraits.

William Grant Still Inspired Quilt
American Symphony Orchestra with East Meadow School District
(work exhibited from W.T. Clarke High School)

Educators: Mrs. Shari Zimmerman and Mr. James Parisi
Student Artists: Ms. Zimmerman’s 9th grade Studion One classes

4-week unit

This project was created in partnership with the American Symphony Orchestra Grant Project.  The work was inspired by a concert by William Still Grant. and the Ashanti of Ghana and Adinkra textile decoration.

The idea for this quilt was born out of several of our brainstorming sessions to develop a project for the ASO grant project.  The first lesson was established and from that evolved another until our final brainstorming resulted in creating a multiple class project. Every year we design an installation art for the ASO grant project. At first, the quilt was to be a large single unit. However, we were told at the last minute it could no longer be hung as planned. We revised and came up with the individual panels that could be hung separately or as a unit. The only disappointment was we could only hang 3 panels at Lincoln Center. It will be hung at our school eventually in its entirety. We always say at the end of these large projects….no more….but…LOL…we always come up with a new idea we’re excited about. Actually, we really do enjoy them….a lot! This year we did 3 large group installation pieces!

Listen to Classroom Teacher Janet Monahan talk about the making of this project.
YANY.mp3 (6601 KB)

Community Workers
Young Audiences New York (YANY) with PS 205X

Teaching Artist: Jo-Ann Brody
Classroom Teacher: Janet Monahan

Grade 1
January – May 2009

Fire Fighter, Kevin Guadarrama
Nurse, Ashley Feliciano
Chef, Krista Figari

Ceramic bells, glazed

We based our project on a first grade Social Studies unit: Community Workers. We decided that a community worker statue would be a great way to teach the students about the members of their neighborhood. We discussed attire, occupation, job titles, and how they help their community and each other. We enjoyed giving the students the ability to use fine motor skills, experience the art of clay, and student reflection.

Hallwalls and Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts

Grade 11
Graphic Design Class

Student Artists (clockwise from top left):
Amber Llano Negro, Aujanea Donalson, Sudaniel Singletary, Danielle Madley, Jamiah, Kelly, Naziere Goffe, Albert Richardson, Sean Walker, Cheyenne Chatman

Holland Community Quilt
Young Audiences of New York (YA-WNY) with H.O. Brumsted (Holland)

Teaching Artist: Cynnie Gaasch
Classroom Teacher: Susan Kellner

March-May 2009
Grade 1

The first grade students at H.O. Brumsted Elementary School participated in visual art and quilting workshops with Cynnie Gaasch, teaching artist and educator with YA-WNY.  H.O. Brumsted Elementary school is located in Holland, a rural community south of Buffalo.  Cynnie worked with the students and their teachers to create the handmade quilts.  Students explored ideas and images that make the Holland community unique.  These aspects— community workers, farms, the Holland Speedway, the annual Tulip Festival, the volunteer fire department, and Cazenovia Creek were integrated into collages, drawings, and finally fabric quilt squares.  Individual quilt squares created by students in the workshops were incorporated into a whole-class quilt.  When finished, each quilt in itself was unique.  The quilts will be displayed in a community venue this coming school year.  Similar quilts, created in 07/08, are now hanging in a local senior living facility.

Listen to Holly Johnson, AiE Director for YAWNY describe the making of this quilt.

YAWNY_Holland.mp3 (3540 KB)

Maritcha Lyons: A Portrait
Rush Gallery at Lyons Community School

Teaching Artists: Sameeh Alderazi, Millie Burns, Boyce Cummings, Maureen Cummins, David Camacho, Charlotte Gapp, Meridith McNeal, Gabriel Pacheco, Scott Pfaffman, Marie Roberts, Duhirwe Rushemeza and Alexandria Smith

Fall 2008–Spring 2009
Grades 6-10

Every teacher and student from Lyons Community School participated in the making of this book.

About the project:

To kick off the school year Rush Gallery at Lyons Community School worked with every student and teacher on a collaborative book, Maritcha Lyons: A Portrait, about Maritcha Lyons (the school’s namesake).  Each class worked with a different Rush Teaching Artist on a chapter.  The piece was bound and boxed by book Artist Maureen Cummings.

Brief descriptions of classes:

Working with Rush Teaching Artist Alexandria Smith, sixth graders investigated the career paths of Maritcha Lyons and her family members.  Students used images and text to depict the variety of jobs Lyons and her family held, ranging from porter and teacher to preacher, and hairdresser, as examples.

Seventh grade students worked with Rush Teaching Artist Millie Burns to create Maritcha Lyons’ imagined diary entries for two dates in July 1863: one before and one after the race riots in New York City.  The Lyons home in Lower Manhattan was burned in these devastating riots, causing the family to relocate to Rhode Island.

Seventh graders viewed images created by artists from the Maritcha Lyons era. Then, led by Rush Teaching Artist Boyce Cummings, students painted their own versions of these master works.

Rush Teaching Artist Sameeh Alderazi led students on an exploration of 19th century Brooklyn architecture.  Seventh graders drew large-scale images, then selected their favorite elements to depict on small-scale book pages.

Bicycles, carriages, horses and walking were the transportation modes of Maritcha Lyons’ lifetime.  Working with Rush Teaching Artist Boyce Cummings, students took inspiration from these transit forms for their drawings.

Following a discussion of the Civil War and its impact on Maritcha Lyons’ family, Rush Teaching Artist Duhirwe Rushemeza guided ninth graders as they explored how events are portrayed in the media.  Students then developed their own newspaper headlines to be depicted in a wood block print.

How much would you spend for a new watch?  Rush Teaching Artist Charlotte Gapp led tenth graders on a price comparison using vintage Sears catalogs and contemporary sales circulars.  Advertising images were transferred to book pages using wintergreen oil and photocopy transfers, which students enhanced with colored pencil.

In these pages, Maritcha Lyons’ family tree is depicted in individual “leaves” representing specific family members.  Rush Teaching Artist Gabriel Pacheco asked students to look at photographs of the Lyons family as well as artistic depictions of family trees as inspiration to create a group “tree” of individual portrait leaves.

Maritcha’s brother, Albro Lyons Jr., was employed as a pharmacist in a drugstore near 20 Vanderwater Street in Brooklyn.  Rush Teaching Artist Marie Roberts showed sixth graders images of pharmacy products of the time, and students used nib pen and ink to draw from these historical references.

Rush Director of Education Meridith McNeal, assisted by Rush Education Intern Jennifer Dodson, asked sixth graders to view and discuss hundreds of images of clothing from Maritcha Lyons’ lifetime.  Using nib pen and ink students carefully depicted the clothing items of their choice.

Teatime in Maritcha Lyons’ lifetime meant cucumber sandwiches, jubilee cake and ginger snaps.  Rush Teaching Artist Alexandria Smith distributed 19th century recipes for these treats, and students used watercolors to create background washes on which they wrote out their favorite Victorian teatime recipes.
Listen to Meridith McNeal discuss the making of this book.
Rush-Lyons.mp3 (6790 KB)

What Choices Are We Making?
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum with PS 88

Teaching Artist: Antonia Perez
Classroom Teacher: Katia Vacchio

Grades 3-5, Special Education
Fall 2008 – Spring 2009

Walk in the Park
Student Artists: Maggie, Nicole, Yonorys, Alinda, Joshua, Gabriel, Tyreik, Arifur
Combined collograph printed figures and painted background on paper

This mural grew out of a process that began with a conversation between the teaching artist and classroom teacher in which it was decided that the theme for the year would be “choice.” Eventually the essential question “What choices are we making?” was decided upon. Classroom curricula devoted to the study of shapes and of the body was incorporated into the design of the collograph printmaking project, in which students made full figure self-portraits. They learned to make many artistic choices, such as choosing shapes and colors to represent parts of the body. They learned the names of each part of the body.  As they learned to make artistic choices their teacher was also emphasizing behavioral choices in school. Eventually the collograph plates were also used to print onto a long paper that would become the mural. Students chose their placements in the composition. They made color choices and each painted a large segment of the mural.
Listen to Teaching Artist Antonia Perez talk about how much time a project like this takes.
Guggenheim_Time.mp3 (2016 KB)

Listen to Teaching Artist Antonia Perez discuss the theme of this mural.

Guggenheim_Theme.mp3 (1597 KB)

A short overview of the making of this mural - who was involved, where the idea for it came from, and what the students took away from the process and outcomes.
Guggenheim_Overview.mp3 (5129 KB)