February 3, 2005

Arts Council Silicon Valley puts the arts in little hands

Rosemary School receives grant

From a baby’s first lullaby to a 5-year old’s performance of a favorite story, the arts play a significant role in a child’s cognitive, motor, language and social/emotional development. Access to developmentally appropriate arts experiences is critical for all young children at all ability levels.

Arts Council Silicon Valley and FIRST 5 Santa Clara County recently announced the recipients of the Arts Enrichment Grant (AEG) Program to provide early education arts experiences at 20 preschools and community sites throughout Santa Clara County. One of the recipients of the program is Rosemary Elementary School’s Family Learning Center in Campbell.

More than $120,000 in total funding was awarded to five artists and seven community arts organizations to serve more than 1,500 children under the age of 6.

“FIRST 5 Santa Clara County is pleased to be able to offer a high-quality, integrated fine arts program for our youngest children,” said Jolene Smith, executive director FIRST 5 Santa Clara County. “The Commission is committed to ensuring children prenatal through 5 years have the opportunity to experience the arts as they begin their journey of learning.”

In addition to providing hands-on arts programming for young children and increasing the awareness of the importance of early arts education, the AEG Program will help early educators examine opportunities to integrate fine arts learning for young children as part of a comprehensive kindergarten readiness curriculum.

“We know that the arts are a natural way for young children to develop physically, socially and intellectually,” said Bruce W. Davis, executive director of Arts Council Silicon Valley. “Thanks to FIRST 5’s continued support, the Arts Council is able to increase the number of arts enrichment opportunities for our youth.”

The Arts Enrichment Grants recipient artists are:

* Mara Beckerman – a music & movement artist from Cupertino will be working at Kennedy and Hillsdale Head Start programs in San Jose.

* Mark Engel – a visual artist from Santa Clara will be working at Rosemary Elementary School Family Learning Center in Campbell and Hellyer Head Start in San Jose.

* Kristen Kusanovich – a dancer from Santa Clara will be working at Parkway Child Development Center and McKinley Head Start in San Jose

* Gertrud Turner – a visual artist from Mt. Hamilton will be working at Estrella Family Services in San Jose

* Olga Loya – a storyteller/from San Jose will be working at Leavsely and Del Buono child centers in Gilroy.

FIRST 5 Santa Clara County has funded the Arts Council Silicon Valley, Cultural Initiative Silicon Valley, San Jose Public Library, and Wolftrap Institute for Early Learning to work in collaboration with the FIRST 5-funded E3 Institute to conduct this AEG Program.

About Arts Council Silicon Valley
Founded in 1982, Arts Council Silicon Valley is an independent, nonprofit arts agency dedicated to providing funding and advocacy support, and fundraising and marketing services to the region’s arts organizations and artists. As the official state/local partner with the California Arts Council and the County of Santa Clara, Arts Council Silicon Valley is now the largest nonprofit arts council in the state. Over the past 13 years, the Arts Council has distributed nearly $8 million to local arts and cultural organizations, individual artists, schools, and community groups.