California Arts Council

Karen S. Kim GLENDALE -- The Legislature's Joint Committee on the Arts, led by its chairman, state Sen. Jack Scott (D-Glendale), will host a public hearing Dec. 3 at Burbank City Hall. The hearing, "The Arts Advantage to California in the Changing World," will be hosted with the help of the California Arts Council. The forum will feature a number of speakers discussing arts and culture, arts education and funding and the role of arts in the tourism industry and foreign businesses.

Alecia Foster NORTHWEST GLENDALE -- A Hoover High School senior was among nine Southern California students recently recognized for excellence and commitment to the arts. Dancer Ani Zadorian received the award Monday night from the California Arts Council as part of the organization's celebration of Arts Education Month. Zadorian began dancing when she was 10 at the HelenZohrabian Dance Academy in Montrose. She has trained in classical ballet, modern dance, jazz, tap and folk.

Alecia Foster NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- Arts education in Glendale will get a boost thanks to a $106,703 grant. The grant, awarded by the California Arts Council, is part of a $10-million state effort to promote the art programs in public schools, which have often suffered under budget cuts. "That's usually one of the first things to go," said Eve Rappoport, community services supervisor for the city's Arts & Culture Commission. The grant was awarded to the commission in partnership with the Glendale Unified School District.

Gary Moskowitz Kelby Hernandez spent Thursday afternoon learning Iranian tribal dance moves, but proposed state budget cuts might keep him from learning any new Middle Eastern dance moves at school next year. "I like break dancing, and this could maybe make me better at it," said Kelby, 8. "I like all the cool moves we are learning. I never got to dance like this at school before." Kelby and about 20 of Ann Rolfe's third-graders at Cerritos Elementary School have spent the past six weeks learning about Persian music and dance from Iranian-born Banafsheh Sayyad.

LITERACY PROGRAMS WHAT HAPPENED The City Council approved appropriating $117,500, obtained from three approved grants, to the Glendale Public Library for literacy programs. WHAT IT MEANS The Glendale Public Library will use the money for the Families for Literacy Grant, two English Language Literacy Intensive Grants, Glendale Family Literacy and Learning Center and the English Language & Literacy Initiative. The programs aim to improve the literacy of children, teenagers and parents through storytelling, books, computer resources and literacy-themed activities.

Janine Marnien Several area arts organizations are a little richer, thanks to awards from the California Arts Council. The council dispersed a total of $4 million in funds to 664 nonprofit organizations statewide, including The Alex Theatre and Pacific Serenades of Glendale and Robey Theatre Company and The Victory Theatre in Burbank. The news came as a surprise to several of the local recipients. "We're particularly grateful because of the huge cut," said Mark Carlson, artistic director at Pacific Serenade, a $4,000 recipient.

APPLICATIONS FOR ARTS IN EDUCATION FUNDING WHAT HAPPENED The City Council adopted a resolution approving an application for an Arts in Education Demonstration Project grant of nearly $90,000 from the California Arts Council. The money will fund a series of cooperative projects between the city and the Glendale Unified School District. If successful, it will mark the third successive year of funding for the program. WHAT IT MEANS The program partners the school district and the city's Arts and Culture Commission in facilitating of professional development projects for teachers and artists.

Joshua Pelzer Community arts organizations are in limbo until the city decides whether it can afford such financial commitments. The nearly $43,000 available in Community Request Program public- entertainment funds remains on hold until the city determines how to absorb a possible $10-million budget deficit for the next fiscal year. "[The City Council] didn't want to raise expectations in the community and of these groups that were expecting funding, until they could be certain that these funds could be distributed," said Rob Courtney, co-interim director of parks, recreation and community services.

Gary Moskowitz SOUTHEAST GLENDALE -- Angela Oganesyan, a sixth-grade student at John Muir Elementary School, is learning how to turn drawings into moving, animated pictures. Angela, 11, and about 100 other students spent most of the day Thursday taking individual cells, or drawings, and putting them together to make an animated feature about a character who has taken a punctured inner tube to a pool party. "It's neat because you can learn and have fun at the same time," Angela said.

Joyce Rudolph Congratulations to the city's Arts and Culture Commission and the Glendale Unified School District for receiving a Demonstration Project grant of $106,000 from the California Arts Council. Arts commission officials see this as a way to return the performing and visual arts to the regular school curriculum, while defining what programs are needed. The Demonstration Project is one of three program categories developed by the Arts Council with the new $10 million arts in education funding from Gov. Gray Davis in 2000-2001.

A state legislative committee for the arts, entertainment and tourism sector approved a bill, written by Assemblyman Paul Krekorian, that would allocate 20% of the sales tax revenues derived from arts-related products to supplement the California Arts Council. The Assembly’s Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism & Internet Media Committee approved the bill on a 5-3 vote Monday, sending it to the Revenue and Taxation Committee for further consideration. The tax revenue, estimated to be $30 million each year, would go to the Arts Council for state grants.

Ryan Carter The ripple effects of massive cuts in state funding for the arts are beginning to be felt locally, where local arts programs strive to maintain their force in the community. "It's difficult because more often than not, you are at looking at where to make ends meet," said Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, artistic director for A Noise Within. Rodriguez-Elliot said she has never seen cuts this deep in state funding for the arts. She and others throughout the state who receive some form of funding for arts programs from the California Arts Council have been hurt by a 2003-04 state budget that slashed arts funding from $17.5 million to $1 million.

Gary Moskowitz Kelby Hernandez spent Thursday afternoon learning Iranian tribal dance moves, but proposed state budget cuts might keep him from learning any new Middle Eastern dance moves at school next year. "I like break dancing, and this could maybe make me better at it," said Kelby, 8. "I like all the cool moves we are learning. I never got to dance like this at school before." Kelby and about 20 of Ann Rolfe's third-graders at Cerritos Elementary School have spent the past six weeks learning about Persian music and dance from Iranian-born Banafsheh Sayyad.

Gary Moskowitz Ben Horton has spent about an hour each week this past month jumping around with classmates in the auditorium at Fremont Elementary School. Ben and about 20 other students in Karin van Bremen's second-grade class that are participating in an Arts are Basic program this month are learning how to use body movements to convey ideas and tell stories about people and animals. "Last week we learned how to spell words like 'cool' with our arms and legs," said Ben, 8. "I got to be one of the 'O's'.

APPLICATIONS FOR ARTS IN EDUCATION FUNDING WHAT HAPPENED The City Council adopted a resolution approving an application for an Arts in Education Demonstration Project grant of nearly $90,000 from the California Arts Council. The money will fund a series of cooperative projects between the city and the Glendale Unified School District. If successful, it will mark the third successive year of funding for the program. WHAT IT MEANS The program partners the school district and the city's Arts and Culture Commission in facilitating of professional development projects for teachers and artists.

Joshua Pelzer Community arts organizations are in limbo until the city decides whether it can afford such financial commitments. The nearly $43,000 available in Community Request Program public- entertainment funds remains on hold until the city determines how to absorb a possible $10-million budget deficit for the next fiscal year. "[The City Council] didn't want to raise expectations in the community and of these groups that were expecting funding, until they could be certain that these funds could be distributed," said Rob Courtney, co-interim director of parks, recreation and community services.

LITERACY PROGRAMS WHAT HAPPENED The City Council approved appropriating $117,500, obtained from three approved grants, to the Glendale Public Library for literacy programs. WHAT IT MEANS The Glendale Public Library will use the money for the Families for Literacy Grant, two English Language Literacy Intensive Grants, Glendale Family Literacy and Learning Center and the English Language & Literacy Initiative. The programs aim to improve the literacy of children, teenagers and parents through storytelling, books, computer resources and literacy-themed activities.

Janine Marnien Several area arts organizations are a little richer, thanks to awards from the California Arts Council. The council dispersed a total of $4 million in funds to 664 nonprofit organizations statewide, including The Alex Theatre and Pacific Serenades of Glendale and Robey Theatre Company and The Victory Theatre in Burbank. The news came as a surprise to several of the local recipients. "We're particularly grateful because of the huge cut," said Mark Carlson, artistic director at Pacific Serenade, a $4,000 recipient.

Finally, some funding for art education in Glendale schools! Thank you to the California Arts Council and to Joyce Smith of the city of Glendale Arts and Culture Commission. Glendale Unified is far behind in implementing the recommended Arts Framework adopted by the state several years ago. The art experiences of my son in second grade have been greatly limited since I moved him to our local public school, Verdugo Woodlands (which is a fine school in other regards)

Gary Moskowitz SOUTHEAST GLENDALE -- Angela Oganesyan, a sixth-grade student at John Muir Elementary School, is learning how to turn drawings into moving, animated pictures. Angela, 11, and about 100 other students spent most of the day Thursday taking individual cells, or drawings, and putting them together to make an animated feature about a character who has taken a punctured inner tube to a pool party. "It's neat because you can learn and have fun at the same time," Angela said.