Funds allow for expanded opportunities to access art programs this summer
By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Tuesday, June 15th, 2021 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
BAKER CITY – (Release from Crossroads Carnegie Art Center) Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, with support from the K-12 Summer Program Fund from Oregon Community Foundation will be expanding opportunity for children to access arts programming this summer to build back lost skills, to socially re-engage and start being creative with classes and programs at the Art Center.
Music:
Crossroads with the support of local musician’s and music teachers is making significant investment in providing Private Music Instruction all summer long to students Grades 5-12. “The goal is to help students make up the lost ground from the challenges of trying to become a better musician during the pandemic. For many students virtual instruction, safety procedures to prevent the spread of droplets, delays in internet speed all challenged young people to become more proficient in music. Crossroads with the help of Baker 5J School District is committed to helping all students’ access summer opportunities.” States Ginger Savage, Executive Director
The following instructors will be providing Music Lessons this summer for students.
Russ Carpenter-All Woodwind Instruments
Duncan Titus- All Brass Instruments
Dylan Francesconi- Guitar, Saxophone, Drums
Paul McNeil- Cello
Mark Emerson-Drums, Percussion, Marching Snare/Quads
Allison Swenson Mitchell- Voice
Other instruments may be available as we continue to recruit instructors. Interested instructors are invited to contact Crossroads at 541-523-5369.
Pricing for these private classes will be $35 for a half hour/$45 for an hour of private instruction all held in the Band or Choir Room at Baker High School. The grant infused over $5000, including additional community support, into the Crossroads Hand to Heart Scholarship fund to help student who cannot afford classes. The Scholarship form is available on the Crossroads website and we do ask students to purchase a student membership at $18.00 for a year and to contribute 10% towards their lessons. Families will contact Crossroads to handle all paperwork and then will arrange lesson appointments with the instructors and we invite families to encourage and support practice and attendance to music lessons.
Crossroads can use the communities help to assist students who may not have their musical instruments. School loaned instruments must be returned at the end of the school year so that they can be cleaned and repaired. If you have a quality music instrument you would like to sell or to allow a student to borrow for the summer, please contact Crossroads at 541-523-5369. Instrument need to be in good working order. If you would like to donate an instrument or purchase an instrument for Baker Schools please contact ED Ginger Savage and Crossroads will facilitate your gift, purchase the instrument and donate it to the High School or Junior High in your name.
Other Opportunities the Grant Provides:
No Supply Fees: this same grant allows Crossroads to waive all supply fees for classes all summer.
Classroom Assistants: Crossroads will be hiring additional part time staff to assist all youth teachers this summer. These assistants will do the medical checks still required by Oregon Health Authority, will assist instructors, will take students outside for mask and water breaks, and manage all of the cleaning after programs.
ArtSpeak Reinvisioning: Crossroads has asked ArtSpeak Debbie Friedman to back to reimagine and reboot Crossroads long standing ArtSpeak program which she founded in the late 80’s. This strategic planning process will allow Crossroads to be prepared to get students back in as many programs as possible during the school year.
Crossroads has added multiple new classes and hopes to add more throughout the summer, these classes were not in the Summer Class Schedule which went out to all mailboxes at the end of May.
Latin Dance with Ms Amy—She has added another two weeks of dance class in August.
Country Western Line Dancing with Lily and Henry: Mondays and Thursdays, 4:00pm – 5:00pm beginning June 21st. There will be four 2-week sessions this summer.
Jennifer and Abbey Godwin; Introduction to Iconography: history, methods, symbolism, media. Saturday, August 7thfrom 10:00am – 12:00pm
Special Events:
Crossroads is excited to join the Baker Heritage Museum Celebration of Leo Adler on June 21st (Leo’s Birthday) at the Leo Adler House from 3-6 pm. Crossroads will be facilitating having the schedule of events translated into Spanish and shared with our Latino families. Artists will also be doing forehead face-painting (above those masks) for kids at no charge. Paint brushes will be cleaned and sterilized between each usage.
¡CONÉCTATE!, a multi-cultural group out of EOU, will be at Baker High School on July 16th. Crossroads has been invited to join this event which celebrates women in the workforce, sharing avenues for further education in Eastern Oregon. We will be hosting a booth in which attendees can participate in community building through art. The project will be a papel picado (a long, colorful Mexican streamer) which will be displayed at Crossroads to symbolize multi-cultural unity. Everyone is welcome! Join us and Blue Mountain CC, Eastern Oregon University, Treasure Valley CC, Baker Tech Institute from 10:00am to 2:30pm.
100th Anniversary of the Lutheran Church- Crossroads is thrilled to participate in the Centennial of Baker Lutheran Church in July. On July 11th the Lutheran Church will host a Divine Liturgy in the Downstairs studio at 10 am. This celebration honors that 100 years ago the congregation’s earliest church services were held in the basement in the Carnegie Library which is 112 years old.
In August Crossroads will again be hosting the Baker County Fair’s 4-H Arts and Crafts and Other Static Exhibits at the Carnegie Library building in Morrison Family Student Gallery in the Downstairs. Artwork will be judged and then on display from August 4th thru 7th.
Arts and Culture Passport Program- Crossroads is a proud partner of the new Baker County Arts and Culture Passport Program unveiled to support Baker County’s Museum and Cultural Institutions. Passports can be picked up at the Baker Heritage Museum or Crossroads or any one of the eight venues in Baker County.
You can sign up for classes or purchase art work online at www.crossroads-arts.org. Scholarships are available or stop by Crossroads at 2020 Auburn Ave Baker City, OR 97814 Mon-Sat 10 am to 5 PM.
