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May 21, 2009 RDDA provides Ritzville School District with artist-in-residence program
The Historic Ritzville Days Western Art Show is sponsoring an enrichment program for students in the Ritzville School District as well as a Youth Art Experience downtown on Saturday during the Memorial Day weekend The group, which is a committee of the non-profit Ritzville Downtown Development Association, has arranged a music history program for students in grade five through eight presented by Hank Cramer Eileen Martin will serve as an artist-in-residence in the Ritzville School District this Thursday and Friday. Her day will begin with the Color by Design class at Ritzville High School, from there she will work with grades one through four. Saturday, a free art activity center will be open for children of all ages from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The activities center will be staffed by Toni Plastino of Spokane. A portion of the funding for the school activities has been provided by CenturyTel. Hank Cramer, with his booming bass voice, a wry sense of humor and smooth picking on a vintage flat-top guitar, will present an educational program that weaves together music, history and cultural traditions to the combined classes of fifth/sixth and seventh/eighth grade students on Friday. This program examines the traditions of American cowboy music and is part of the Inquiring Mind Program of Humanities Washington. The songs played important roles in cowboy life, besides simple entertainment. Loud, boisterous songs got cattle herds moving. Lullabies sung by a night-guard would calm the cattle and keep them from stampeding. Hard-learned lessons – and sometimes trail directions – were passed on in the lyrics of cowboy ballads. Cowboy songs also represent a rich blending of cultural traditions. Some are set to ancient Irish melodies, others have distinctly African-American or Latino tunes. Martin has been a teacher and instructor for more than 30 years. The Spokane resident spent a portion of her career at Eastern Washington University teaching art to future elementary school teachers. During her teaching tenure she spent 10 years working with students in Gifted/Talented classes. As a result she went to Western Washington University to take classes involving creativity. “Five years later I ended up with a studio art degree,” Martin said.
Youth Art Experience The Historic Ritzville Days Western Art Show is sponsoring a Youth Art Experience in downtown Ritzville on Saturday featuring Toni Plastino of Spokane. Print making and marbling activities are planned for all ages from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Pioneer Plaza. Plastino is a multi-media artist who has taught art in the Spokane Public Schools as well as lent her professional assistance to the Garland Murals Project by TINCAN Youth Media located at the intersections of Post and Garland in Spokane.
Student Masterpieces Artwork and poetry written by Ritzville students will be on display at the Youth Art Experience for one and all to view. The art show committee coordinated the student artwork with Vicki Benzel, who served as liaison with educators at the Ritzville Grade School. Students in grades K-4 created pieces of drawn artwork using a western or agriculture theme. Fifth and sixth grade students penned various styles of cowboy poetry under the direction of Steve Nygren. |