News

Congratulations CAA/Sudlow 8th Grader Scholastic Art Award Winners!

Diane Franken News

  Congratulations to our CAA/Sudlow students!  They have received recognition in the 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, presented by Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development for their work. A Note from Scholastic: Gold Keys are awarded to the top 5-7% of all entries; Silver Keys are awarded to the top 7-10% of all… continue reading »

!st Virtual Kennedy Center Teaching Artist Summer Institute a Big Success!

Diane Franken News

The Davenport Iowa team just hosted our first Online Summer Institute presented by Kennedy Center Partnership/Teaching Artist Marcia Daft. We want to share that artsBASICS, Davenport Community Schools, and all attendees were thoroughly impressed by the institute that Marcia tailored to fit our online needs. Before launching the Institute, Marcia went out of her way… continue reading »

Brank Boeshaar Scholarships Announced

Diane Franken News

Greetings Students! I am happy to announce the recipients of this year’s Brand Boeshaar Scholarships. We had a very tough competition this year with many high-level art students.  Each student’s portfolio was reviewed by our judging committee, with the individual judges privately ranking their top 6 portfolio selections.  The scoring for your portfolios is done… continue reading »

6th Grade Creative Arts Academy Choral Recital

Diane Franken News

Music of Stage and Screen Music Enrichment Recital – 6th grade Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities Thursday, March 5, 2020 Rey’s Theme from “The Force Awakens”…………………………………………………………………………………………………………Harrison Kiel, violin Safe and Sound from “The Hunger Games”…………………………………………………………………………….Wrigley Mancha, vocal and guitar City of Stars from “LaLa Land”…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Ethan Peterson, piano Fly Before You Fall from “Beyond the… continue reading »

Scott County Regional Authority Grant provides Visual Arts and Music Community Artists Mentorship to artsBASICS Teachers in Student Arts Integraion

Diane Franken News

A grant from the SCRA, provided two community visual and music artists to collaborate in an arts integration project during a residency with the students and arts teachers at three artsBASICS Schools. Community artists paid four different visits to the schools, while students continued to work on their project with their school arts teachers in-between… continue reading »

“Dancing with the Real Estate Agents”

Diane Franken News

Recently, Nathan Stout, realtor at Ruhl & Ruhl Moline contacted us to offer that he wanted to sponsor artsBASICS in a dance competition for non-profits.  We were, of course, thrilled that he had chosen us and eager to support his efforts.  The event was amazing.  Each realtor created a routine with a partnering professional dancer. … continue reading »

artsBASICS SCRA Grant: Artist Spotlight

Intern CAA News, Projects, Future Projects

 artsBASICS received an SCRA Grant to develop a Teaching Artist in Residency Program. The program consists of three Davenport schools, Jackson, McKinley, and Harrison, six participating fourth grade music and art teachers, and six participating community artists and musicians. We have partnered our community artists with the art and music teachers at each school. Through… continue reading »

CAA Students Create Relief Sculpture

Diane Franken News

  Visiting Artist Gail Ray – Louise Nevelson Exploration Students explored the life of artist Louise Nevelson and developed a collaborative art piece. Visiting artist Gail Ray and assistant John provided students the opportunity to build and construct individual abstract works of art that combine to produce art with a big impact! Students considered composition… continue reading »

Welcome to New Staff Member, Intern Celeste McKay!

Diane Franken News

We would like to introduce our new artsBASICS intern staff member, Celeste McKay!  Celeste graduated,  from Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa, with  a Bachelor of Art degree in English and Communications and a Minor in Marketing.  Celeste also received the Joan Walsh Richeson Award and graduated with honors.  Most recently, she graduated  with a Bachelor… continue reading »

2019 artsBASICS Summer Arts Integration Institute: “Teaching the Language of Music”

Diane Franken News

Our 2019 Summer Teacher Arts Integration Institute: “Teaching the Language of Music” was a HUGE success! Presenter Marcia Daft, artist/teacher from the Kennedy Center captured the teachers with her strategies for integrating music into their particular classroom make-up. Arts Integration was demonstrated to a “live” class of volunteer area students all three days of the… continue reading »

CAA Students Introductory Performance for Author, Jason Reynolds

Diane Franken News

Congratulations to our 7th Grade Integrated Arts students who put on a stellar multi-media artistic presentation, Run, which opened for Jason Reynold’s book talk on May 2nd at the Davenport Main Library.                         7th grade students were encouraged to explore different art avenues in their integrated arts… continue reading »

Harrison Elementary Dance Integration Unit

Diane Franken News

Harrison’s Music and PE classes learned the “Virginia Reel” and a few other dances together this year.  The fourth and fifth grade PE classes created their own dances as an extension to this activity.  Each group had to choreograph their own dances to pre-chosen songs.  The top scoring groups from each class were chosen to… continue reading »

Sign up for Summer 2019 Student Workshops at the Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities!!

Diane Franken News

Please go to this link to see all of the workshops offered and sign up before they are filled.  These are VERY popular and we don’t want you to be disappointed. http://www.davenportschools.org/caa/summerworkshops/ OVERALL INFORMATION ABOUT WORKSHOPS   All Workshops are held at the Creative Arts Academy’s Downtown Campus located at 306 W. River Drive in… continue reading »

CAA Students’ Works at State Youth Art Month

Diane Franken News

Youth Art Month is a celebration of the visual arts!  The Council for Art Education (CFAE) administers Youth Art Month. Youth Art Month encourages support for quality school art programs, and promotes art material safety. The Council for Art Education (CFAE) administers the program at the national level. Youth Art Month is a statewide celebration… continue reading »

Yoga and Dance Inspire Jackson Elementary Students

Diane Franken News

One of our artsBASICS school’s, Jackson Elementary, invited these two young men from the Healthy Kindness Tour (Rock Island) to present an assembly where they taught the children about the importance of daily attendance, kindness and healthy choices through yoga and dance.  Interesting to hear the reaction thank-you letters from several students and especially how… continue reading »

Slam Poetry artist Toney Jackson from Piscataway, New Jersey meets with CAA Students at Sudlow Intermediate

Diane Franken News

                     Poetry Performance/ Workshop: Students explored the link between Language Arts and History, as they experienced and learned about the power of poetry. The focus of the presentation centered on the CONTENT, COMMUNICATION, and CONSTRUCTION of written and spoken pieces. The presenter, Toney Jackson, from Piscataway, New… continue reading »

CAA Student Play Recognized by the QC Theatre Workshop

Diane Franken News

CAA 6th Grader Walks Away with First Place in Local Youth Writing Competition    6th grader Jazzelle Subcliff was honored Saturday, February 2nd at the QC Theatre Workshop’s annual Susan Glaspell Playwriting Festival. This festival honors local and national playwrights with a focus on strong female characters. The categories include National Playwriting, Local Playwriting, and Local Youth (under… continue reading »

Jackson Elementary Integrates Music & Poetry for Positive Behavior Intervention & Support

Diane Franken News

Jackson Students performing on various instruments with Anne Mitchell, Jackson Elementary School’s new music teacher at their recent PBIS ROAR Assembly.  PBIS stands for “Positive Behavior Intervention & Supports”, a district goal.  The students are Grade 3 and the performance featured Rhythm, Meter, and Beat within poetry and song lyrics from different genres of music… continue reading »

“It’s Art, Baby” Was Best Yet!

Mark News

“It’s Art, Baby!” was a “dramatic” success.  Attendees were greeted at the beginning of the evening by Co-Directors’, Joel & Diane Franken, who were impersonating Pablo Picasso and the Impressionist, Berthe Morisot, who had her work represented in the current, “French Moderns” exhibit at the site of the event, the Figge Museum. The evening’s entertainment… continue reading »

Fall Fest 2018 Creative Arts Academy of the QC

Diane Franken News

October 25, was the “in” scene for the night, at the Creative Arts Academy of the QC, an artsBASICS School, highlighting and celebrating performances by 6th, 7th & 8th grade students in their new facility!  Doubling the space for the school has resulted in bringing back the dance curriculum to new heights with a professional… continue reading »

“Facing Difference Challenge” Figge Exhibit

Diane Franken News

As we near the culmination of the world-wide student exhibit at the Figge (ends September 17th), we reflect on the goals and outcomes for the students from one of our artsBASICS schools, the Creative Arts Academy of the Quad-Cities, who had the opportunity to curate and have their own art works a part of those… continue reading »

Student Art Work Displayed at Juried Show

Diane Franken News

Exciting news about some Creative Arts Academy students, one of our artsBASICS Schools!  Graphic was designed by one of our teachers, Colleen McCarty-Tomlinson.

2018 artsBASICS Summer Arts Integration Seminar

Diane Franken News

The 2018 Summer artsBASICS Summer Arts Integration Seminar took place from June 11-13 this year at the Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities, located in downtown Davenport.  The Seminar is the second in a series and this year, we concentrated on the Visual Arts.  Last year, the emphasis was on Theatre and Classroom Management. … continue reading »

Garfield Elementary & CAA Students Collaborate with Animation, Myths and the Visual Arts

Diane Franken News

7th Grade Communication & Media Arts students traveled to Garfield Elementary to share their animated mythical birds and myths. Using Adobe Illustrator and After Effects, students designed and animated birds originally created by 3rd grade art students from Garfield Elementary. (Story submitted by CAA Communication Media teacher, Colleen McCarty-Tomlinson)                   … continue reading »

Students to Curate Figge CARE World-Wide Peace Exhibit

Diane Franken News

  Photo:  Youth from CARE”s peace building program in Sri Lanka, funded through the “Facing Difference Challenge”, created self-portraits, alongside their peers from around the world. This August, Students Rebuild is excited to be partnering on the Facing Difference culmination with the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa! In a unique exhibit creatively curated by middle school… continue reading »

Holacaust Remembrance Includes Student Essays and Visual Art Works

Diane Franken News

Four CAA students were acknowledged for exemplary work submitted to two contests through the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities. “IDA KRAMER CHILDREN OF THE HOLOCAUST ESSAY CONTEST”  The Ida Kramer Children and the Holocaust Essay Contest honors the stories of children who were impacted by the Holocaust. The purpose of the contest is to… continue reading »

“When Fairy Tales Fail, Heroes Prevail” — Students from artsBASICS Schools Write and Perform Their Original Play

Diane Franken News

                     Students from Mr. McCarthy’s “Sudlow Intermediate Players” and the theatre club at the Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities delighted an attentive audience in the auditorium of Washington Elementary School for two performances.  The play was written and performed by the students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, directed by… continue reading »

artsBASICS Summer Institute Presenter: Melanie Rick from Focus 5

Diane Franken News

 We invite you to…open the link below and observe Melanie Rick, member of Focus 5 and a trained Kennedy Center artist/teacher present some of what was a part of our seminar in June 2017, incorporating drama and given by Sean Layne, the head of Focus 5.  Evaluations from participants from last year were the best we… continue reading »

Art Educators of Iowa “Emerging Excellence Event” Draws CAA Students

Diane Franken News

    Congratulations to CAA middle school students who attended the Art Educators of Iowa, Emerging Excellence Event. This event celebrates and recognizes students’ high achievement in art. During the event, students were interviewed by a trained juror about a piece of their artwork and attend art workshops.   Carson Ford, 6th, Scored 1: Advanced,… continue reading »

CAA Students Chosen to Exhibit for 2018 Youth Art Month Show at Iowa State Historical Building in Des Moines

Diane Franken News

Congratulations to the following students who were selected to be exhibited in the 2018 Youth Art Month Show. Their work will hang among approximately two hundred other pieces of student work from all over the state of Iowa. A reception was held on Saturday, March 24 at the State Historical Building in Des Moines for family and friends… continue reading »

Visiting Artists: Tesla, Delight CAA Students

Diane Franken News

          On Monday, March 5, The Tesla Quartet treated CAA 8th graders to a performance at the Creative Arts Academy. The quartet performed a 15-minute piece by Hungarian modernist composer Bela Bartok. Members of the quartet spoke with students about Bartok’s unique style, the importance of non-verbal communication as a member of a team… continue reading »

Virtual Reality Field Trip

Diane Franken News

7th & 8th Grade Communication & Media Arts students at the CAA visited the Moline Public Library on Monday, March 12th to experience the “I-74 River Bridge: A Virtual Experience,” a virtual reality tour of the new I-74 bridge.   The intense, immersive virtual environment makes it possible for the Iowa DOT and other agencies to give you a more… continue reading »

CAA Students Enjoy QCArts Visiting Pianist and Local Alum

Diane Franken News

More than 50 7th Grade CAA students made their way to the River Music Experience on Tuesday, March 6 to enjoy a performance by Corey Kendrick. Corey Kendrick is a pianist, composer, recording artist, and educator currently living in Detroit, MI. He is a native of Park View, Iowa, and a North Scott High School alum…. continue reading »

Creative Arts Academy Student Reacts to Positive Audition Letter

Diane Franken News

    The video shows the reaction of student, Parker LeGrand, as she learns of her recent acceptance as an incoming 6th grader for the 2018 – 2019 year at the Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities. Parker auditioned into the Music Division with a vocal solo. Parker’s sister, Payton, is a current CAA student… continue reading »

Master Storyteller 2018 Teacher Workshop

Diane Franken News

Charlotte Blake Alston:  Master Storyteller, Narrator, & Librettist     Teachers and administrators, representing artsBASICS schools were treated to a workshop by Charlotte Blake Alston on February 20th at the Davenport Junior Theatre, sponsored by Quad City Arts Visiting Artists’ Series.  Stimulating ideas for writing and increasing appreciation for oral telling and strategies for teaching… continue reading »

Chicago Dance Group at Harrison

Diane Franken News

  Harrison Elementary, one of our artsBASICS schools in Davenport, had Giordano Dance Chicago as a Visiting Artist in early November.  They were a dance group that was scheduled through Quad City Arts.  Their outreach tour was “The influences on American Jazz Dance”.  They gave 2 outstanding performances at Harrison, & are shown here with one of… continue reading »

Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities Partners with Community Organization

Diane Franken News

German American Heritage Center displays giant advent calendar Friday marks the beginning of the advent season and there’s a special treat for travelers in the Quad Cities. People coming into Iowa on the Centennial Bridge will once again get to enjoy what is becoming a holiday tradition.

Scream! By Harrison’s Third Grade Students — 2017

Diane Franken News

Third grade created screaming self-portraits inspired by the artwork, “The Scream” by Norwegian born Expressionist painter, Edvard Munch. Through storytelling students integrated the visual arts and ELA. The students had to use their “Visual Thinking Strategies” to analyze the painting and make inferences as to why the character was screaming. In addition, they had to tell a story for several hilarious, American, pop-culture parodies of “The Scream” painting. For example, they had to explain why the Joker was screaming, and why Batman was in the background.  Furthermore, students had to… continue reading »

2017 Scholarships

Diane Franken Scholarships, News

Area students received 35 Scholarships from artsBASICS for 2017 Summer Arts Experiences   (Venues for summer student workshops included the Figge  and the Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities) Musical Theatre for Tweens — Instructor:  Alex McCarthy For all middle school students who love to sing and act! Participants learned what it would be like… continue reading »

Arts Integration 2017 artsBASICS Summer Institute

Mark News

  Teacher and administrator participants from Davenport District artsBASICS schools attended an intensive three-day institute focused on the Kennedy Center for the Arts Integration Model and specific classroom climate strategies integrating drama as the art form.  The fourth day’s workshop centered around integrating music with autistic students in the classroom. Two Outstanding Presenters Provided Arts… continue reading »

Jackson Elementary Field Study Trip

Mark News

On November 17, 2016, second grade students at Jackson Elementary School had a fun day at the Scott County Humane Society and Figge Art Museum.   As an artsBASICS school, students connected art, writing, social studies and community service learning as an integrated study.   Students collected and delivered several items to the Scott County Humane Society.   Director… continue reading »

McKinley 5th Grade Students Art Project

Mark News

McKinley Students’ Art Project The 5th grade students at McKinley School in Davenport partnered with local artists, Pat Bereskin and Brad Bisby to create two large paintings. The students took field trips to Isabel Bloom, Pat Bereskin’s art gallery and to Lindsay Park to create sketches of the East Village. Over the next several weeks… continue reading »

REFL3X at McKinley Elementary School

Mark News

“REFL3X”, Quad Cities local Hip Hop group recently spent three days at McKinley Elementary teaching all students Kindergarten through 5th grade dance moves. The students enjoyed their experience and time with the group and were very excited to show off their new talents to the rest of the student body. Mr. Vincent, principal had this… continue reading »

Summer 2016 artsBASICS Scholarships

Mark News

2016 Scholarship recipients – photo by Bruce Walters Pictured are Isis Theisen and Arissa Lancaster, from Central High School, among other students, at the Summer Drawing Program, a collaboration between the Figge and Western Illinois University. Bruce Walters, Western Illinois instructor and well-known area artist, features here a triptych drawing created by the students during… continue reading »

Mosaic Mural Dedication at Jackson Elementary

Mark News

A mosaic mural at Jackson Elementary was dedicated Thursday May 12th during the ice-cream social and yearbook event. Mrs. Hyslop, music teacher wrote a sunflower song for kindergartners to sing at the social. Fifth grade students read the book the Sunflower House by Eve Bunting from Treasures language arts curriculum when they were in kindergarten…. continue reading »

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