The Arts & Humanities Alliance of Jefferson County has awarded seven grants, totaling $4,350, to teachers, artists, musicians and writers in Jefferson County in its annual arts education funding. The Teaching Arts Creatively program, founded by former board member Quincy Northrup, has awarded over $90,000 over the past 10 years for arts education projects in Jefferson County.

AHA! would like to thank the members of the arts education committee: Sherry Sykes, Pam Parziale, Kathryn Burns, Tanya Godfrey and Donna Northouse.

Steve Glendenning, drama instructor at Jefferson High School, received funding to hire professional director Joshua Riese, to direct the spring play, “Much Ado About Nothing.” Mr. Riese will also serve as technical director for “The Music Man.”

Also, Jefferson High Drama Program received funding for a professional guest conductor, Kaziah White, and a pianist for the spring musical, “The Music Man.” Performances are scheduled for June 8 to 10.

Rachel Allen, band instructor at Charles Town Middle School, received funding for guest conductor, John Russell to conduct the 7th and 8th grade bands during the first two weeks in March, in preparation for the spring regional festival.

Mary Weyant, librarian at Wildwood Middle School, received a grant for writer Rosemary Klein to lead a creative writing workshop for students in grades six through eight. This all-day workshop successfully took place on March 2, 2012, with 22 students participating. Ms. Klein led the students in creative writing exercises, and she informed them of the opportunities available to writers in the sciences, as well as creative arts and humanities.

Homeschoolers of Jefferson County, Ann Mountz and Karen Glennon applied for a grant to have Emily Vaughn lead five art classes and lead five art field trips to the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum, the Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian Museum of American Art and the Hirschorn Museum and Sculpture Gardens. The students will display their artworks in an art show in June.

Patsy Carr, school counselor Shepherdstown Middle School received a grant to have writers Sara Holbrook and Michael Salinger lead a presentation exploring teen feelings, experiences and thoughts about their world using poetry.

Rachel Mills, art teacher at North Jefferson Elementary, received a grant to have pottery artist Beth Peterson lead a two-day pottery workshop on the three types of sculptural process: additive, subtractive and manipulation/modeling.

These grants, plus the fall 2011 arts education grants of $8,300, make a grand total of close to $13,000 that AHA! has contributed to supporting the exploration of the arts and humanities by the students of Jefferson County this school year.

Contributions to AHA! can be sent to AHA!, P.O. Box 2051, Shepherdstown, WV 25443.