Mount Prospect Spring Art Exhibit 2009

Mount Prospect Students exhibit at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center

One of my goals, each year, is to display as much artwork as possible outside of our school. This month and throughout the summer, 7 pieces of artwork will be on display in the lobby of the Victoria Theater at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ. This is a juried exhibit sponsored by the Art Educators of New Jersey, 30 pieces will be exhibited in all. All the artwork is framed under glass and lit in true gallery style. The Artist's Reception will be Sunday, May 31, 2009 from 11:00 - 12:00 pm. Congratulations to Natasha, Andy, Joseph, Roshun, Vivian, Meghan & Valerie! If you are going to NJPAC this summer please make sure to stop by and enjoy the exhibit! All the artwork from this exhibit can been viewed in the AENJ Artsonia Gallery.

Mount Prospect Students exhibit artwork at Charter Day, 2009!!!

Saturday May 16, 2009 is the 15th Annual Charter Day - a celebration of the day that Basking Ridge received its charter! The day runs from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm - a variety of community groups and businesses have booths and there are activities throughout the day. Most of the activities take place right in the center of Basking Ridge.

One tradition is an Art Exhibit, from the Art classes in the Bernards Township School District, at the church. Mount Prospect School will have over 70 pieces of artwork on display. Enjoy!!! Any child who has artwork on display has already received a certificate from Mrs. Bivona or Mrs. Moench!

For more detailed information about Charter Day, check out the Historical Society of Somerset Hills website! Hope to see you there!

Mrs. Bivona gets published!

"Unbound by Place or Time
Museums and Online Learning"
by William Crow and Herminia Din

Two summers back, I signed up to take my first online class. "Face to Face ~ Comparing Portraits". It was through the Metropolitan Museum of Art and it was the first online class they had ever offered. In the beginning I was not sure what I had gotten myself into, but it didn't take long for me to realize that it was going to be one of the BEST professional development experiences of my career! At the end of our 2 weeks together online, we had an opportunity to come together at the Metropolitan with one of our instructors, William Crow. William is an Associate Museum Educator for the Met, he oversees programs for K-12 teachers and off site school programs. Herminia Din our other instructor is from Alaska, and could not make it. Herminia is an Associate Professor of Art Education at the University of Alaska - Anchorage. Not everyone could come to our on-site visit to the Met since participants were from ALL over the world, but many did and it was wonderful to meet, in person, these people we knew so well online.

Last summer, the Metropolitan offered another online professional development class and I was hooked - I signed up again! This time we explored the idea of Landscape, and again it was an excellent class.

Then last fall William contacted me and asked me if I would be willing to write about my experiences in the online classes that I had taken through the Metropolitan, I enthusiastically said, "YES!" So, last week at the American Association of Museums Conference in Philadelphia, the book - "Unbound by Place or Time, Museums and Online Learning" was released, and my case study can be found on page 67! How exciting! Congratulations to William and Herminia on publishing this book and thanks to both of them for allowing me to be apart of it!

If you are a teacher and you are interested in finding out about the Metropolitan's Online class for this summer ~ CLICK HERE! Go to the second section where it says 2009 Summer Teacher Institutes.

Mrs. Bivona receives the
National Elementary Art Educator of the Year
at the NAEA Convention ~ Minneapolis, MN
April 2009

Reston, VA -- Susan Philp Bivona, Bernards Township School District, Basking Ridge, was selected by the National Art Education Association (NAEA) to receive the National Elementary Art Educator of the year Award. This award recognizes the exemplary contributions, service and achievements of one outstanding NAEA member annually at the National level within their divisions. The award was presented during the NAEA National Convention that took place in Minneapolis, MN, April 17 - 21, 2009.

NAEA President, Bonnie Rushlow states, "This award is being given to recognize excellence in professional accomplishment and service by a dedicated art educator. The recipient exemplifies the highly qualified individuals active in the field of art education today: leaders, teachers , students, scholars and advocates who give their best to the profession."

The membership includes elementary, secondary, middle level and high school art teachers in 50 states, higher education professors, representatives from America's major art museums, State Departments of Education, arts councils and major colleges and universities throughout the United States and many foreign countries.

For more information visit the NAEA website at http://www.arteducators.org