On the left is a headshot of Dani Faulkner. She is wearing glasses and has a relaxed smile. On the right is a side profile photo of Micaela Gramelis shot in a wooded area. Dappled sunlight hits her face.

New Chief of Engagement and Development Director at Arts for Learning Maryland

Arts for Learning Maryland’s Development and Engagement teams have expanded! We’re excited to announce the appointment of longtime Arts for Learning team member Micaela Gramelis to the newly-created Chief of Engagement position, and Dani Faulkner as our new Development Director.

Micaela Gramelis was Arts for Learning Maryland’s most recent Development Director. In her new position, she will lead the development and communications teams for the $15 million organization. Micaela has been with Arts for Learning for more than 10 years and served as development director for five. During this time, annual fundraising more than doubled, successfully building organizational capacity and supporting the expansion of A4L programs.

Dani comes to Arts for Learning with more than 10 years of experience in development, specializing in grant funding with nonprofits in Baltimore and Maryland, including Baltimore Corps and Big Sisters of Greater Baltimore. Dani is a practitioner of Community Centric Fundraising, which focuses on equity when dealing with all things fundraising. She deeply understands Baltimore’s nonprofit and arts landscape, having worked, volunteered, and served on boards with the Baltimore Community Foundation, MOMCares, Nonprofit Technology Conference, Maryland Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership, and the Maryland State Arts Council, where she serves as a grant panelist. Also a former playwright, Dani deeply shares our passion for arts experiences and education.

Said Stacie Sanders Evans, President and CEO of Arts for Learning Maryland, “The growth of these departments, led by the immensely talented Micaela and Dani, illustrates Arts for Learning Maryland’s exciting trajectory and impact for Maryland’s students, educators, and artists. With Micaela and Dani leading this work, we can’t wait to see more opportunities for young people, more stories of impact, and more arts experiences in students’ lives.”

A woman wearing a blue collared shirt and dark blazer smiles. In the background is a colorful, geometric mosaic of spring green, black, and yellows.

Arts for Learning Maryland Welcomes Kathleen Basham as Vice President

Arts for Learning Maryland is delighted to announce Kathleen Basham as its new Vice President.

Kathleen brings more than 25 years of experience in leadership positions such as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Associate Director with Baltimore-based arts and education institutions like the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, and the Baltimore Museum of Art. She’s worked with organizations that support older populations with money management, served on a variety of boards and committees, and is a consistent patron and supporter of the arts throughout Maryland.

In her new role at Arts for Learning, Kathleen’s strategic perspective and strong experience will enhance our continuing growth, innovation, and impact for the hundreds of thousands of students, artists, and educators we reach each year.

Said Kathleen, “In my years in the Baltimore arts community, I’ve watched Arts for Learning and noticed its powerful approach and commitment to students, artists, and creativity in our region. The potential for our work is huge, and I can’t wait to be a part of enhancing learning and creativity for students and educators across the state.”

“Kathleen’s incredible knowledge, thoughtfulness, and passion for the arts is a fantastic asset to Arts for Learning Maryland going forward,” said Stacie Sanders Evans, President and CEO of Arts for Learning Maryland. “With her stewardship, we’re more equipped than ever to transform student learning through the arts while supporting and elevating artists and educators in the process.”

Welcome, Kathleen!

A woman stands mid-dance in front of a seated crowd. She's dressed in a gold and navy full-length leotard, draped in orange and gold printed fabric, and wearing a tall, gold collar necklace.

Four Resident Teaching Artists Join Arts for Learning Maryland

Photo: Resident Teaching Artist Tracie Jiggetts performing in an Arts for Learning 2023 Juneteenth performance at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum.

At Arts for Learning Maryland, we love a win-win—especially when it supports artists and enhances our work with students and educators across Maryland! This month, we’re winning again as we welcome four resident teaching artists to the Arts for Learning team. We’re delighted to have Tracie Jiggetts, Cristii Rodriguez, Mikela Thrasher, and Caroline Ferrante join us in these full-time positions.

Tracie, Cristii, Mikela, and Caroline will be primarily involved in our teaching programs and mentoring other artists. They’ll bring creativity and fresh ideas to our project planning and program development, and new, innovative ideas for student learning.

The creation of these new positions is a significant step forward in Arts for Learning’s commitment to artists. Artists are society’s most creative thinkers and problem solvers. They inspire us, teach us, and help us see ourselves and one another through a lens of hope, possibility, and joy. And teaching artists are the core of Arts for Learning Maryland’s transformative programs. We’re glad to help more artists in Maryland turn their creative work into full-time, sustainable careers.

Meet our new Resident Teaching artists!

Born and raised in Baltimore, Tracie Jiggetts is a dancer, actor, choreographer, director, and spoken word artist. She attended Baltimore School for the Arts, Towson University, and Coppin State University, and has graced the stages of The Lyric, CenterStage, Arena Players, and more.

Mikela Thrasher is a visual artist working primarily with 35mm film photography to examine the ever-evolving relationship between the self and the natural world. After graduating from MICA, she has worked extensively with students as a teacher, where she prioritizes mindfulness practices.

Musician and educator Caroline Ferrante brings 20 years of classroom experience to her arts-integrated classes, workshops, and performances. Caroline is an award-winning songwriter for film, television, and theatre, and holds semi-annual writing workshops on college campuses.

Cristii Rodriguez is an interdisciplinary visual artist with an interest in fashion styling and painting. A MICA graduate, Cristii believes that art involves beings, bodies, experiences and voices, and that the art classroom is about engaging in a collaborative conversation with various groups of beings: every student, culture, experience, art class, skill, is unique.

Welcome, Tracie, Mikela, Caroline, and Cristii!

Side view of Sheelagh Allston seated at a table in a crowded room and looking ahead. She is wearing a black track jacket with white stripes and smiling.

Meet Arts for Learning Maryland’s New Board Chair, Sheelagh Allston

Sheelagh Allston is the new chair of the Arts for Learning Maryland Board of Directors. Sheelagh, who is Vice President, Senior Real Estate Counsel, Wexford Science & Technology, LLC, provides some insight into her love of the arts and her admiration for Arts for Learning.

How has creativity impacted your life?

Growing up in New York City, my childhood was absolutely infused with the arts. I spent Saturdays at Third Street Music School taking music theory and music appreciation classes, and classical guitar lessons. I also took visual arts classes after school at Henry Street Settlement’s Abrons Center and benefitted from Joseph Papp’s Public Theater coming into my school. Art and music classes were always my favorites!

What is it about Arts for Learning Maryland that compelled you to get involved with the organization?

Having had opportunities to see Arts for Learning’s programs in action, from the Summer Arts for Learning Academy (SALA) to its work in early education through high school, I’m impressed by the quality and diversity of the programming. From music to dance to poetry and playwriting, from using movement and music to teach math to exploring identity through storytelling, I have seen children enjoy learning and understanding what they’re being taught. Exposure to the arts from an early age not only leads children to a lifelong appreciation of various art forms but also strengthens their grasp of academics and teaches them important life lessons, such as perseverance and how to work with others. I have seen joyful, inquisitive, and engaged children in classrooms where teaching artists are present. I’m also encouraged when Arts for Learning receives emails from parents expressing how happy they are that their children are experiencing an Arts for Learning program and becoming more confident as a result.

Why do you think Arts for Learning is so impactful?

Arts for Learning’s vision that one day, every student in Maryland will have the opportunity to imagine, create, and realize their full potential through the arts is so inspiring and speaks to me. Arts for Learning’s work has an impact on students because it allows them to think outside the box, using new tools to understand and explore all their coursework in the classroom. Whether it’s through SALA, a workshop, or a residency, these high-quality artists, programs, and teachers allow children to express their feelings and develop new skills through the arts. Arts-integrated learning encourages students to do more than memorize—they learn to deconstruct topics or theories. The impact is the development of confident, well-rounded students with varied skills, abilities, interests, and perspectives. I’m thrilled to support that work.

Denyce Graves, internationally recognized mezzo-soprano opera singer

Blacktastic Honors Living Legend Denyce Graves: Elevating the Hidden Voices of Black History and Shaping Tomorrow’s Stars

Arts for Learning Maryland is honored to feature Denyce Graves, internationally recognized mezzo-soprano opera singer, as this year’s Blacktastic living legend! While the annual virtual festival traditionally features Black historical figures from days past, Denyce stands out as a musician actively writing her chapter in Maryland’s history book today. In addition to being an Emmy and Grammy Award-winning vocalist, mother, wife, and educator, Denyce is an arts nonprofit pioneer making sure the path is clear for the young musicians of tomorrow through the work of the Denyce Graves Foundation.

Did you know that Arts for Learning Maryland was founded over seventy years ago to bring professional classical musicians (eventually including opera!) into Baltimore schools and introduce children to the genre? This area of overlap made featuring Ms. Graves in this year’s program a beautiful opportunity to give a hometown hero her flowers for dedicating her life to preserving the rich, multicultural history of the American vocal arts. Viewers of this year’s Blacktastic, which airs February 22nd at 9am EST, will be taken on a virtual field trip to America’s first conservatory, Peabody Conservatory, for an exclusive interview and vocal lesson with Denyce at her studio!

While attending fine arts high school, Denyce learned about and consequently began to idolize spinto soprano Leontyne Price. Ms. Price was the Metropolitan Opera’s first African American opera star, and was among the first African American classical singers able to earn a living from her craft. At her debut performance on January 27th, 1961, Price made history by receiving a forty-one-minute ovation at curtain call, one of the longest in Met history.

Inspired by Ms. Price’s legacy, Denyce began her career on the same stage with a breakout performance in the Metropolitan Opera’s 1995-96 production of Carmen, where she played the titular role and set the pace for the rest of her career. Over the next few decades, she would go on to grace the world’s most prestigious stages with her powerful and emotive performances, from opera houses to presidential inaugurations.

Like many artists, Denyce felt motivated to teach later in her career after being invited to lead various master classes and workshops for the communities in which she performed. She currently serves as the Rosa Ponselle Distinguished Faculty Artist at the Johns Hopkins University Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. Among the great honors that Denyce holds was finally meeting and befriending Ms. Price, and developing a beautiful bond with her idol, with each artist a genuine fan of the other.

If Denyce had never been introduced to Ms. Price’s glittering voice, would she have gone on to make operatic history? How many other marginalized ‘hidden voices’ were there that deserved the mic?

However, Denyce is still one of few well-known Black opera singers. If Denyce had never been introduced to Ms. Price’s glittering voice, would she have gone on to make operatic history? How many other marginalized ‘hidden voices’ were there that deserved the mic? Questions like these drove Denyce to establish the Denyce Graves Foundation, an organization devoted to advancing equity within and fostering community around the American classical vocal arts. The foundation’s ‘Hidden Voices’ program is actively preserving Black history by introducing the public to Black vocalists such as Mary Cardwell Dawson, the accomplished impresario who founded the National Negro Opera Company in 1941. Ms. Dawson established the group, which was the first African American opera company in the United States, so Black artists like herself could bring opera to the masses, particularly to Black communities in major cities, including Baltimore.

Learning about Ms. Dawson’s legacy and realizing it was unknown by many, even in the classical music world, was what ultimately moved Denyce to create a nonprofit, and to feature Ms. Dawson as its touchstone artist. By spotlighting contributions made to classical music history by musicians of color and amplifying their work to secure civil rights and achieve social justice, the foundation’s ‘Hidden Voices’ program is able to empower the vocalists of tomorrow by honoring those who paved the way.

In addition to its work centered around elevating Black history, the foundation strives to cultivate the talents of students currently pursuing higher education in the vocal arts through individual lessons, classes, coaching, performances and rehearsals, and does so in collaboration with top Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), conservatories, and schools of music across the United States. By making and cultivating connections between young vocalists and heavyweights in the industry, the nonprofit hopes to one day honor Denyce’s vision of an inclusive classical music industry that reflects our nation’s diversity.

Like Denyce, Arts for Learning Maryland strives to forge pathways for young artists of all ethnicities and artistic inclinations to follow, to ensure that art history continues to be written, and that Black students will continue to see themselves represented onstage. Experiencing arts integration at a young age is a foundational experience for many artists, including those on our own roster. We are proud to partner with the Denyce Graves Foundation in offering students throughout Maryland and DC exposure to Black history, and strive to encourage young artists to follow their dreams, just like Denyce did.

Join us on February 22nd at this year’s Blacktastic to celebrate the pure joy of Black History Month with Denyce Graves and our amazing teaching artists! Learn more and register here.

A man in a black suit with crystal-framed glasses speaks at a podium in front of red velvet curtains. People can be seen in the distance, standing at the right of the stage.

Arts for Learning Maryland Welcomes Six New Board Members

Arts for Learning Maryland has elected six new members to its board of directors: LaWanda Edwards, Paul Wolman, Mark Paul Lehman, Rodrick Johnson, Dr. Jason Morgan, and Ariel Martin. 

LaWanda Edwards is an experienced communicator and organizer who is currently Program Manager with the Maryland Health Care Commission. Previously, she held staff positions in the Maryland State Senate and the Harford County Government. LaWanda explains, “I strongly believe in Arts for Learning Maryland’s mission and am eager to work with an organization that understands the importance of using art to help children reach their highest potential.”  

Paul Wolman brings extensive leadership and creativity to the A4L board. He was the founder of FEATS, the nationally-known events company, is a consultant to businesses and leaders through WolmanEdge, has served organizations including Teach for America Baltimore, NAF and The Leadership, is a trustee of Baltimore Community Foundation and founder of Heart of the Schools and the Educator Support Collaborative. Said Paul, “As a lifelong student of the live experience, and one who feels incredibly fortunate to have performed in front of audiences at an early age, I’m especially excited about Arts for Learning’s full integration approach to learning, and life.” 

Mark Paul Lehman, Senior Counsel, Vice President of Howden USA Company, adds his strong legal background and creative mindset to the board. He has served on the board of Movable Feast and Everyman Theatre. “I was blessed to be involved in the arts as a child and I know I greatly benefited from the experiences,” said Mark. “I believe exposure to the arts nourishes the soul of every individual, including children. Arts for Learning provides services that are critical to a vital urban area, and the excellence of services makes it an organization that stands out.”

Rodrick Johnson knows first-hand the power of arts integration and Arts for Learning Maryland’s approach to student learning. A former City Schools educator and current City Schools literacy coach, he knows how true student engagement can change learning. He even served as a site director at our Summer Arts for Learning Academy! As he put it, “students deserve an experience and something that captivates them! Arts and education in one setting allow students access that some need to feel successful. When I was introduced to this organization, I was guaranteed that students would get this every time there was a program, and it has been consistent. I want to participate and join in providing equity, arts, learning, and experiences for all students.” 

Dr. Jason Morgan works every day surrounded by the arts, as the Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Admission at the Maryland Institute College of Art. His strong experience with budgeting and with government relations will enhance the wide ranging talent of our board. “I personally and professionally connect with the mission of Art for Learning Maryland,” said Dr. Morgan. “The arts can empower MD students to excel in areas of learning that they perceive as difficult. Through its partnerships, programs, and development programs, the organization’s work is vital to MD students.”

Ariel Martin, working as a Senior Associate at The Common Application and previously in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, brings a strong legal expertise to Arts for Learning Maryland. “I choose to dedicate my time to Arts for Learning Maryland because I strongly believe in its mission and I am inspired by the work the organization does to enrich education through the arts,” explained Ariel. 

Welcome, LaWanda, Ariel, Paul, Mark, Rodrick, and Jason!

Arts for Learning Maryland Elects New Officers to its Board of Directors

Arts for Learning Maryland is delighted to announce the new officers on its Board of Directors. At its October meeting, the following long-time Arts for Learning board members were elected officers:

Chair: Sheelagh Allston, Vice President, Senior Real Estate Counsel, Wexford Science + Technology. Sheelagh has been on the Arts For Learning Board for 15 years, serving as Vice Chair and chairing the Risk Management and COVID Health and Safety Advisory committees. She succeeds Alan Hoff as Chair of the board.

Said Sheelagh, “I believe in the importance of the arts in education and think every child should have opportunities to experience the arts. Arts for Learning is working hard to make this a reality. I look forward to Arts for Learning continuing to grow and serving as many children as possible.”

Vice Chair: Chris Wallace, Retired Speech-Language Pathologist

Vice Chair: Bill Buckner, Director, Learning and Capacity Building, The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Secretary: Nancy Kass, JHU Phoebe R. Berman Professor of Bioethics and Public Health & Deputy Director, Berman Institute of Bioethics

“Our new officers are assuming their new roles at an exciting time for Arts for Learning Maryland,” said Stacie Sanders Evans, Arts for Learning’s President and CEO. “They bring the commitment, vision, and energy that will propel our growth and success as we reach more students throughout Maryland and create opportunities for more teaching artists.”

Read more here about these thoughtful, passionate leaders and their commitment to Arts for Learning.

A mural painted in pinks, blues, violets, and greens shows a figure

A Mural for Bruce-Monroe Elementary: Collaboration, Community, and Más Paz

A beautiful new mural celebrating mathematics, the Black Lives Matter movement, and Latinidad graces the entrance of Bruce-Monroe Elementary School in Washington DC. The mural’s colors and images glow like the sun shining through stained glass and radiate the joy of community–and they serve as a reminder of a wonderful summer spent creating the artwork.

It all happened during the 2023 Summer Arts for Learning Academy (SALA) when artist Federico Frum–known as MasPaz–worked with students to imagine the mural and bring it to life with support from the National Gallery of Art. SALA, the free, five-week program operated by Arts for Learning Maryland in partnership with District of Columbia Public Schools, brings arts-integrated learning and creative exploration to hundreds of students in ways that support their growth in math and literacy. 

Last week, the Bruce-Monroe School community held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate their new mural in conjunction with their Latino Heritage Week celebration. “I used the center of the Mayan calendar to represent the ancient knowledge of numerology, while a person with a raised fist portrays the Black Lives Matter movement for social justice,'” Federico explained. “Throughout the mural, connections to Latin American ways of life are apparent–the earth and the land that we work on.”

A mural with lines and colors like stained glass and the Mayan calendar at the center runs on three walls of a school's entrance hall above the doors. windows line the top of the mural.

Children, parents, teachers, and principals were on site to show their appreciation for not just the finished piece, but the experience with the artist. Federico explained that community being at the center of the mural is one of the reasons the work is so special. During SALA, students made decisions about color and even helped Federico paint! Ingrid Garcia, a teaching artist in SALA, coordinated the creation of individual student artworks–miniature canvases–installed along the base and up both sides of the mural. 

One staff member said during the ceremony, “I have never seen children so happy in a summer program as they were at SALA.”

Arts for Learning Maryland’s Summer Arts for Learning Academy (SALA) in Washington DC is a free, full-day summer program for PreK–4th grade students. The program provides students with a fun summer packed with creative exploration and arts-integrated learning from the best teachers and teaching artists in the region. Learn more at artsforlearningmd.org/programs/summer-arts-academy/dc.

A selfie of Alexandra Miller, 2023 Bloomberg Arts Internship Social Media Manager. She has a bright smile and is wearing glasses and has an arm full of multi-colored beaded bracelets.

Bloomberg Arts Internship: A Homecoming

Every year, alumni of the Bloomberg Arts Internship–an Arts for Learning Maryland-managed program for rising seniors in Baltimore City Public Schools that connects young people with Baltimore’s arts and cultural organizations and supports their college and career readiness–step into roles to work and stay involved in the program. These young people prepare slides and presentations about the program and host question-and-answer sessions to recruit new students. They return to be college mentors. They return to talk with interns about their journeys through college and what they’ve learned.

24 Bloomberg Arts Internship alumni returned to work in the program in the summer of 2023.

Alexandra (Alex) Miller, a 2021 graduate and current student at the Cleveland Institute of Art, returned as social media manager. She spent the past several months documenting and sharing stories from the program as well as using her marketing and graphic design skills to create digital content for recruitment.

Before the summer even started, Alex collaborated with other alumni to plan and create a recruitment video. She shot the footage, then whittled it down, stitched the clips together, created and inserted graphics, cleaned up and layered sound, and captioned the finished video. It was the first of many videos she created to get the word out about the program.

Once the program began, Alex was right there with the interns. “The most interesting thing is watching the interns do something I once did. Being a social media manager is like you are a fly on the wall,” said Alex. “I think it’s interesting that a lot of the time I stand quietly and simply observe and photograph the interns in this program. As I watch them grow closer throughout the weeks, learn new skills, complete their tasks, and better themselves within the program, I remember being in their shoes.”

She shared these moments through the program’s Instagram account–a place where current and past interns can stay up to date with what’s happening in the program, read alumni news, and get notice of cool events and get-togethers planned just for them! “I really enjoyed partaking in the trips and going to the office,” said Alex. “My cohort was in 2021 and many of our experiences were virtual. It is a pleasure to be able to see everyone’s faces in person and see their excitement for this program.”

By shadowing interns, Alex used her photography and video skills to capture joyful and meaningful moments. “I noticed that the one thing that never fails to excite interns is the amount of opportunities they learn about by going on these trips,” said Alex. “They got to go to places like artist studios, tour murals in the city, tour different colleges in Baltimore and Philadelphia, see the Station North Tool Library, and so much more. The people they meet tell them stories that inspire them to be better artists, present them with jobs or volunteer work, and offer opportunities to practice their crafts in a public or private space. The interns also get a chance to introduce themselves, not only by talking to new people directly but by handing out business cards they created. This gives them a chance to put their name out there and talk to new people about something they love doing, or something they are interested in, which helps them achieve their goals as young adults. When I was an intern that was always my favorite part.”

24 Bloomberg Arts Internship graduates returned to work in the program in the summer of 2023. Six of the 24 joined the Advisory Council and provided guidance and support in the planning, training, and documentation of the 2023 program in order to ensure that youth voices are guiding decision-making and that the program continues to evolve and improve. Five returned to be youth ambassadors. They facilitated information sessions at Baltimore City Public Schools, supported peers in completing the Bloomberg Arts Internship application, helped interview internship applicants, and served on the Alumni Panel. Two joined the Bloomberg Philanthropies Alumni Network Chairs to work with partner cities and Bloomberg Philanthropies to recruit for the Alumni Network and design alumni events. Four were hired to be Adobe apps assistants and worked with 2023 interns to expand their knowledge of Adobe applications. One graduate served as a program assistant. Five were college mentors and worked one-to-one with interns to support their college research and build their portfolios. And one–Alexandra Miller–was the social media manager.

You can find photographs from 2023 on our Flickr page and read student reflections from over the years on the Bloomberg Arts Internship blog. Learn more about the program on our website at artsforlearningmd.org/bloomberg-arts-internship.

Headshots of three community schools coordinators and one community schools manager framed in blue organic shapes. The four frames are set against a transparent white organic shape and green squiggle line layered over children's artwork–flowers and buildings cut from pastel construction paper. A title to the left of the framed headshots says "Community Schools."

All About Community: Arts for Learning Serving as a Community Schools Lead Agency

We know that schools are anchors of the community. They are where our children learn and play and where our neighbors gather for information, for friendship, and to participate in civic engagement. Community schools are similar neighborhood hubs, but differ from traditional schools in that they also intentionally connect families with partners who provide in-school wrap-around services that address the needs, wishes, and concerns of the school community.

Beginning this school year, Arts for Learning Maryland will be the Community Schools Lead Agency for three Baltimore City public schools: Mount Royal Elementary Middle in Bolton Hill, Hazelwood Elementary Middle in Northeast Baltimore, and Green Street Academy in West Baltimore!

We’re happy to welcome Ketia Jamerson – Community School Coordinator at Mount Royal, Mikala Nuccio – Community School Coordinator at Green Street, Edward Pinder – Community School Coordinator at Hazelwood, and Cheryl Grayson – Community Schools Manager to Arts for Learning Maryland.

All year long, the community school coordinators at these sites will develop collaborative relationships that support the school community, ensuring more equitable access to integrated services, to resources like food and technology, to opportunities within health and mental wellness, and to academic and extracurricular activities including, for example, at-home learning or arts-infused experiences.

Please be sure to say hi to Ketia, Mikala, Edward, and Cheryl if you happen to see them during the school day, at Back-to-School night, at a community day, or at a PTO meeting this year! We know you will think they are as wonderful as we do!

Dr. Mark King Joins Arts for Learning Maryland as Chief Education Officer

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Mark King, a career public school educator and leader, has joined Arts for Learning Maryland as our first Chief Education Officer.

Most recently, Dr. King was an Instructional Lead Education Director (ILED) with Baltimore City Public Schools, where he supervised 16 K-8 schools, including 12 priority schools identified by the Maryland State Department of Education. He was previously Deputy Chief of School Operations and Programs for the District of Columbia Public School System; in that role, he supervised and managed the directors of K-7 summer and after-school programs, operations, food service, and security.

For 11 years, Dr. King served as both principal and assistant principal at three public schools in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Dr. King has proven how arts integration—academic learning through active arts experiences—is an effective strategy for student learning. As Assistant Principal at Hyattsville Middle School, he participated in the Maryland Artist and Teacher Institute (MATI) and used arts integration as a school turnaround strategy.

“I have seen how the arts can be instrumental in differentiating instruction and improving academic outcomes for children. Arts integration gives teachers the opportunity to learn from artists while the artist learns from the teacher. Together they can understand that there are different ways to teach concepts, expand their work, and reach students in a way that works for them.” —Mark King

This new position and Dr. King’s selection for it underscores Arts for Learning’s commitment to, and continued expansion of, evidence-based arts integration programs. These include Summer Arts for Learning Academy (at 11 schools in Baltimore and DC this past summer), After School Arts for Learning Academy (now offered at 5 Baltimore City Public Schools), and Arts for Learning Days (in-person and virtual experiences).

Said Stacie Sanders Evans, Arts for Learning Maryland President and CEO, “Arts for Learning will greatly benefit from Dr. King’s deep expertise of school systems and the K-12 landscape, both in- and out-of-school time. His belief in the power of the arts, the credibility and respect he has earned among multiple school district leadership communities, and his ability to lead and manage people will benefit students, families, and educators. When Dr. King felt the call to serve this community in a different capacity, we are fortunate that it led him to Arts for Learning!”

“I have seen how the arts can be instrumental in differentiating instruction and improving academic outcomes for children,” said Dr. King. “Arts integration gives teachers the opportunity to learn from artists while the artist learns from the teacher. Together they can understand that there are different ways to teach concepts, expand their work, and reach students in a way that works for them.”

Dr. King earned his Doctorate of Education, Educational Leadership degree from Bowie State University and his Master in Education, Secondary Education from Florida A&M University.

Welcome, Dr. King!

Check it out: Op-ed by SALA Educator Illustrates the Impact 

We’ve said it for years: the arts-integrated approach found in our Summer Arts for Learning Academy (SALA) is transformative for student learning and for teachers. But don’t take our word for it—check out this wonderful commentary in the Baltimore Banner by SALA and City Schools educator Elaina Gomez-Alcala! 

In this inspiring piece, Elaina shares her experience this past summer in SALA, and explains how the free program for thousands of City Schools students has enhanced her teaching. As she puts it, “I’ve realized that this spirit of creation nurtured through arts-based learning changes what school can be for students. In the process, it also changes teaching—not just in the summer, but for year-round learning.” 

Read the full commentary here!