Art Center East
Artists in Rural Schools

Community Ensembles

Since 1982, Art Center East has contracted with regional schools and communities to provide Artist in Rural Schools Experiences in eastern Oregon. On average we provide 25-30 weeks per year or 400-500 contact hours of arts instruction in public schools. Our teaching artists are required to develop sequential and developmentally appropriate arts lessons based on Oregon Department of Education’s Oregon Arts Content Standards.

Due to the continuing decline in school funding, most schools in our rural areas have little or no arts programming included in their curriculum. To meet that need, Art Center East's Artists in Rural Schools (AiRS) program provides arts learning opportunities for K-12 students in rural counties where arts education is limited or non-existent by placing teaching artists representing a variety of disciplines including literary and visual arts, music, theater, and dance, in the classrooms. Support provided by local, regional, and statewide Foundations help bring quality arts experiences for students who otherwise may not have equitable access to the Arts in rural Eastern Oregon.

AiRS Study with the Oregon Community Foundation (page 18)

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