Mason Community Arts Academy
Categories
Art Events

Arts Alive! 2022

Arts Alive! 2022 is the perfect way to experience the rich offerings of our community arts organizations. Join us for an afternoon of performances across multiple stages, both indoors and outdoors, and celebrate your local arts community on Sunday, September 11 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. This free, family-friendly festival is co-presented by the Prince William County Arts Council and the Hylton Performing Arts Center and is fun for-all-ages.

Enjoy:

  • Hands-on activities and live demonstrations for all ages
  • Live performances and exhibits by local artists and arts organizations
  • Visual art on display and for sale
  • Local writers reading and selling their work
  • Food and beverages available for purchase, and more!

Check back through September 11 for the full schedule of events and performances at HyltonCenter.org for information, or visit pwcartscouncil.org.

Categories
Announcements Art

Calling All Virginia Artists!

The “Power of Home” digital art contest open to all Virginians as part of Virginia Housing’s 50th anniversary.

The contest will award a total of $20,000 to multiple winners across three categories – school-age students, adult amateurs and adult professionals. Artwork will be showcased at the Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference in November


Important Details:

  • The contest opens Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.
  • Virginia residents are invited to create and submit up to three digital images of one piece of original art that represents what the “Power of Home” means to them.
  • Acceptable 2D and 3D mediums for the original piece include painting (oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel), pen and ink, marker, crayon, photography, sculpture, mixed media, charcoal, digital paintings, and drawings.


How to Enter

Helpful Links

For a full list of contest rules, prizes and instructions on how to take a digital image of original artwork, visit VirginiaHousing.com/celebrate50.

Questions

Please send an email with your questions to VH50@VirginiaHousing.com

Categories
Art Events

Spring 2022 MCAA Student Art Showcase

Mason Community Arts Academy features student works from Spring 2022 Art Classes—Art Adventures (ages 4-7), Art Foundations (ages 8-11), and Art Explorations (ages 12-18)—on Saturday, April 30th, 11 am -12 pm at Buchanan Hall Atrium. The Art Adventures class created works about commemorative and magical objects in Ancient Egypt, the Art Foundations class explored art through Popular Culture, and the Art Explorations class focused on historical art making methods and contemporary art. Free and open to the public, the showcase provides the perfect sneak-peak into our art curriculum and classrooms, which are located in the Art & Design Building on the Mason Fairfax Campus.

WHAT: Spring 2022 MCAA Student Art Showcase
WHEN: Saturday, April 30, 2022, 11am-12pm
WHERE: Buchanan Hall Atrium, Mason Fairfax Campus
COST: FREE
PARKING: Visitors can park in the adjacent Lot A for free (this Saturday only) or the Shenandoah Parking Deck for $8.

Due to one class cancellation, all three classes will meet at 10 am at the School of Art Building on April 30th. Classes will migrate to Buchanan Hall before the exhibition. We ask that families do not remove any student work from the gallery before 11:45 a.m. so that all may enjoy the work of our students & teachers. Academy staff and instructors will be available for questions. Please call the Academy office during regular business hours at 703-993-9889 if you need more information.

Categories
Acting Art Community Outreach Music

New Free Digital Resources for Art-Making from Home

This Spring, a free digital library of educational resources is available for the public thanks to Mason Community Arts Academy’s latest community outreach initiative, MCAA: Creative Collection.

Funded by the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts, the collection delivers tutorials, performances, and activities across the arts, from music and theater education and performance, music technology, and visual art education. Each week, a new video made by students and faculty of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University will be released to provide an arts enrichment project for a specific age group or skill level of learners.

“In this COVID restricted time, it’s more important than ever for the Academy to connect with our communities and reach out to broader populations through the arts,” said Elizabeth Curtis, MCAA Executive Director. “I’m so proud of the initiative and dedication our Mason students and teachers have shown in bringing this dynamic collection to life. We hope it continues to enrich the lives of our students and serve our community.”

 

 

Since its launch, three instructional videos are shared on the platform, including “Drawing with Markers for First Graders,” by Ms. Lisa Eaton; “Tone Quality on String Instruments,” by Ms. Elana Oleinick; and “The Ins and Outs of Clarinet Embouchure,” by Ms. Katie Repka.

“I am excited that I can share my passion for the arts with students viewing the Creative Collection,” said Ms. Eaton, who recorded a drawing tutorial by using markers and basic art elements. “I love that I can help students learn and grow as I have a passion for art that started when I was very young.”

The Creative Collection is created after the COVID health and safety restrictions have limited students’ access to in-person instruction, particularly for communities that face additional difficulties in accessing instruments, supplies, and arts programming.

 

 

“I love that I can give back to a Mason program like this after receiving a wealth of knowledge and skill through my coursework in the Master of Arts in Teaching program,” said Ms. Eaton. “I was learning so much making my videos. As a teacher, I will be learning right along with my students. It is a continuing process.”

“The initiative allows me to share my love of music and the arts with the community,” said Ms. Elana Olenick, cellist and music educator, who is pursuing her music education licensure at George Mason University. “I am thrilled that Mason is providing this wonderful opportunity and look forward to watching my peers teach about their passions as well!”

 

 

Samantha Clarke, MCAA Community Outreach Coordinator, spearheaded the creation and coordination of the Creative Collection, explaining that students are intimidated to learn independently without the teacher’s support.

“As a music educator, I understand the great privilege we have as teachers to inspire and enrich the lives of our students through the arts,” said Clarke. “By providing instructional and performance videos through MCAA: Creative Collection, we can help address the challenges that teachers and students are currently facing through virtual instruction while providing opportunities for students and faculty of Mason’s CVPA to teach, perform, and inspire.”

To watch the latest video from the initiative, visit MCAA: Creative Collection homepage HERE.

 

Categories
Acting Art Film & Video Music Publicity

Summer 2020 Highlights

 

Mason Community Arts Academy concluded its Summer Arts at Mason 2020 programming online with new records. Throughout the week, hundreds of students engaged in live-streamed classes, guest artist presentations, and one-on-one coaching with Mason faculty, industry professionals, and special guests. Some of the students participated from different time zones, logging on from the West Coast, and even from other countries. Here is a snapshot of Summer 2020 at the Academy:

  • 1023 participants in Summer Arts at Mason Online Programs
  • 74 online programs for all ages
  • 5 creative categories: acting, music, film & video, visual art, and teacher training
  • Students were streaming from 11 countries and 32 states, including District of Columbia
  • More than 100 faculty and guest artists teaching in at least one of the online programs
  • 70% of our teaching staff, guest artists, and program assistants are Mason faculty, students, and alumni
  • 306 students continued online private music lessons throughout summer
  • 1954 music lessons booked in summer 2020

We are extremely proud of our accomplishments and cannot thank enough to our students, families, faculty, and staff for their continuous support.

 

Looking Forward

This fall, the Academy offers 22 group classes in music, acting, and visual art for 18 months to adult. Some new additions include:

All classes will be held in a live-streamed, interactive format with supplemental materials or videos for more individualized learning.

 

Full Class List