Category: Publicity

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

Categories
Art Publicity

Oil Painting Instructor in the News

Portrait by artist Nathan Loda

Oil Painting class instructor Nathan Loda is getting a lot of good buzz from a recent commissioned painting of George Washington, but not like you’ve ever seen him before! The hipster-style GW can be found at DC’s “Farmers & Distillers” restaurant. Nathan can be found at our painting classes on Saturdays starting in February.

Referring to the portrait, Erin Blakemore from Smithsonian.com writes “What if George Washington weren’t a false-teeth-wearing, presidential icon but rather an amiable bro who kept his sunglasses in the pocket of his vest? It’s a question you likely have not asked yourself before—but inside one Washington, D.C., restaurant, it’s one that’s answered nonetheless.”
READ FULL ARTICLE ON SMITHSONIAN.COM

“What would George Washington be like as a hot millennial with a man bun? Apparently, an internet sensation!” writes Jessica Sidman from the Washingtonian after receiving numerous responses from a posting of several humorous “pick-up line” versions of the portrait. (Parental discretion is advised.)
SEE FULL ARTICLE ON WASHINGTONIAN.COM

Fox News also posted a video about the portrait titled “‘Hot’ George Washington Rocks a Man Bun”.
SEE VIDEO ON FOXNEWS.COM

 

adult painting class

 

Nathan will once again be teaching two Oil Painting for Adults classes for Potomac Arts Academy on Saturdays starting February 18th. Join in and see what all the “buzz” is really about – excellent oil painting ideas and techniques!

LEARN MORE ABOUT OIL PAINTING CLASSES

 

Categories
Community Outreach Instruments in the Attic Music Publicity

Outreach Featured In Washington Post

Cello donation

Our Instruments in the Attic program was recently featured in the Prince William section of the Washington Post, focusing on a cello that was loaned to Potomac High School in Dumfries, VA.

The article details how purely coincidental circumstances can bring about a very real, and very quick, solution. Through a series of events, good networking connections and collaborations, and a very organized outreach program, the Academy was able – in a matter of mere days – to provide a cello for a student in need at the local school. The effort was once again made possible by the generosity and talent of Day Violins, who repaired the instrument.

SEE FULL WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE ONLINE

 

 

Instruments in the Attic continues to gain momentum (and appreciation) in the local school districts as music budgets continue to be challenged. There is often very little funds available to purchase new instruments, which creates a vacuum of opportunity for students and hinders music program participation.

As donated used musical instruments (from generous people like you!) and monetary funds for repair get funnelled through the Academy, we are able to coordinate a successful network of outreach activities and to fulfill a very  real need in the community. We would like to give a special thanks to Washington Post writer Jonathan Hunley for highlighting this wonderful program!

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT INSTRUMENTS IN THE ATTIC

See More Blogposts About Our Community Outreach

 

Categories
Community Outreach Instruments in the Attic Music Publicity

Outreach Program Featured in Paper

French Horn donation

Our Instruments in the Attic outreach program was recently featured in an article in the Lifestyle section of the April 4th edition of Fourth Estate, the student newspaper at Mason.

The article titled “Instruments in the Attic gives old instruments new life”, written by Basma Humadi, describes the it as “A new outreach program …. spreading tunes in a new way by collecting used musical instruments for children and students to give them a second life.”

 

IiAFourthEstateArticle04Apr2016Web

 

Jeremy Cochran, Mason Doctoral student and current intern for the Instruments in the Attic, assists with the day-to-day work of the program. “It’s almost like a library, you can come in and check [an instrument] out if you want,” Cochran said. “The purpose of it is to serve Mason music students who might need it for playing a second instrument or for one of their methods courses… [also] there are a lot of needs out there for kids who want to play in band or orchestra and aren’t able to get an instrument.” Through a growing network of collaborations with local and regional schools, IiA is helping to get instruments to those kids.

“This really is recycling on steroids,” Libby Curtis, Director of Potomac Arts Academy, was quoted as saying when describing the program. “We want nothing to go to the landfill.” Besides donating usable instruments to musicians, Instruments in the Attic turns instruments that are past their prime into art projects.

 

PotomacMSpixCWeb

 

To read the full article, please pick up a hard copy of the April 4th edition of Fourth Estate. Thanks to Basma and the Fourth Estate for choosing to write this story and spotlight this wonderful outreach program.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT INSTRUMENTS IN THE ATTIC