BEGINNING
In the fall of 1998, a group of interested teachers, school administrators, and community members came together to apply for a grant from WSAC that offered funding for arts in the public schools. Visual arts, music, and drama were offered as electives only in grades 7-12. Limited levy funding supported one-shot arts activities in the elementary grades on a monthly basis. There was not a climate of collaboration between the arts specialists and classroom teachers, and arts lessons were not integrated into the curriculum.
The Consortium fostered a different kind of collaboration than had ever happened before.
Port Townsend artist, Jesse Watson teaching facial proportions to 4th grade students.
Produced by Plumb Productions
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The Port Townsend Community Consortium, now known as PT Artscape, has transformed arts education in local schools through eight years of advocacy, programming and creative problem solving. The Consortium began to take shape almost a decade ago, when a team of arts advocates saw potential in linking local resources with the school district, and launched this effort with a Consortium proposal to the Washington State Arts Commission.
