Carlsbad CA- ArtSplash, an annual community celebration for arts education taking place on September 27-28, 2014 on Armada Drive in Carlsbad, invites North County schools and teachers to apply for grants to fund arts and music programs taking place during school year 2014-15. The application deadline is August 1, 2014. Recipients will be notified by early September.
Grant guidelines and applications are at http://www.carlsbadartsplash.org/grant.htm. For questions, call 760-436-2828.

To date, ArtSplash has contributed more than $50,000 to school programs for diverse visual and performing arts and music programs. Currently, grants totaling $8,154 are funding 17 innovative and enriching programs for K-12 students within Carlsbad Unified School District, Encinitas Union School District, Oceanside Unified School District, San Dieguito Union High School District, San Marcos Unified School District and Vista Unified School District.
Among the 2013-14 recipients are first-time grantees Neru Taupau and Hilary Rogers.
Rogers, who teaches second grade at VUSD’s Alamosa Elementary School, kept her students busily buzzing about the environment via a $300 “Life Science Through Storytelling” grant to research, understand and share the story of disappearing honeybees. Students eagerly searched the web, Skyped with beekeepers, listened to professional storytellers, then created and performed their own bee-oriented folktales. Rogers says, “We appreciate the grant, which enabled us to utilize a real-life, problem-based learning approach to the issue: How can we as student storytellers inform others about the problem with the honeybee population?”

Taupau used his $700 grant to buy instruments and materials for his after-school music program that teaches first-, second- and third-graders at OUSD’s Mission Elementary School how to play an instrument through a fast-paced program. The group has performed to applause and acclaim at many venues, including service organizations, a high school concert and the Oceanside evening Farmers’ Market. Taupau says, “We are so appreciative of ArtSplash for supporting our music program. You should see – and hear! – our first-grade violinists.”
Multiple-year grant recipient Vista High Band, under the direction of Ralph Ewell, used its $500 grant to travel to Carnegie Hall in April, where they were selected to world-premier an original composition by Brett Abigana, who was moved to tears at the live performance. Vista High earned “Gold Band” status, the professionally recorded performance is archived at Carnegie Hall, and according to band booster Heather Pizzuto, “The kids are pretty much over the moon!”
Other 2013 grants are supporting an array of exciting efforts, from ceramic-making and XCalibur Dancers at Carlsbad High School to an Earth Day garden fountain at Park Dale Lane Elementary School to photo backdrops at San Marcos Middle School and many more projects. Valley Middle School art teacher Sue DeWulf, a perennial grant recipient, used her recent grant to reach 300+ students, whose acrylic-on-canvas paintings were exhibited to community-wide acclaim.

ArtSplash Chair Joni Miringoff states, “The grant recipients’ commitment to the arts and their students is precisely what our organization is intended to support. We are so pleased to offer these funds and hope to see many students at this year’s chalk art and entertainment festival.”
The theme of ArtSplash 2014 is “Hats Off to Artists,” celebrating the creativity inherent in everyone. Many fun features are being planned, including a professional cheese carver, an auction of artist-created palettes, whimsical hand-made hats, great music and street entertainment, Saturday’s Taste@ArtSplash, a Sunday car show and, of course, the signature draw: magnificent museum-quality chalk art paintings coming to life on the pavement as visitors marvel. For more information on the free, family-friendly weekend event, please visit CarlsbadArtSplash.org or facebook.com/CarlsbadArtSplash. Proceeds benefit the grant program.
Miringoff says, “We hope to receive many grant applications and continue raising funds to keep the arts alive in North County, especially for our children. Hats off to everyone who participates!”