Arts council lists winners
of Arts Education Awards
The winners of the Monmouth County Arts Council Arts Education Awards 2000 were announced at a program held at Barnes & Noble, Freehold, on Oct. 24. This recognition of excellence in arts education throughout Monmouth County highlights the work going on by teachers and administrators, according to the council.
The nominees were judged by Robert Cooke, associate professor at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, and an artist whose work is represented in the public collections at the New Jersey State Museum, the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University, the Morris Museum and other art institutions. The awards program was made possible by a grant from Target Stores.
Kate Dell’Amico of Cedar Drive School, Colts Neck, received the Outstanding Arts Educator Award for her outstanding work to support, encourage and provide exemplary arts education for all students. One particular program of note is a Conflict Resolution Dance and Art Series which uses the arts to provide students with the skills to deal with social conflict in a more positive and creative way. The program culminates in an original performance by the students. Rutgers’ Cooke commented that Dell’Amico’s work with students is creative, disciplined and professional. She has a vision of what the students can accomplish and then gives them the skills and tools to reach their goals, he noted.
The Outstanding Administrator Award was presented to Anthony Migliaccio, supervisor of the Performing Arts Department, Red Bank Regional High School, for his support and encouragement of exemplary arts education for all students. His leadership was cited for improving, in a very short time, every aspect of the visual and performing arts program from the perspective of the teachers and students. Cooke, the judge, also noted that Migliaccio has a long history of dedication to the arts as an artist, educator and administrator. His creative energies support the highest artistic standards in a very comprehensive visual and performing arts program that results in students who are able to continue their arts education at a very competitive level, Cooke continued.
The William R. Satz School, Holmdel, received the Exemplary Arts Education Project Award for The Decades Museum, which has deepened the understanding and broadened the education of the students of the entire school. This interactive project includes a student museum and news show created and run by the students. Students find and create artifacts, develop exhibits, and learn dances and music from different time periods. Cooke praised this project for using the arts in a creative and exciting way to involve students in history. He commended teachers Brian Johnston, Barbara Burns and Kathi Howard for the breadth and depth of this project.
Finally, the Outstanding School Award went to William R. Satz School, Holmdel, in recognition of its commitment to exemplary arts education, its infusion of arts education throughout the school community, and its contributions to the enrichment of the lives of the students of the school. Cooke recognized that this school and its principal, Paul Hart, incorporate the arts into all disciplines and that they have the full support of the faculty and the community. Exciting projects such as the Decades Museum, the Lascaux III, projects with Holmdel Theatre Company and the Creative Arts Program infuse the arts throughout the school for the benefit of every student, Cooke said.
Because of a grant from Target Stores, each winner received an award and a $200 honorarium. The Monmouth County Arts Council plans to continue this program to recognize excellence in arts education. This program has been made possible in part through funding from the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, through the Monmouth County Historical Commission, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.