News

Event Also Celebrated MINDS WIDE OPEN Arts Initiatives

Richmond, VA – This morning at the Executive Mansion, first lady Maureen McDonnell announced plans for an artistic project that will historically document Virginia’s former first ladies. Professional women artists from Virginia will be commissioned to paint full-length portraits of each of the commonwealth’s living first ladies dressed in their inaugural gowns. The project, which is expected to be completed in time for the 200th Anniversary of Virginia’s Executive Mansion in 2013, involves a collaboration of the Executive Mansion, Valentine Richmond History Center, Virginia Commission for the Arts, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and Virginia State Library.

This event also celebrated the 2010 culmination of MINDS WIDE OPEN: Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts. The highly successful statewide arts initiative, which occurred March 1 through June 30, surpassed all goals as demonstrated by the four-month cumulative statistics:

• Individual performances or exhibitions: 10,123
• Separate events produced as part of the celebration: 696
• Different program locations: 402
• Participating cultural organizations: 324

We have great news! MINDS WIDE OPEN has been awarded $24,882 by the Virginia Tourism Corporation for the public radio spots for Children and the Arts.  This will help spread the news about MINDS WIDE OPEN 2012 throughout the Commonwealth. For more information about this click here, http://pressroom.virginia.org/pressroom/release.asp?id=288

We have been receiving a lot of wonderful registration forms for programs for Children and the Arts. Thank you and please keep them coming! Please email ArtsVA2012@gmail.com to request a registration form.

While our wonderful website is being built your best resources are our Facebook page, Statewide Coordinator Katie Shubert, as well as your regional coordinators. To get the name and contact information of your regional coordinator, email ArtsVA2012@gmail.com

When planning your program, remember that the Children and the Arts celebration will include work by, for, and about children.  It will include works created by adults for young audiences.  It will include programs that feature children as performers.  It will include artwork created by children.  It will include work about children for either adult or young audiences.

We are still in need of photos of children participating in the arts. Please email these photos to ArtsVA2012@gmail.com.

We want to hear from you!! If you have a question or need more information, please contact Statewide Coordinator, Katie Shubert via email at ArtsVA2012@gmail.com or call 757-672-9545 ext. 3323. 

As we get closer and closer to MINDS WIDE OPEN 2012: Virginia Celebrates Children and the Arts I have some important information to share. We recently had a meeting about the MINDS WIDE OPEN website.

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If you want to get involved in MINDS WIDE OPEN: Virginia Celebrates Children and the Arts, you are encouraged to get in touch with the regional coordinator for your area of the state.

To see which region you are a part of and to see who the regional coordinator is for your area please click here to download this .PDF.

While our website is under construction, you can find us on Facebook.  Our page is ‘MINDS WIDE OPEN- The Virginia Celebration Continues’.  We are also on Twitter @mindswideopen, http://twitter.com/mindswideopen.  We will regularly update Facebook and Twitter. 

If you would like to assist in coordinating the celebration in your region, or if you want to contact your regional coordinator, or for any questions at all, please email Statewide Coordinator Katie Shubert at ArtsVA2012@gmail.com. 

MINDS WIDE OPEN: Virginia Celebrates Children and the Arts is quickly approaching! The celebration will officially begin on March 1, 2012! The Virginia celebration of Children and the Arts would not be possible without the help and support of regional coordinators. These regional leaders will assist the planning team and be the go-to person for their areas.  Regional coordinators will organize a launch event in their area, assist with some PR and marketing, perhaps hold meetings or otherwise generate excitement for the celebration within the arts community, and assist arts organizations to find opportunities for collaboration. 

While our website is under construction make sure you find us on Facebook, our page is ‘MINDS WIDE OPEN- The Virginia Celebration Continues’.  We are also on Twitter @mindswideopen, follow us http://twitter.com/mindswideopen.  We will update Facebook and Twitter with information that is both helpful and fun.

If you would like to assist in coordinating the celebration in your region, or if you want to contact your regional coordinator, or for any questions at all, please email Statewide Coordinator Katie Shubert at ArtsVA2012@gmail.com.