Happy Hour at Art League Houston Thursday, November 13, 2003   Did you miss it?  Read about what happened here!

Dedicated to promoting creativity and critical thinking in our communities.

Sponsored by the University of Houston Art Education Program

Our mission is to preserve and promote creativity and critical thinking in our classrooms and communities by facilitating mutually beneficial collaborations among artists, including those who serve as art educators, and community arts organizations.

The aim of our programming is to:

• Cultivate an environment of support for artists, including those who serve as art educators.
• Facilitate collaborative opportunities for professional growth for all participants.
• Infuse educational institutions with creative energy.
• Improve understanding of the role of art in the community.

By fostering these connections, we strive to:

• Develop skills of critical thinking and creativity through artistic practice and appreciation in the schools and communities.
• Enhance the quality of life for students, classroom teachers, artists, and the community at large.
• Preserve the roots of democracy through artistic action.

We see the development of GRASSROOTS Art in Action taking place in three phases:

·        Phase One: Establish school district support for professional opportunities for artists to share their artistic processes with those learning and working in schools, thereby allowing art teachers release time for innovative individualized comprehensive professional development.

·        Phase Two: Establish networks of artists and schools by providing resources to encourage artists to work closely with schools for extended experiences. Such ongoing relationships could include mini art residencies, working with real art objects in the school environment, organizing student-planned exhibitions, and otherwise fostering collaborative relationships between artists and classroom teachers.

·        Phase Three: Broaden the base of participants by working with community arts resources through innovative pedagogy and open-door relationships. Forming dynamic liaisons and maintaining meaningful relationships across former boundaries to encourage and facilitate creativity and critical thinking for the public good.