Education

The Arts Council of the Valley acts as a conduit for community-based partnerships. We advocate for all forms of artistic expression – public art, visual art, theater arts, film and video, music, dance, literary arts, and interdisciplinary arts. ACV offers quality programs at nominal costs and we frequently extend complimentary activities to our community.

Art education is at the heart of everything we do. Our education efforts include: Art in the Park, Court Square Theater and various collaborations with civic groups, local businesses, schools and universities. Programs such as our First Fridays cooperative and our Advancing the Arts grants afford us the opportunity to work with diverse populations and to create one-of-a-kind experiences for the citizens of Rockingham County and the City of Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Summer Art Camp

Join the Arts Council of the Valley at our Court Square Theater for one-of-a-kind theater and art classes designed to delight and inspire your young artist! Our Summer Art Brochure has more information and you can print out a registration form, or you can register for classes here:

WEEK ONE
Let’s Put on a Musical!/ Ages 6-11
Learn how to become a character, stage movement, theatre etiquette, and choreography. Come ready to sing, dance, and act! Wear comfortable shoes, no sandals or flip-flops. Perform a musical for the audience the last day of class!
Instructor: Kathleen Holter
Creating Comic Books/ Ages 12-15
Un-mask the world’s newest crime fighters and superheroes in this dynamic course that teaches all the steps required to make your own comic book! nstructor: Kayla Runion

WEEK TWO
Let’s Act Out!/ Ages 9-11
Learn the basics of theater arts, stage presence and teamwork. Through improvisation and script writing students develop their voice. Laughter, zany games and other shenanigans will be included! Instructor: Liz Shoop
Cartoon Basics with John/ Ages 9-11
Work with the “Snuffy Smith” cartoonist, John Rose, in this course that teaches drawing basics and story development. You’ll create your own cartoon strip! Instructor: John Rose
Poetry is Cool/ Ages 9-11
Each camp day focuses on a new topic, poet, or poetic form. Students create a Cool Poetry Anthology of their own writing on the last day of camp! Instructor: Paul Somers
Stories of our Solar System/ Ages 12-15
Have you ever wanted to go to SPACE? Use visual art and creative writing to journey to another galaxy! Learn about the Solar System and use what you learn to come up with unique poems and stories (Class takes place at 311 S. Main St. Harrisonburg) Instructor: Kayla Runion

WEEK THREE
Voice & Movement/ Ages 9-11
Voice & Movement/ Ages 12-15
When you walk, do you feel like you’re dancing? When you talk, do you feel like you’re singing? Let’s discover the musicality and rhythm of your voice and body. Whether you’re an actor, singer, dancer, or student – whatever your age or your ability – you’re sure to enjoy what Lessac Kinesensic training has to offer. Instructor: Jennifer Juul

WEEK FOUR
Do the Write Thing!/ Ages 6-8
Sharpen those pencils and get that imagaination in gear! Explore a  variety of fun writing acitiveies that will include journaling, story composition, poetry and letter writing. Collect your work and ideas in your own portfolio! Instructor: Bly Brown
Poetry is Cool/ Ages 9-11
Each camp day focuses on a new topic, poet, or poetic form. Students create a Cool Poetry Anthology of their own writing on the last day of camp! Instructor: Paul Somers

WEEK FIVE
Self Portraits in Charcoal/ Ages 12-15
Students will learn to diagram the proportions of the face and apply that knowledge to their own features in a final, realistic self-portrait. Instructor: Mary Shira
Super Gr8 Kids/ Ages 12-15
Become a filmmaker by creating your own Super 8 film! Students work in pairs to write their screenplays and create a small drawing to act as their movie poster. A film screening for students’ friends and family will premiere at Court Square Theater! (Date of screening TBD)

Art in the Park

The Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) provides art and art education opportunities to the community one Saturday per month, April–October, 9am-12pm and in conjunction with the Harrisonburg Farmers Market event. Art in the Park takes place on the lawn directly behind ACV’s Smith House, located at 311 S. Main Street, Harrisonburg. Activities include hands-on art making projects, performance art, collaborative public art installations, dance and music. Each Saturday event will focus on a theme that addresses a specific social issue such as recycling, sustainability, homelessness, etc. The goal of the program is to encourage families to work together to create art while learning collectively about various societal concerns.

2013 Art in the Park dates:

• Saturday, April 20, 9am-12pm
• Saturday, May 18, 9am-12pm
• Saturday, June 22, 9am-12pm
• Saturday, July 20, 9am-12pm
• Saturday, August 17, 9am-12pm
• Saturday, September 21, 9am-12pm

Court Square Theater

Court Square Theater is a unique, one-of-a-kind, single-screen theater located in the heart of downtown Harrisonburg. Once the site of the old Rockingham Motor Corporation, the architects of the theater kept and repurposed many interior and exterior building details giving Court Square Theater distinct charm and historic ambience. The Arts Council of the Valley offers documentary, independent and foreign films, as well as recognizable cult-classics for individuals of all ages.

Court Square Theater features plays from local community theater groups, film series, dance performances, comedy troupes, lectures and symposia, music events, and bands, which bring an eclectic mix of flavor and culture to our community. In the past, these have included collaborations with the Go Local Film Series, the Valley Playhouse, benefit concerts for the Boys and Girls Club and the Collins Center, local Rotary Group programming, the Latino Film Festival, and much, much more! To see what is happening at Court Square Theater, visit our Theater page.

First Fridays Downtown

This monthly event, which runs April-December, is led by the Arts Council of the Valley in partnership with more than thirty downtown businesses and countless regional creators in the visual, performing, and literary arts. First Friday runs from 5pm until 8pm and participating venues display art and host music, poetry or lecture events. Since 2009, the Darrin-McHone Art Gallery, the Arts Council’s visual arts space, has presented over 50 month-long art exhibitions by some of the area’s leading artists. Our exhibition openings take place on the First Friday of the month. For a list of First Friday dates and participating venues, visit our Special Events page.

Grants

Advancing the Arts Grants

In the past decade the Arts Council of the Valley has awarded more than $300,000 in grants to support community-based initiatives in the Harrisonburg/Rockingham area. Mirroring the image of the community’s creativity, these funds are awarded to organizations and artists working in the visual, performing, and literary arts. Grant information is disseminated late summer and grant applications are due at the beginning of October annually.

Congratulations to the 2012-2013 Advancing the Arts Grant Recipients!

Arts in Education:

• Poetry Hit Squad, JMU Secondary Education & English, Mychal Tamillow.
• Super 8 Film Making & Festival, Harrisonburg City Public Schools, Skyline Middle School Art Department, Valerie L. Smith.
• Visit from Latin Ballet of Virginia, Harrisonburg City Public Schools, Foreign Language Department, Jeremy Aldrich.
• South River Elementary: Art Night, Rockingham County Public Schools, Edwina George.
• Residence & Refuge, Sarah Murphy and Karen Baxter, and Mercy House.
• Persuade Me Tee, Harrisonburg City Public Schools, Stone Springs Elementary, Kate Nesmith.

Creative Inspiration:

• Daniel Robinson, Ambrotype Landscapes
• Brian Sampson, Aristotle’s Metaphysics

Some Past Advancing the Arts Grant Recipients:
Elkton Elementary School, South River Elementary School , Skyline Middle School, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, Lacey Spring Elementary School, Stone Spring Elementary School, James Madison University, Keister Elementary School, Redeemer Classical School, Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir, Shenandoah Valley Preparatory Music, Harrisonburg High School, Career Development Academy’s Children’s Program, Dr. Carl Donakowski for Roberto Sierra Residency in conjunction with Arcos Trio Latin/American Chamber Music Festival andDr. Wanchi Huang for String Classical Music Outreach.

Previous Venue Grant Recipients:
The “Go Local” Film Series, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, Valley 4th? “Block Party in the ‘Burg” , Write-Brained Network, Shenandoah Writer’s Group, SuperG8 Film Festival, The Valley Playhouse, Collins Center, and First Night Harrisonburg.