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Today's Family Magazine

The Music Settlement art show featured in prestigious journal

The Music Settlement's "Art in Bloom" early childhood annual art show is ready for its close-up: the event is featured in a prestigious journal.
 
The Music Settlement (TMS), Cleveland's only highly-rated private preschool in PRE4CLE, announced its appearance in the 2017 Promising Partnership Practices collection, a yearly journal from the members of the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) and published by Johns Hopkins University.
 
"All activities come from members of NNPS for members of NNPS," states NNPS Director Joyce L. Epstein in the introduction. The yearly journal is published to help "others who visit NNPS to learn how to improve their programs of family and community engagement" (NNPS i). The Music Settlement is a member of NNPS through its affiliation with Cuyahoga County's Invest in Children UPK initiative.
 
The Music Settlement's early childhood annual art show is a year-long activity where the school's Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) --comprised of parents, teachers, and school administrators-- invites practicing artists to collaborate with Preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten students in creating artworks in a wide range of media. Guest artists make class visits and give lessons to students and the students' artwork is collected is throughout the year.
 
As the yearly event approaches, the ATP sends invitations, plans a reception, schedules volunteers, and prepares the exhibit pieces. Teachers and organizers ensure that each student exhibits at least one piece in the Art in Bloom exhibition. Volunteers prepare the school's Large Muscle Room (an indoor play area) into a sophisticated art gallery, where art is hung on black-panel backdrops and set on dark tablecloths.
 
In 2017, Art in Bloom was "attended by 140 students, more than 400 parents and faculty members, 35 school staff and faculty, and 25 community members."
 
"Art in Bloom is our opportunity to showcase the work of children and engage working artists to fulfill TMS's mission to create a community where artistic expression belongs to everyone by serving those who seek personal growth through the arts," said Center for Early Childhood Chair Karen Heitlinger.
 
Attendees participated in a classroom canvas auction. A grandparent and TMS board member quoted in the journal said, "I will hang this in my house! This is a real art show!"
 
Parents interested in 2018-19 preschool, day school, and kindergarten at The Music Settlement in University Circle and its new Ohio City Campus should attend an open house on Sunday, Nov. 12 from 1:00-2:30 at the Early Childhood building behind 11125 Magnolia Drive. January open house dates in University Circle and Ohio City are online at www.TheMusicSettlement.org/calendar.