- By Martha Frommelt
- Around Town
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The Saltonstall Foundation and Arts Colony, in partnership with the Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG), an affiliate of IPEI, is offering a five-day, four-night retreat for Ithaca City School District (ICSD) teachers February 14-18, 2015.This residency is designed to provide a residency-type retreat for local ICSD teachers in the following disciplines: creative writing, photography/film/video, and painting/sculpture/visual art. The program is totally free to attend. Five ICSD teachers were selected through a lottery system. Abigail Bokaer, Fall Creek Elementary School teacher; Benjamin Eckley, Northeast Elementary School librarian; Michele Lesko, Lehman Alternative Community School (LACS) teacher; Beth Taplitz, school psychologist at LACS and pre-K classes; and Kari Krakow, ESL teacher at Northeast Elementary School. Teachers will focus on creative writing and visual arts.
The Saltonstall Arts Colony offers a quiet studio, a beautiful setting and time for inspiration in Ellis Hollow. The Saltonstall Foundation and FABG support teachers in their creative work inside and outside the classroom. Lesley Williamson, director of the Saltonstall Foundation, was inspired to create the teacher retreat program by a similar one at a Florida arts colony.
"This is a very mission-specific way for us to support a group of local artists and writers who don't often get the chance to be artists and writers. I want Saltonstall to be a resource for the community and develop relationships with teachers."
An affiliate of IPEI (Ithaca Public Education Initiative), the Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG) works in partnership with the Ithaca City School District to advocate, support and celebrate all the arts for all the kids.
The Fine Arts Boosters support district programs and staff, and advocate for increased student access, participation and equity in the arts programs. Formed in 2001, the boosters believe the arts – music, dance and visual, literary and theater arts – are a central part of every child's public school education.
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