The Maine Alliance for Arts Education (MAAE) and the Maine Community Foundation (Maine CF) announce the recipients of the first round of the Maine Arts Teachers Fellowship Program. This program supports personal artistic development of Maine K-12 teachers in all arts disciplines, and gives these arts educators the opportunity to interact with professional artists in their fields.

The Maine Alliance for Arts Education and the Maine Community Foundation awarded eight $4,000 fellowships for 2007 to the following arts educators:

Ora Aselton, Narraguagus High School, Harrington To attend a month-long painting program at the International School of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture in Umbria, Italy.

Michael Davis, Sherwood Heights Elementary School, Auburn To study West African drumming through a month- long workshop in Senegal.

Katherine Greene, George Stevens Academy, Blue Hill To work under mentors Linda Funk, botanical illustrator, and Rebecca Gooddale, book artist, to create artist books.

Katy Helman, Deer Isle-Stonington High School, Deer Isle To study silk screening with Dan Bouthot at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, mentor with Elizabeth Busch, fiber artist, attend a one- week externship at the Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia and collaborate with fashion designer Lynn Blake.

Vaughn McLaughlin, Caribou High School, Caribou To study privately with Wycliffe Gordon, for jazz trombone, and Nancy Marano, for vocal jazz, in New York City.

K. Barry Saunders, Sea Road School and Kennebunkport Consolidated School, Kennebunk To study advanced ear training and jazz improvisation with Michael Cain, faculty member at the New England Conservatory.

Allison Villani, Portland High School, Portland To attend the Book Arts workshop at USM’s Stone House in Freeport.

Shanna Wheelock, Lubec Consolidated School, Lubec To study weaving with mentor Susan Merrill and create a series of 3D forms on three different looms.

The teachers will be given an additional $1,000 grant to be used in the classroom after their fellowships are completed.

The Maine Arts Teachers Fellowship Program is modeled after the New York City-based Surdna Foundation’s Arts Teachers Fellowship Program. The Surdna Foundation and individual Maine CF donors have provided the financial support to launch the program.

The Maine Alliance for Arts Education is a statewide nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen education in all of the arts for all Maine students. MAAE is a member of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network.

The Maine Community Foundation partners with donors and community groups to strengthen Maine communities.