arts&culture
GET Inspired ANGELA HARTVIGSEN
HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN ARTS EDUCATION?
I’ve had amazing models in arts education all my life. Both of my parents
were music educators in the Sarasota County Schools; going into music
education seemed like the natural path for me. It wasn’t until I’d been
teaching music on my own for a few years, however, that I really discovered
that sharing a love of music and respect for true artistry was my passion.
Now, as Fine Arts Program Specialist for the school district, I am happy
to support all of our schools’ talented arts educators and their programs.
74 SARASOTA SCENE | MAY 2018
FINE ARTS PROGRAM SPECIALIST, K-12
Why is arts education important?
The arts are powerful modes of selfexpression,
but also the window into
our culture and humanity. Students gain
insight into what forces in history or
culture had a hand in shaping that art.
Additionally, the arts develop many nonarts
specific skills that are highly sought
after in the career realm and in society:
creativity, now considered the number one
attribute prospective employers seek in
an applicant; confidence, perseverance,
collaboration and decision-making. Focus
and confidence are strengthened for
students in all areas of the arts. Lastly, the
arts bring joy to the students participating
in them and to all who hear, see and
experience their work.
What is EdExplore? How did it begin
and what do you see in the future?
EdExploreSRQ is a resource for Sarasota
County teachers, principals and parents
to identify and learn about experiential
learning opportunities available in our
area. Featuring hundreds of offerings
by local non-profits and individual
teaching artists, each EdExploreSRQ
“exploration” is reviewed to ensure
connections to educational standards.
Educators at all grade levels not only
expand and enrich their classrooms,
they also increase student awareness and
access to local arts, cultural and scientific
resources. EdExploreSRQ is also a valuable
resource for parents seeking to identify
unique learning experiences outside the
classroom for their children.
Since being adopted by the district in
2011, the number of EdExplore providers
grew from 25 to over 65 and the number
of Explorations offered has increased from
50 to over 250, with new explorations
being added all the time. My hope is that
we will continue to add Explorations in
some of the subjects currently less served
on the site.