What are we doing?

If you're wondering why you haven't heard from us in a while, it's because we have to share one typewriter!






We are wrapping up the first semester of youth programs at artisTree and are so proud of what we and our young artists have accomplished in such a short time.

Since July, Amanda and the Groundworks team have

• Provided over 100 hours of dance instruction
• Begun to set several pieces on the dance ensembles
• Performed in the Reston Town Center Parade
• Developed a script for the Groundworks acting ensemble
• Worked with dance master Diane Yates
  
• Made creative use of a non-traditional dance setting without complaint

Amanda has also taught our youngest moving artists (age 3 to 4) in Creative Movement and introduced a group of 5 to 8 year-olds to the FUNdamentals of Acting. As always, the students are enamored of their beloved "Miss Amanda."

Meanwhile, Marco Rando and the elemenTree arts crew have

• Offered three successful sessions of art and design classes to 15 enthusiastic young artists

• Created found object sculptures and Cornell-style 3-D collage boxes

• Introduced principles of graphic design under the tutelage of Doug Fuller

• Reached out to more local artists to expand artisTree's visual arts programming

• Created and carried an 8 foot by 10 foot canvas banner for the Reston Town Center parade

We are working on programming for Seedlings, our theatre arts branch. We would like to offer an audition prep series for middle and high school age students (and maybe one for adults), which would cover the 16-bar audition song, the one-minute monologue and basic dance sequences. If you are interested in this series and would like to have input in the scheduling, please contact me at seedlings@restonartistree.com to let me know when you'd like to see this program offered.

On the administrative side, we are continuing our search for studio space. We looked at two promising, yet very different, spaces last week and are hopeful that one will work out for us in the not too distant future. If you know any arts-loving developers or commercial property owners in Reston, let us know!

We have a VERY limited number (2 adult L, 2 adult M) of our exclusive "Create Here" t-shirts for sale for $20 each. The front has an 8x10 blank "canvas" for you to create your own design (Sharpies work well), while the back is adorned with the colorful artistree splash logo (designed by Doug Fuller) Email info@restonartistree.com if you would like to purchase one.

We are currently reworking the website and plan on re-launching it before the end of the year. If you have any ideas or suggestions you'd like us to incorporate in the new, improved design, send them on over to greg@restonartistree.com .

We are looking forward to expanding our programming in 2009. If you have an idea for a class you'd like to take or to teach, pitch it to me at info@restonartistree.com !