FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2008
Media Contact: Deborah Elliott
503.675.3546, deborah@thecanoegroup.com

Oregon Arts Commission Hires The Canoe Group For

1st Annual Oregon Arts Education Congress

The Oregon Arts Commission (OAC) has hired The Canoe Group to design and manage the 1st Annual Arts Education Congress to be held on Monday, November 17, at The Kennedy School in Portland.

The Congress will gather 100 representative leaders – teachers and administrators, artists, arts education providers, government and political leaders, leaders from higher education, business leaders, parent advocates, arts advocates, creative industries spokespeople, elected officials, and liaisons from key statewide associations – for the one day meeting.

Broad public input gathered in October via online surveys will ground the Congress discussions. In addition, American History and Civics students around the state will be invited to participate in The Preamble Project. Each participating student, group or classroom will have the opportunity to draft and submit a brief “preamble” to Congress members, expressing why students consider it important to include the arts as an integral part of their education. They will follow the format of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution in their submissions.

One of the results of the Congress will be a first draft of a “Bill of Creative Rights” for Oregon’s K-12 students. The OAC, with broadly aligned partnerships and public support, also plans to develop a multi-year, long-range plan for improving access to arts education statewide, by June 2009.

The Canoe Group, Inc. is a shared practice of integrated and collaborative services based in Portland, Oregon.  Founded in the summer of 2008 by Marta Mellinger, David Frackelton, Michael Kosmala and Deborah Elliott, the company partners with its clients to explore and develop new ways of doing business in a rapidly changing world.

Current and future projects include project management and partnership development for a cultural video center initiative for the Portland Center for the Performing Arts; a strategic communications plan for Young Audiences of Oregon & SW Washington; a community engagement research and development project for The Ford Family Foundation; and strategic planning for the Clackamas County Arts Action Alliance.  In addition, The Canoe Group is providing ongoing marketing and strategic communications consultation for a number of other clients.

For more information about The Canoe Group, visit their web site at www.TheCanoeGroup.com.

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