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Inside Arts Council: Arts Education Sarah Brothers Bot
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On this episode of Inside Arts Council Santa Cruz County, we look at how the arts education fuels an entire creative ecosystem from first encounters in classrooms to paid teen teaching roles, veteran artists in schools, and dance programs for seniors living with dementia.
Sarah Brothers Bot the Arts Education Director shares how Arts Council Santa Cruz County connects schools, artists, and families to make the arts a durable force for learning and belonging.
• Why arts education builds skills like empathy, resilience, and critical thinking
• How Spectra teaching artists are trained and matched with schools
• What makes Mariposa Arts a paid teen-to-child teaching pathway
• How we train generalist teachers to integrate arts across subjects
• Why Family Arts Nights deepen parent-school trust
• Expanding to seniors and adult learners with movement and dance
• Funding challenges and the need for ongoing advocacy
• How grants, Open Studios, and education reinforce each other
Find Sarah at:
Meet Sarah Brothers Bott
Why Arts Education Matters
SPEAKER_00Welcome back to Speak for Change Podcast. I'm your host, Thomas Sage Peterson. Today's episode is part of the Inside the Arts Council of Santa Cruz County series, where we explore the role and impact of the Arts Council and the work it does to support our local and cultural ecosystem. In this episode, I'm joined by Sarah Brothers Bott, Arts Education Director at the Arts Council of Santa Cruz County. We talk about the role the Arts Council plays in supporting arts education across the county, the importance of arts education for young people and communities, and how these programs help train artists and support the development of creative careers. I hope you enjoy the conversation. Yeah, we're just gonna dive in here and just get started. So the arts council does all these things, and you're specific around education.
SPEAKER_02Correct.
SPEAKER_00Like what role does education play in the Arts Council? Like what is their role there? Like, what do you what do you mean by arts education?
SPEAKER_02Oh boy, that's such a big question. You're welcome. So I mean arts education is a critical piece of our overall arts ecosystem, right?
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_02Um oftentimes it's through our arts education programs that students first are exposed to art and to be being able to create uh a visual art piece or dance or you know, music or drama. Um and so it's it's giving youth really and students that first taste of the joy and the magic that happens when you're involved in the arts.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, and and as part of the ecosystem, I mean, that's building our artists of the future. It's it's building our audiences of the future.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_02Um but also, you know, I always make a point in saying that arts education is not just about building up the next generation of artists. It is, yeah, but it's also um a powerful tool for developing key skills and abilities and ways of thinking, like critical thinking and creativity, resilience, empathy, um, all skills and ways of being that are transferable to all other areas of life.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And so I I when I talk about arts education, it's not just about creating the next Picasso, whoever, you know, you know, it's about it's about using the arts as a tool to uplift and enhance what makes us human. You know what I mean? And to connect each other.
Teaching Youth: Expression Over Perfection
SPEAKER_00And I mean, that is, I mean, as someone who I mean, I I guess I'm in arts education, right? You know. But uh I I think an initially, you know, when I first taught my first lesson, right, it was like I was kind of confused how to work with the youth, right? I was I was uh someone who had tutored adults in music and stuff like that. And I had an opportunity to teach uh family. And I was like, to be honest, I was like, I don't like what do I do with these little kid things? You know, like what do I how do I um do this? Yeah, and when I did my first lesson, I realized um I was I did like mental health counseling before, and it was it was almost just similar to that vibe, right? It was more just like music was the medium, but really you were like helping these kids express and helping these kids like feel good about themselves and like exactly and connect deeper with like different parts of themselves, like an expression-wise, right? You know, and you could tell you could even sense like uh you know, obstacles and blocks within them, right? In the moment. And I at that moment I was like, this is where it's at, right? The changing, like not just like getting them to play the piano, exactly.
SPEAKER_02It's about connecting with a deeper part of themselves and like how and the world around them and their place in the world around them, exactly, right?
How The Council’s Education System Works
SPEAKER_00So with the education, like so arts councils, big, big kind of like big quote unquote art organization. Uh like, is it just like they like you sign up and you're like, I can take art classes, or is it like youth? Like, what is the fundamental? Like, what how does how does this work? Like, if you approach the arts council, like how does education just work? Like, do I just walk in and I'm like, I want to learn how to paint? And like they're like, here you go, you can learn how to paint. Or like, I wish.
SPEAKER_02Oh my gosh, I wish we just had like an amazingly huge facility where we could just provide that directly to anyone who walked in the door. Right. That would be amazing.
SPEAKER_00Like, what's the like we like what's the system, I guess? Like what is it just kids?
Spectra Artists And School Partnerships
Mariposa Arts: Teen Mentors, Real Classrooms
SPEAKER_02Is it that's a great question? So we we do a lot more, it's a lot of our work is behind the scenes, I would say. Our role is as a connector. I call myself a match on an arts education matchmaker a lot of the times. And so I'm working really closely with, you know, principals, yeah, classroom teachers, uh, superintendents, you know, at the district level and even at the county level, um, and you know, partnering to provide programming on a broader scale. So we don't necessarily have any direct programs where someone can walk in our door and get direct arts lessons, but we'll connect that person to the school that's offering it or the after-school program that's offering it, or the community-based program that's offering it. Um, you know, we often do contracts with districts and individual schools. So we have a roster of spectra teaching artists that are highly qualified. They're artists in their own right. They've been vetted. Um, they've, you know, demonstrated that they understand how to write a lesson plan, that they understand state standards in the arts. There are state standards in the arts like there are for every other subject, um, that they know classroom management. Um, and so those are our spectra artists. And there's a roster of over a hundred of them in all arts disciplines. And so, you know, a school might come to me and say, hey, we really want to offer a folklorico dance class to supplement, you know, that what they're learning in their current dance class, or they're not even getting a dance class. And we'll match them with the appropriate teaching artist that has those skills, and you know, we'll create a contract and make that happen behind the scenes. Um, we also offer um and this is uh I'm gonna share this now, I guess, because it's coming to mind. And it's such an amazing, unique program that I love so much. It's called Mariposa Arts. Yeah. And it's an after-school uh arts education program. It's typically in about 20 to 25 different elementary schools across Pajaro Valley Unified School District. So it's specific to that district. We've been in partnership with an expanded learning program there for decades. And we what's unique about this model is we hire about 12 to 16 high school students from PVUSD each year.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02We hire them as staff, we train them, they get an intensive training in the fall, and then they get paired with an adult teaching artist mentor.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And every Monday they get trained in the art form of their choice and in how to teach it. And then they go and co-teach, they get paid to go and co-teach those classes to elementary and middle school kids across the district. So there's this like multi-level mentoring going on. Um, and these kids are getting paid to learn how to teach in the arts. Um, so it's like at the very beginning of that teaching artist pathways that I started to talk about with you before we started speaking on on here. Um, so that's just a really awesome um model. And a lot of folks across the state, especially now that there's a teaching artist shortage and art teacher shortage, are kind of starting to look at us to say, Hey, how are you doing that? Yeah. How is that working?
SPEAKER_00So oh man. So so basically, your role is to almost support the arts organizations and the community and and our schools and help, you know, give any kind of necessary like teachers or staff or like just kind of be on the ground, connect them, these kind of things, right? Yeah, kind of an in-between vibe. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So we provide the training. Yeah, you know, we train the art teachers or the artists that are teaching us.
SPEAKER_00You train the artists. We train that, yeah.
SPEAKER_02We do a lot of training, we do a lot of training of just generalist teachers too. Like there's a whole generation of art or of classroom teachers, generalists that went through their education and their credentialing process where they didn't have any exposure to the arts. Wow, and they weren't required to take an art class, which is crazy. Because so they don't so and they don't necessarily understand, they've never experienced what the arts can do to learning, yeah, as far as inspiring and and allowing students to make those other connections, right? So we do a lot of training with just generalist teachers too in how to implement arts into their classrooms.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_02Um, but we provide so we provide the training, we provide the resources, we provide the actual artists to go into the classrooms. Um and then we also provide, you know, we have uh several different program models that are just kind of like plug and play, plug-in, like our family arts nights. Yeah, they're a wonderful um school-wide arts event. It's usually a one-time event where parents come with their kids for an evening and engage in all the art forms and it connects them with the school. They have a positive experience at the school, they have fun, they see how their kids are benefiting from learning in and through the arts. And so it's it's multifaceted, and there's a lot of various um uh benefits to that event. And so we do things like that as well. Um Wow.
SPEAKER_00So so Mariposa Arts is kind of like a success model, like that of some of this working, right? Definitely rather than like something you you are um like that is in the arts council. It's like something that's been supported by the arts council, right?
SPEAKER_02Ish it is a program of the arts council. Okay, cool. It is you know, it is one of our programs, but we it but it is in partnership with PVUSD. You know, they they the funding actually in that case comes from expand PVUSD's expanded learning for the most part. We we can contribute uh a good portion as well to fund our staffing and the administration of the program. Yeah, um, but it really is a beautiful example of a partnership.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I love that.
Training Teachers To Teach Through Art
SPEAKER_02Um, and just a really successful model of learning in the arts for for youth of all ages. Um, you had asked me a question earlier, too, about you know, was it is our programming just for youth? And for the I I did want to address that. Yeah, um, most of our programming is for youth, yeah. Almost a majority of it. Yeah. However, for the last two or three years, we've been starting to branch out. Um, it's been, I think, three years now. We've been working with the Watsonville Senior Center.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And it's been steadily growing this program. Um, we've been working with patients that are, you know, up to upper 80s, 90 years old with Alzheimer's and dementia. And we've been teaching them in ballet and dance. Um, oh my gosh, the the Latin dance with Augusto Alvarez is just amazing. Um, and so and and the you know, we've been seeing amazing outcomes with these particular students as well. And we've um just this year we started working as well in the Watsonville Adult School. Yeah. Um, so we are slowly starting to branch out and and reach some older communities too.
SPEAKER_00Oh man, that's amazing. Yeah. Um, what are some obstacles you see in in doing the arts education specifically?
Family Arts Nights And Community Ties
SPEAKER_02The two that come to mind immediately. The first is funding, yeah and um and the ever-changing um environment um around arts education. You know, there's always a new funding model that's coming up out, which kind of changes everything. Um and so it's just there's a lot of constant adjusting and you know, flexibility required to do the work. Um, another piece is I'd say around the need for advocacy. I feel like it, especially, you know, in schools, a lot of times when the funding gets tight, um, you know, there are a lot of competing priorities. Oftentimes the arts are the first thing to get cut or to be let go because it's one of the few things that doesn't have as rigid accountability measures built in around it, even though it's written into EdCode that it's a required subject matter to study in school, like math and science and English, it doesn't have these accountability measures built in. Um, so it it gets let go, it gets kind of pushed to the side. And so I feel like with arts education, it's just a constant battle of advocating for equitable access for students to receive arts education as they deserve and that will allow them to thrive to thrive in the schools.
Serving Seniors And Adult Learners
SPEAKER_00Oh man, I I feel like I could talk a lot about that. I think it's just so important, arts education, you know, in this in our society where you know, like where things like empathy are being kind of put on the put on the line and questioned and even which is so bizarre to me. But you know, it's it's real, and we forget how much the arts matters, right? And even just like to go on the side and I'll transition to, but um, I heard this podcast with uh Brene Brown and the the host of uh Diary of a CEO, I think. And she talked about how when she's working with a lot of these tech people, like these tech executives and stuff, uh and she'll like overhear a lot of conversations that are happening and all this stuff, and people will ask them like what should my kid go to school for? What should they study? And they're like, oh, programming, science, you know, all that stuff. But then at this, at the next just like a few minutes later, someone will ask them, like, what do you can what do you how do you can what do you contribute to your success? And they'll start talking about the arts and they'll start talking about like stoic philosophers and like all these different things and literature. And she's like, You can't have both, bro, you know, like kind of and also with uh Steve Jobs, right? Uh how you know someone asked him, like, you know, you must have your kids must love the iPad, and he's like, Oh no, I don't let them like have that, right? Irony, right, and and people came to his house to do an interview, I think it was Walter Isaacson or something like that for his biography, and they noticed that there was just like no technology around, and all the conversations were about artists and about art, right? And like there's something of real value that artists bring that I think that are not publicly expressed and the value that it really does change all these things that we use, even the technology and these things that we use on every day. So it needs to be valued as much. Yeah. So I mean, I'm I'm sure I could have a whole podcast on just a specific topic, you know, like a long series of it. Next part two. Yeah, part two, exactly. But I want to transition to like the arts council as like a bigger body. Yes. And I want, I want to, you know, where do you see the arts education program, grants, open studios kind of reinforcing each other? Where do you see that kind of like collaborative uh opportunities there?
Obstacles: Funding And Advocacy
SPEAKER_02Oh, sure. So I mean, like I said at the beginning, you know, it's all part of this ecosystem, right? Yeah, so often, so many of our teaching artists, the artists that are artists first and are creating, um, but also seeking some sustainability in their lives here in Santa Cruz County, um, you know, they are our teaching artists are also open studios artists. Maybe one received a grant to a develop grant to increase their ability and their capacity to do what they're doing. Um, you know, it's it's all part of that ecosystem. You know, we're creating those young artists that then become open studios artists or that are then going and going to a symphony performance. And but it is, I mean, each of the programs is really supporting the other, you know, whether it's arts councils, arts education programs, creating those next artists, whether it's the uh grants programming supporting, you know, those artists and ensuring that they can sustain and thrive here in our county and and keeping Santa Cruz County as a place for the arts, a place um that where we can all appreciate and enjoy the arts. Um and then, you know, things like open studios where we're providing artists with opportunities to show and sell their work. Again, that's reinforcing their sustainability as an artist.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_02It's building the audiences, it's shining a light on all of the incredible art that we do across our county.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So man, I love that. I love this like kind of feeding cycles and ecosystem talk, right? You're where one's funding the other, and you know, exactly.
SPEAKER_02I'm seeing that not exactly just Venn diagrams, am I seeing, but I'm seeing like kind of this swirling effect too, you know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Um, so in 15 years, like woo, right? What is what is your hope that the arts council will have done on the community? So, like what impact do you want to see the arts council in general have on the community? That would be like, wow, in 15 years.
Arts, Empathy, And Real-World Impact
SPEAKER_02In 15 years, the impact of the arts council specifically on the community. I would love to see that the arts council, you know, is people are looking to the arts council across the state, across the country as a model, you know, for for, I mean, I feel like in some cases on a smaller scale across the state, that's already happening for programs like Open Studios or Mariposa Arts or our Teaching Artist Pathways project. But but people really looking to this community, our community is so rich with artists for the number of people here and the size of our community. There are so many artists and arts programs and organizations. And so to really have um a light shine on all that we do in 15 years, yeah. Um, I'd also like to see, you know, the arts, of course, continuing to thrive and grow and and for them to be the foundation of our community and our communities connecting with one another. I mean, Watsonville just got designated as a cultural hub by the state, which is just so incredibly exciting. Um, and that, you know, is due, of course, to uh the the amazing partnerships and all of the organizations and all of the artists who've been there and working for decades. But the arts council did help support that in happening. You know, we brought the some people to the table and and and brought everyone together to have those conversations and to to support that in happening. And so I'd love to see the arts council continuing to play that kind of role.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Where we're uplifting the arts for everyone, um, especially in our in our county, of course, but that it it then has a ripple effect and and spreads.
SPEAKER_00So I love that. All right. So here's here's uh your your last part. So you can just say whatever you want to say, or uh any programs you want, how can people find you, um, or any just last words on like the importance of the arts and the arts council in our community.
The Ecosystem: Grants, Studios, Classrooms
SPEAKER_02Okay, well, I'll start with the importance of the arts. Just yeah, um I firmly believe that arts saved my life. There's no question about that. I would not be here today if it had not been an opportunity to engage in the arts and to exelf. I gained a sense of belonging and connection and purpose. Um and so, you know, my life's dedication is to ensuring that all students have that opportunity to engage in learning in a fun and holistic way where they can, you know, be hands-on um and where arts can bring them joy um and maybe even be that lifeline for them if they need it. Um so that important job, okay, that was important so many arts before I get too cheered up. Um, and you know, folks can find me um, you know, via the Arts Council web page, artscouncilsc.org. I'm on there, my email's on there, my phone number's on there. Um, we also have an Instagram and a Facebook page, of course. So you can look us up that way. I'm always open to calls, um, you know, requests, ideas. Um again, you know, most of our work is in partnership with schools and organizations.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um and we're always looking to expand our reach to ensure more kids get opportunities that they deserve in the arts. Um, was there something was there another? I think there was another part to your question, but I might think you got it.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But, you know, so Sarah, it's it's an honor to have you on. And I would I I this podcast probably could have got a lot longer. Um I think I think there may be a part two in the in the mix. Uh so you know, thanks for the lovely conversation and thanks for everything you're doing in the community. It's it's it's really inspiring and impactful. Thank you. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Thank you. It was great to be here. Thanks for having me. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, this has been Speak for Change Podcast. Podcast, and I'm your host, Thomas Sage Peterson. Uh have a wonderful day.