Cathedral Arts Project flourishes in JAX public schools

The Cathedral Arts Project (CAP), as part of the Any Given Child Jacksonville program (AGC Jacksonville), has announced the launch of the Landscape of Education in the Arts in Duval (LEAD) artlook® map. This launch is part of a collective national effort to affect systemic change for arts education through partnerships with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Ingenuity, the Chicago-based arts advocacy organization that created the artlook® platform.

The LEAD artlook® map provides a real-time snapshot of arts resources and services on a school-by-school basis in Duval County, using data from schools, funding resources and cultural service providers, such as local museums and arts organizations. This cutting-edge tool allows community stakeholders to identify funding and partnership opportunities that will lead to greater support and resources for arts education in Duval County schools.

Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the U.S. Department of Education and the PNC Foundation, AGC Jacksonville is working to assess the state of the arts and advocate for increased equity and access to high quality arts education for all students enrolled in Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) — goals that took on even more significance as a result of the pandemic.

AGC Jacksonville initiated a collaboration between Ingenuity, the Kennedy Center and the NEA to launch the artlook® Project, a three-year initiative to gather comprehensive data to improve equitable access to arts education. Jacksonville is one of eight cities nationally, and the only city in Florida, to participate in the artlook® Project. Other communities selected for the initiative include Baltimore, MD; Chicago, IL; Houston, TX; New Orleans, LA; Portland, OR; Sacramento, CA; and Southwestern PA.

LEAD began in 2019 with surveys to all Duval County Public Schools to collect information about arts programming and resources. A separate survey was created for local arts and culture organizations to gather information about their arts education offerings. The map will be updated annually; data from the 2020-2021 school year will be active on the map by fall 2021.

LEAD is the first artlook® map to launch outside of Ingenuity’s original Chicago map and provides a template for other school districts seeking to use data to strengthen teaching, learning, whole-child education and strategies to address equity gaps. Locally, Assessment Technologies Group and the University of North Florida are providing data analysis support to translate the map into an advocacy plan.

In recent years, DCPS has expanded its arts education opportunities for students. Recent advancements include the creation of a new arts magnet middle school, Fort Caroline Middle School of the Visual and Performing Arts; new digital arts, digital photography and cinematic film programs in multiple secondary schools; expanded performing arts programs, including show choir, theatre, band and choral programs; the addition of more than 80 fine arts teaching positions since 2013; and active representation for arts education in all pandemic planning efforts to keep programs and positions intact and available as safely as possible.

The LEAD artlook® map can be viewed at jacksonville.artlookmap.com.