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Pomeroy School District hasn’t had a music teacher for nearly four years

In June 2020, Marcus Pederson retired from his 35-year career of teaching band at the Pomeroy School District. Since then, the only district in Washington’s least populous county has been unable to hire a replacement. The reasons are unclear, but could have to do with the smaller district’s ability to offer a competitive salary, pressures on young music teachers or the challenge of recruiting teachers to rural schools.

Martin King, professor of music education at Washington State University, said WSU encourages its graduating students to apply for open jobs like this.

“It is always a concern that if a position like this goes unfilled, eventually the program may be cut,” King said. “We do not want that outcome.” From his perspective, rural schools face challenges in hiring specialists that they may not have in filling other faculty positions.

Part of it is a numbers game. King said there are more open music educator jobs in Washington than qualified teachers.

The majority of music students come from more populous areas, and these students are more likely to want to return to these areas to teach. They may feel uncomfortable moving to a rural town or teaching at a smaller school.

Read the full story:
The Spokesman-Review

Faculty artists gain valuable support for their work

A large ceramic wall installation; new music by female and Native American composers; multimedia artworks exploring identity, memory, and home—all are among WSU faculty-led projects supported by recent awards from the Washington state-based Artist Trust program.

Jacqueline Wilson.
Wilson
Io Palmer.
Palmer
Sarah Barnett.
Barnett

Faculty members Sarah Barnett and Io Palmer in fine arts, and Jacqueline Wilson in music, are among 16 artists statewide to each receive an unrestricted $10,000 Artist Trust Fellowship award for 2023 in recognition of their artistic excellence and dedication to their practice.

Chris Dickey.
Dickey
Mana Mehrabian.
Mehrabian
Dennis Dehart.
Dehart

In addition, faculty members Dennis DeHart and Mana Mehrabian in fine arts, and Chris Dickey in music, are among 65 artists statewide who each received an unrestricted $1,500, project-based award through the trust’s Grants for Artists’ Progress (GAP) program.

The nonprofit organization’s merit-based fellowship awards are conferred annually to practicing professional artists in any discipline who reside in Washington and demonstrate exceptional talent and ability.

GAP awards are based on artist excellence; clarity of the project and vision; potential impact of the award on the artist’s life; and the artist’s geographic location in Washington state.

Find out more

WSU Insider

MLK Spirit Awards honor those making WSU a welcoming place

Several members of the College of Arts and Sciences were among 22 members of the broader Washington State University community honored with MLK Spirit Awards of 2023. The awards celebrate the life, legacy, and spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. by recognizing people who are dedicated to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice (DEIJ) and continue King’s work in an extraordinary way.

Heim

Chioma Heim, academic advisor in the Department of Psychology and a member of the MLK Spirit Award selection committee, said the winners have done amazing work to make WSU and Washington state more welcoming places for everyone.

“They are contributing in ways that will have long-lasting impacts in our communities,” Heim said. “They deserve to be recognized and celebrated.”

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WSU Insider

Center for Arts and Humanities named for David G. Pollart

David Pollart.
Pollart

Washington State University has announced a generous philanthropic investment in the Center for Arts and Humanities at WSU’s College of Arts and Sciences from alumnus David Pollart to support new educational programs, research, and creative activity that cross traditional academic boundaries. In recognition of his transformational support, the center will be named the David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities.

“The David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities will enhance and grow programming and scholarship in the arts, music and humanities for generations to come,” said Kirk Schulz, president of WSU. “This recent addition to the WSU system offers opportunities for the campus—and public in general—to encounter new ideas and discover new passions. With Mr. Pollart’s investment, the center is poised to reach even greater heights.”

Pollart’s gift of more than $1.5 million provides perpetual annual funding for arts, music and humanities programming, including student engagement opportunities like internships and study abroad. In addition, it will support artist-in-residency collaborations with the Department of Fine Arts, School of Music, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and other humanities departments.

Todd Butler.
Butler

“The center was established in 2019 to be a ‘front door’ to the creativity, challenge and meaning that the arts and humanities can bring to all of us,” said Todd Butler, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “David’s gift has flung that door wide-open to magnify the visibility of the arts and humanities across our university, positioning the Pollart Center to thrive for generations to come.”

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WSU Insider

 

Associate Professor Danh Pham elected to American Bandmasters Association

Danh Pham
Pham

Danh Pham, director of WSU Bands and conductor of the WSU Symphony Orchestra, has been elected to the prestigious American Bandmasters Association.

The organization honors outstanding achievement by invitation to membership and strives to enhance wind music by example and leadership. Some 300 conductors and composers throughout the United States and Canada are members.

Election to the American Bandmasters Association is a nearly one-year process that involves being nominated and sponsored by several current members , submission of performance recordings, and a review of professional contributions. Pham joins only a handful of other conductors and composers in the Pacific Northwest to be elected.

Find out more

WSU Insider