Arts in Education

Creative Connections Arts Educators’ Conference

Each year, the Guild proudly hosts local arts educators from our 3 area school systems: Dalton Public Schools, Murray County Schools, and Whitfield County Schools, for a full day of professional development.

The goals of Creative Connections are:

  • To offer accessible, local, quality professional development for our area arts educators
  • To offer opportunities for vertical teaming and cross curriculum/cross disciplinary discussion
  • To build and strengthen community partnerships by sharing resources across our three area public school systems
  • To support area arts educators so that they feel validated and celebrated and so leave Creative Connections refueled and eager to get back into the classroom and share the arts with their students

Link to 2023 Workshops

Creative Connections offers a wide variety of workshops taught by high quality arts educators and teaching artists from all over our region. Each conference participant is able to select two 1.5 hour workshops through the online registration process. For more info, please contact Creative Arts Guild Arts in Education Director, Amanda Walker, at 706.278.0168 or amandaw@creativeartsguild.org

About Creative Connections

Creative Connections was born from a re-visioning process of the Creative Arts Guild that began in summer of 2015. The purpose of our process was to ensure we are doing our best to serve our current community needs in the areas of arts in culture as our community stands today. One thing that came out of the yearlong process was our renewed focus on supporting working artists and our arts educators. As the Guild has always had a strong interest and focus on arts education for the art student, the opportunity to deepen that relationship and broaden arts exposure to all - through professional development for arts educators is an exciting new venture. The Creative Arts Guild worked very closely with a team of administrators and arts educators - with representatives from all of our area public school systems - who acted as an advisory panel during the development of the conference. Because of their guidance and input, we can be sure that the conference is geared towards the needs of our teachers. We look forward to hosting everyone again and to having a day of celebration, exploration and learning focused entirely around the arts! 

We - at the Creative Arts Guild - want this to feel like gas in the tank for our arts educators - something to nourish their minds and souls - so that they are ready to jump back into the classroom with some fresh energy – feeling supported, appreciated and celebrated for the work they do! We are honored to be your trusted resource for arts and culture in our community! Thank you!


2023 Keynote Speaker - Sponsored by O.N. Jonas Foundation

Tyronne Webb

Tyrone Webb is an Atlanta-based music educator, composer, and performing artist. He has been featured as a soloist for projects including Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna, HBO Series The Watchmen, and the Atlanta Opera’s 96-Hour Opera competition. Other features include a world premiere with Challenge The Stats, and performances at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

 

A south-Georgia native and strong advocate for arts education, Tyrone continues to enrich the lives of students and families throughout the state. He has served on the school board at Tapestry Public Charter School, as well as a member of the Advisory Review Committee of the Georgia Department of Education, tasked with revising Performance Standards for Fine Arts in Georgia K-12 schools.

Tyrone received his BA in music at Morehouse College, studying conducting with Dr. David Morrow and voice with Tim Miller. He received his MM from Emory University.