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Arts for Learning Virginia Names New CEO to Lead Arts-in-Education Nonprofit

July 2, 2025 By Cindy Sherwood

The Board of Directors of Arts for Learning, the Virginia Affiliate of Young Audiences, voted at its annual meeting to name Anna Heywood Green as CEO of the organization.

Heywood Green has served as Interim CEO since January 1, following the retirement of former CEO Christine Everly. Prior to January, Heywood Green worked as the organization’s COO; however, she has experience in virtually all facets of the organization, having started at Young Audiences as Scheduling Director on January 4, 2004, more than 21 years ago.

“Anna Heywood Green has the knowledge, experience, and leadership skills to take us forward to greater achievement in supporting childhood education in and through the arts across the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said Dr. D. Michael Geller, President of the Board of Directors.

“Anna’s passion for the organization and its mission has been inspiring these past 21 years,” said Kate Roth, Treasurer of the Board of Directors. “We can’t wait to see how the organization flourishes under her care.”

During the 2025-2026 fiscal year that began July 1, Heywood Green’s top priorities include:

  • Deepening relationships with the organization’s school and community partners.
  • Expanding access to high-quality arts learning for students who need it most.
  • Strengthening the organization’s financial foundation to support artists and programs well into the future.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to lead Arts for Learning Virginia into this exciting new chapter,” Heywood Green said. “After more than 20 years with this organization, I know firsthand the incredible impact our professional artists have on students—sparking creativity, curiosity, and confidence across the Commonwealth. I’m eager to build on our strong foundation and work alongside our amazing partners to expand access to arts learning experiences that truly change lives.”

We talked with Anna last year as she celebrated her 20th anniversary with Arts for Learning Virginia. Why does she remain so committed to the organization after so many years? Read more here, and learn about her journey, her proudest moments, and her grandmother’s influence on programming dear to Anna’s heart.

Arts for Learning Virginia (A4L-VA) is the premier arts-in-education nonprofit organization in Virginia with a mission to inspire and engage students in and through the arts. A4L-VA and its roster of professional performing and teaching artists partner with schools, libraries, and community centers to serve tens of thousands of pre-K to 12th grade students each year, helping them realize their full potential through the arts.  

Filed Under: Board of Directors, News, Press Releases, Staff Spotlight Tagged With: 757 arts, 757 nonprofit, Anna Heywood Green, arts education, Arts for Learning, Arts for Learning Virginia, arts-in-education, board of directors, CEO

New Artists: Adding Depth, Passion, and Talent to our Roster

June 24, 2025 By Cindy Sherwood

We’ve welcomed a number of new teaching and performing artists to our professional roster in recent months—and we wanted to share a brief introduction to each. For more information, click on the artist’s name.

Amanda Wallace is a visual artist whose specialty is encaustic painting. She’s taught art throughout Hampton Roads, Washington DC, and Northern Virginia.

Amina Bryant is a violinist and music educator with a deep passion for working with young students. This spring, she was the teaching artist for one of our Strings Impact residencies in Portsmouth, where students learn the basics of the violin.

Ashlee Rey is an actor who has performed in numerous productions in Hampton Roads. With a background in STEM that included a stint as a supervisory nuclear engineer at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, she has now decided her “heart is with the arts.”

Ashley Ault is a visual artist educator who has worked with students in public schools in North Carolina and Virginia for more than a decade.

     

Gary “G” Garlic Jr. is a singer and musician who plays piano, drums, bass, and guitar. He’s joining his father, longtime A4L percussionist JuJu Drum, as a performing artist in a new ensemble called One World Beats.

Janae Thompson is a theatrical performer with numerous acting credits in Hampton Roads and beyond.

Kiara Noble is a dancer, musician, and theater artist whose experience ranges from musical theater to ballet, jazz, and lyrical dance.

Nin-Eanna Bryant is a visual artist who has exhibited her work in juried exhibitions and art shows across Hampton Roads.

Sequoia Rodwell-Lacewell is a visual artist in Hampton Roads who paints abstract acrylic paintings and custom watercolors.

Both Nin-Eanna and Sequoia served as teaching artists for our IDEAL residencies this spring.

We’re pleased to report that we’re also on-boarding some additional new artists. By doing so, we expand the breadth and depth of our programming, providing students with an even greater diversity of art forms, artistic expertise, cultural and historical perspectives, and teaching styles. We’ll look forward to sharing more about our other new artists soon!

If you’re an artist who’s passionate about arts education and its potential to touch students’ lives by sparking creativity and a love of learning, we’d like to hear from you. Read more about how to become an Arts for Learning Virginia artist here.

If you’re an educator who wants to get a jump on the school year, contact us! You can book any of the artists we’ve shown here or others on our roster.  Here’s the full list.

You may also search by program, breaking it down by grade level, art form, content, theme, and more: https://arts4learningva.org/program/

Better yet, talk with our expert, School and Community Relationships Coordinator Katie Driskill. She’ll help you explore options that are just right for your students. Reach her at 757-961-3737 or Scheduling@Arts4LearningVA.org.

Filed Under: Artist Spotlight, News, Uncategorized Tagged With: 757 arts, 757 nonprofit, Arts for Learning, Arts for Learning Virginia, arts-in-education, new artists, performing artists, residency, teaching artists, Young Audiences

RAISE Up in Hampton City Schools

May 21, 2025 By Cindy Sherwood

“As a teaching artist, when we meet a kid, they’re a whole entire person. They have experiences and not all those experiences are pleasant, so coming to the classroom with that mindset and knowing that they carry baggage with them as do we… it’s about approaching them with compassion but also recognizing that they’re more than just their trauma.” Jackie Adonis, Arts for Learning Virginia Teaching Artist

Nancy Eason’s second grade class at Armstrong School for the Arts, where Jackie Adonis worked as a RAISE resident teaching artist.

When Jackie and A4L’s Valerie Davis worked in Hampton City Schools’ classrooms this spring, they came equipped with two years of intensive training focused on student well-being and trauma-conscious, healing-informed teaching. Their residencies were part of a five-year, multi-state initiative developed by Young Audiences/Arts for Learning (National) called Responsive Arts in Education (RAISE). The program takes teaching artists and puts them in the classroom with educators to help integrate the arts into the curriculum.

“Young people are hardwired for the arts. Arts integration training and these strategies align perfectly with learning goals for all subjects. We appreciate the efforts of Heather Goode, principal of Moton Early Childhood Center, and Dr. Tiffany Geddie-Suggs, principal of Armstrong School for the Arts, for providing unique opportunities like this in HCS,” said Kelly Dee, HCS visual and performing arts curriculum leader.

In twice-weekly sessions, Jackie Adonis worked side-by-side with Armstrong’s Nancy Eason, a second-grade teacher. The two developed lesson plans together, and Jackie established relationships with children in the class.

“The best part was watching each student’s character development over time,” Jackie said. “Seeing their progress was absolutely breathtaking. I saw shy students get out of their shell.”

Jackie demonstrated ways to integrate different aspects of theater in the classroom. Kids voted and chose a book to make into a play, which Jackie adapted and students performed in front of a large audience at an A4L community engagement night.

“We Don’t Eat Our Classmates” featured T-Rex characters and a theme of friendship. Children created the sets and costumes, with one student sewing the dinosaur tails and another student composing music for two sections of the play. Students who chose to be on stage memorized their lines, with only the narrator using a printed script.

The RAISE experience for Jackie was “more than just a play or playing some theater games with them when I was in the classroom. We were reinforcing literacy. We want to build strong learners,” she said. “We were also helping the kids explore. They get to try something new; they get to challenge themselves to go out of their comfort zones. How do they know what they’re good at unless they try something different?”

The community engagement night also highlighted Jackie in a different role, sharing her Filipino culture by teaching kids and family members Itik Itik, Dance of the Duck. Three other A4L artists— Ashley Ault, Dai Poole, and Gary Garlic—also presented rotating workshops for an estimated 250 in attendance. Click here to view pictures of the evening by J.B. Digital Photography that are free to download: https://bit.ly/RAISEArmstrongphotos

At Moton Early Childhood Center, A4L’s Valerie Davis worked twice-weekly this spring with a group of 20 four- and five-year-old children.

“I love working with the little ones,” Valerie said. “They’re like sponges and they absorb so much. I got to teach them some songs and some different ways of saying hello and goodbye in a different language. And they loved that. They eat that up. So, to see them absorb the story and then be able to give it back to me the same way I gave it to them is incredible.”

She said she always brought her drum to class, calling music the “catalyst” for engagement with these early learners.

“I’ve had students where the teacher has said the student doesn’t really participate in different activities, but when I come in, by that second day, the student who was very quiet, very shy is eager to tap that drum and to do the songs.”

Arts for Learning also hosted a community engagement night for Moton Early Childhood Center, with rotating A4L workshops by Jackie, Gary Garlic, Dai Poole, and Amanda Wallace. Click here to view and download free photos: https://bit.ly/RAISEMotonPhotos

For Valerie, implementing RAISE techniques in the classroom is more difficult when she’s there for a single session, as opposed to the longer-term residency at Moton. For Jackie, a Virginia Beach resident, the biggest challenge of her RAISE residency was a more pragmatic one that many of us can relate to: “The traffic driving to and from the Peninsula. But honestly, once I was in the classroom, everything was smooth sailing.”

Many thanks to our RAISE partner, Hampton City Schools, for their tremendous support. Plans are still being formulated for Arts for Learning’s final year of RAISE, which is described as “a five-year, multi-state project designed to address the current, urgent needs of young learners through forging a new model of development and partnership for teaching artists and school support teams, who work together on in-depth, customized, trauma-informed and culturally responsive-sustaining arts in education residencies. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education.”

Young Audiences’ Melissa Gawlowski Pratt, YA’s Director of Strategic Partnerships & Network Relations, developed the RAISE initiative (pictured second from left). She met with A4L’s Aisha Noel (third from left), Valerie Davis (far right), and Moton educators to observe the program in action this spring.

We appreciate Young Audiences/Arts for Learning’s support and guidance throughout RAISE, which has included site visits for selected staff members to New Orleans and Denver, lesson plan swapping, and discussions of implementation related to evaluation and best practices.

A4L’s Anna Heywood Green and Aisha Noel (second and third from left) meet with teaching artists and educators during a site visit in October 2024 to view Young Audiences of Louisiana’s RAISE program.

Filed Under: Artist Spotlight, Arts Integration, News, Residency Tagged With: 757 arts, 757 nonprofit, Armstrong School for the Arts, Arts Ed, arts education, Arts for Learning, Arts for Learning Virginia, arts integration, arts-in-education, Hampton City Schools, Moton Early Childhood Center, Moton Elementary School, professional learning, RAISE, residency, Responsive Arts in Education, student well-being, trauma-informed education, Young Audiences

IDEAL 2025: Identity, Collaboration, & Community

May 13, 2025 By Cindy Sherwood

“I feel like I grew a lot in my artistic skills and socialization skills, as a person in general. It’s really helped me express how I feel.” Sophia Sharp, Bayside Sixth Grade Campus, Virginia Beach

Sophia points to a friend’s painting displayed at the Chrysler Museum.

“I learned that I can express my feelings through my artwork. That’s what I’m most proud of. Now I’m able to see that I have full potential in making different things. I’m capable of doing anything.” Davin (DJ) Johnson-Smith, Park View Elementary, Portsmouth

On May 8th, students, their family members, educators, and Arts for Learning teaching artists, staff, and board members gathered at the Chrysler Museum of Art for a reception and student exhibition of art. But this wasn’t any ordinary reception—it was a joyous celebration of students’ hard work, creativity, and growth following 20 after-school sessions of IDEAL, Intentional Designs of Expression in Artistic Languages.

In this third and final year of IDEAL, students in fourth to sixth grades from three Title 1 schools in Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach have explored who they are and what they stand for through visual art, poetry, movement, and music. They were guided by residency stewards at each school and teaching artists Jackie Adonis and Dai Poole at Norfolk’s Lake Taylor School, Nfon Asuquo and Nin-Eanna Bryant at Portsmouth’s Park View Elementary, and Cindy Aitken and Sequoia Rodwell-Lacewell at Virginia Beach’s Bayside Sixth Grade Campus.

Emotions ran high as students and parents first caught a glimpse of their artwork professionally displayed at the Chrysler’s Margaret Shepherd Ray Family and Student Gallery.

“Just the fact I’m seeing my daughter’s work in a museum… I am so proud of her. Beyond proud,” said Sheri, mother of Bayside student Chloe Odallo. “The artwork that I’m seeing is just spectacular. I feel overwhelmed. I cannot even lie.”

Students said the opportunity to develop and refine their artistic skills was one of the best parts of IDEAL, with many mentioning they’d learned techniques such as how to draw faces and shading and blending colors.

Isis with her painting (center top) created with a unique process.

Lake Taylor student Isis Saunders went a step further, having teaching artist Dai Poole burn the edges of her painting. In her artistic statement, she wrote, “The paper is burnt to represent the heat of the sun, and the painting is made to look ‘old’ and faded because this painting represents our memories.”

Beyond artistic skills, many students said they felt more confident now, with parents echoing that sentiment, seeing positive changes in their children.

Ritisha reads her artistic statement on stage.

“I saw her for the first time on stage. I didn’t know if she’d make it. She was nervous, but she made it,” said Mukti Patel, mother of Ritisha, a Park View Elementary student. Ritisha had never performed in front of an audience before. After she read her artistic statement on stage, she said she felt calm and proud of herself for overcoming her jitters.

Nicole Sharp, Sophia’s mother, called the IDEAL residency “impressive.”

“I really love the way it’s encouraged her to be more confident in expressing herself and given her the ability to more effectively communicate how she’s feeling emotionally.”

Upper elementary school can be a time of great change, but students in the IDEAL residency discovered that art can be an effective outlet to express themselves.

“Art helps people understand what I’m feeling,” said Willow Martinez, a student at Lake Taylor.  “I’ll continue as an artist because it helps get out my emotions.” Another Lake Taylor student, Orlando Wiggins, said he had “learned how to express my feelings better through art,” and added that it was “amazing” to see his art displayed at the Chrysler Museum.

Orlando with his artwork.

Teaching artist Sequoia Rodwell-Lacewell believes IDEAL has helped students identify who they truly are. She was particularly struck by the growth in one girl.

When she first started, she was very shy and quiet. She wasn’t quite sure of who she was or what she liked. She was questioning a lot of things. And as time went on, she allowed who she was inside to show throughout her art… She got to experience coming out of her shell.”

A high degree of collaboration was required for IDEAL since the residencies took place in multiple schools and multiple school divisions and involved a partnership with the Chrysler Museum. The idea of “community” was core to its success.

For Bayside student Lennon Anderson, making art wasn’t the most important part of IDEAL.

“It was doing art with a community. It felt welcoming. I felt I was with my people.”  

Enjoy this slideshow of a few IDEAL pictures taken by J.B. Digital Photography. 

To see many more photos and download ones you choose at no cost, head here: IDEAL Photo Album. 

There was no fee for students to participate in IDEAL, meaning Arts for Learning was only able to develop and implement this program with the support of outside funders. We knew we would be able to move forward with our ambitious undertaking once we received the largest grant in our organization’s history from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation; we’ll always be grateful for their support. Additional funders who made this initiative possible are as follows: Chrysler Museum of Art, Arts Alliance, Mr. Gary Jensen, LISC Hampton Roads, Mellen Street Creative, Norfolk Arts and Humanities Commission, Portsmouth Museum and Fine Arts Commission, Portsmouth Service League, PRA Group,  Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission, Virginia Commission for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and Walmart. Our sincere thanks to all!

The IDEAL student art exhibition remains on display through June 1 at the Chrysler and is free and open to the public.

Filed Under: Art Exhibit, Arts Integration, ArtsEd, Grants, News, Program Spotlight, Residency Tagged With: 757 arts, 757 nonprofit, Arts for Learning, Arts for Learning Virginia, Chrysler Museum, Chrysler Museum of Art, Hampton Roads Community Foundation, IDEAL, IDEAL residency, Norfolk Public Schools, Portsmouth Public Schools, teaching artists, Title 1 schools, Virginia Beach City Public Schools, visual arts

Remembering Jean Shackelford: An Exceptional Arts Advocate and Friend of Young Audiences of Virginia

February 3, 2025 By Cindy Sherwood

“Among her greatest joys was her 33 years of involvement with Young Audiences of Virginia! She served on the Board of Directors for numerous years and as President. She loved Young Audiences’ creative offerings annually to involve children in the arts.”  Obituary for Jean Hogge Shackelford

Arts for Learning mourns the loss while celebrating the remarkable life of Jean Shackelford, who died last month at the age of 95. Jean made a lasting contribution to arts education in Hampton Roads and Virginia as a whole.

“She had such a huge impact on arts education in Virginia. I think others have tried to fill her shoes, but I don’t think we’ve ever had such a strong advocate as Jean,” said Beth Hazelette, immediate past president of the A4L board of directors. “Her passion and her drive were to provide quality arts education programming for all students.”

Jean was a teacher and administrator in Portsmouth Public Schools for decades, and, as Beth put it, “built the program” as the supervisor of music for PPS. Beth, who served as supervisor of music for Norfolk Public Schools, considered Jean a mentor. They first met when Beth was a high school choral student and continued the relationship for decades as Beth became a teacher and later an administrator and board member for Young Audiences, where they worked side by side.

“She worked really, really hard for the students and educators of Portsmouth,” Beth said. “She was so tough, but for a good reason. She worked tirelessly to promote a program that could have easily gone by the wayside. She was a bulldog. She wouldn’t let it die. She wanted to make sure all the students in Portsmouth had opportunities in music.”

Longtime board member Minette Cooper first worked with Jean in 1975, developing and implementing programs that put teaching artists in the classroom to guide students in music, poetry, and dance. Minette credits Jean with smoothing the way to integrate the arts into the schools.

“She was a remarkable lady who accomplished so much because she could persuade people to help when probably no one else could,” Minette said. “She was a doer, a really well-informed doer who could get things done as easily as possible. She was phenomenal.”

Minette Cooper, Jean Shackelford, Judy Thaler, Susan Einhorn, and Marty Einhorn celebrate the 65th anniversary of Young Audiences of Virginia/Arts for Learning in 2019.

In addition to her work in Portsmouth, Jean was a powerful voice for arts education at the state level. She received Lifetime Achievement and Distinguished Service awards for 20 years of leadership as a member of the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA). And after she retired from Portsmouth Public Schools in 1989, her efforts continued—she served for 11 years as the legislative liaison in the General Assembly, working to establish the Virginia Coalition for Fine Arts Education that advocates for the arts across the Commonwealth. She acted as a vital communications link to VMEA about all legislation that might affect the arts.

“She had this passion not just for Portsmouth and Portsmouth school students but for music students across the state. She made sure that someone was keeping an eye on what was happening in Richmond because there were a lot of decisions being made that in the end did impact the arts,” Beth said.  Those decisions included the initial years of implementing high-stakes testing in Virginia. Beth says Jean was on the “ground floor” as Virginia created grade-specific Standards of Learning (SOLs), making sure the arts weren’t ignored amid the push to emphasize core academic subjects.

After her retirement, Jean also joined the board of directors of Young Audiences, serving multiple terms as president. As a recipient of Young Audiences’ Arts-in-Education Advocacy award, Jean was lauded for her leadership, insight, and vision. The proclamation states:

“Particularly of note is her guidance in helping us understand and utilize the Standards of Learning as a vehicle to better serve Virginia schools.”

Among other contributions as a board member, Jean helped secure new grant funding for various projects and was instrumental in helping to develop the current mission statement of “engaging and inspiring” students in and through the arts.

 “She lived her passion for arts education, she really did,” Beth said. “She led a very purpose-driven life.”

For more on Jean’s lasting contributions to arts education as well as other aspects of her life—such as eight years as an elected member of the Portsmouth City Council—please read this: Jean Hogge Obituary. We wish her family members peace in this time of mourning and express our gratitude for all Jean achieved for the students, educators, and artists of Virginia.

If you’d like to make a memorial contribution to Arts for Learning in honor of Jean, please click on this link: Donate Now

Filed Under: ArtsEd, News, Volunteer Spotlight Tagged With: arts advocate, Arts Ed, arts education, Arts for Learning, Arts for Learning Virginia, arts integration, arts-in-education, board of directors, Jean Shackelford, music education, Norfolk Public Schools, Portsmouth Public Schools, teaching artists, Young Audiences, Young Audiences of Virginia

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Main Office
Arts for Learning
420 North Center Drive
Suite 239
Norfolk, Virginia 23502

Phone: 757-466-7555

Main Office

Arts for Learning
420 North Center Drive
Suite 239
Norfolk, Virginia 23502
Phone:
757-466-7555

Arts for Learning Virginia Names New CEO to Lead Arts-in-Education Nonprofit

The Board of Directors of Arts for Learning, the Virginia Affiliate of Young Audiences, voted at its annual meeting to name Anna Heywood Green as CEO of the organization. Heywood Green has served as Interim CEO since January 1, following the retirement of former CEO Christine Everly. Prior to January, Heywood Green worked as the organization’s […]

Join the A4L Mailing List!

Sign up to receive the latest news on arts integration from Arts for Learning! Thank you for supporting arts-in-education.

Select list(s) to subscribe to


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Arts for Learning Virginia. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
At Arts for Learning Virginia, we’re proud to be part of the Virginia Commission for the Arts’ Passport Program. While Passport holders typically receive free admission and 50% off classes at participating organizations, all our programming is always free—no discount needed. To learn more about our public events, check out our calendar of events page here.

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