IN THE NEWS

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES STRATEGY TO IMPROVE ARTS EDUCATION

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein have introduced ArtsCount, an initiative to improve arts education New York City schools through accountability and quality improvement strategies. Beginning in the fall, city schools must adhere to a series of arts instruction criteria to help the Department of Education identify schools that require more arts education support. The Mayor and the Chancellor also unveiled the new Arts Education Task Force to guide the Department of Education in its improvements to the citywide arts education curriculum. The task force includes Andrew Ackerman, director of the Children's Museum of Manhattan, along with arts and cultural leaders from across the city.

HARLEM SCHOOL OF THE ARTS ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL JAZZ MUSEUM IN HARLEM

The Harlem School of the Arts and the National Jazz Museum have announced a new collaboration to promote jazz with educational programming and public events through the spring of 2008. The four Jazz Museum programs, Saturday Jazz Academy, Harlem Speaks, Jazz for the Curious Mind and Harlem Swings will combine with HSA's youth-based program Opportunities for Learning in the Arts to teach jazz history to students and families.

NYCkidsARTS.org IN DOE FAMILY GUIDE

The Department of Education will distribute its annual Family Guide to more than one million families in September. The guide outlines curriculum, as well as programs, services and contacts available to public school students and families. The guide includes a section on NYCkidsARTS.org, the Alliance Web site that can help parents take the learning process beyond the classroom with cultural activities.

DEUTSCHE BANK INTRODUCES ITS ARTS AND ENTERPRISE REVITALIZATION PROGRAM

Deutsche Bank is accepting letters of interest from nonprofit cultural organizations located in low-income communities for its Arts and Enterprise Place-Based Revitalization Program. The program awards New York City groups up to $150,000 for projects that encourage the use of arts and culture in communities as a way of improving the local economy. The submission date for letters of interest is Monday, August 13.

Save the Date! Please join us on November 15th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Christie's in Rockefeller Center for the Alliance's Friends of the Arts Party to benefit the Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Fellowship. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.

PEOPLE

Alan Gilbert has been named the new music director of the New York Philharmonic. His tenure will start at the beginning of the 2009-2010 season. Mr. Gilbert is currently the chief conductor and artistic advisor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

CALENDAR

AUGUST FESTIVALS

New York International Fringe Festival--AUG 10 to 26
The largest multi-arts festival in North America brings more than 200 companies and artists from around the globe to downtown Manhattan for 16 days of dance, theater and multimedia performances. For more information, click here.

Battery Dance Company's 26th Annual Downtown Dance Festival--AUG 20 to 26
The annual weeklong outdoor dance festival presents an eclectic line up of performers in Battery Park and Chase Plaza returns. Admission: Free. For more information, click here.

15th Annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival--AUG 25 and 26
Now in its 15th season, the festival celebrates the life of the venerable jazzman and his contemporaries with a host of performances by some of the biggest names in jazz on Saturday at Marcus Garvey Park (Fifth Avenue and 122nd Street) and on Sunday at Tompkins Square Park (East Seventh Street and Avenue A). For more information, click here.

Downtown NYC River to River Festival 2007--Through SEPT 14
The River to River festival includes special events such as cultural walking tours, movie nights, and outdoor performances by leading dance companies and music ensembles. For more information, click here.

Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival--AUG 2 to 27
More than 100 free outdoors performances of dance, music, chamber concerts and events will be presented in Lincoln Center's plazas. For more information, click here.

HOT! Festival--The NYC Celebration of Queer Culture--Through AUG 26
There are three weeks left of this performance extravaganza featuring puppetry, burlesque, music, dance and spoken word by gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender artists. For more information, click here.

HARLEM WEEK--Through AUG 18th
In its 32nd year, this festival celebrates Harlem's history and culture with dance, film, music, and sports. For more information, click here.