The Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG) is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with the Ithaca (New York) City School District to support and celebrate all the arts for all the kids. FABG is an affiliate of the Ithaca Public Education Initiative.

Latest News

NEW YORK STATE SCHOOLS MUSIC ASSOCIATION FESTIVAL HELD IN ITHACA

Posted Sun, 04/17/2016 - 9:23am by Gail Brisson

The Ithaca City School District (ICSD) will host the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA), Zone 3, Solo and Ensemble Festival on May 6 and 7, 2016 at Boynton Middle School. Over 1,512 student musicians come from 9 counties to participate. The Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG), with hundreds of community and student volunteers, helps host this event. Interested volunteers may contact president@fabgithaca.org for information.

This is the fourth year that the ICSD has hosted this event....(read more)

Jazz Education in the Ithaca City Schools

Posted Wed, 04/13/2016 - 6:19pm by Gail Brisson

Thanks to Michael Treat for this information, which is also included in the upcoming District Jazz Concert Program April 21, 7:30 p.m. at the Ithaca High School Performing Arts Center.

This concert will have special guest trombonist Melissa Gardiner, made possible by a grant from the Fine Arts Booster Group, an affiliate of IPEI.

The Ithaca School District has a proud history of introducing many young people to Jazz Music. Several Ithaca alumni have continued on to advanced degrees in jazz performance and some are now leading jazz programs at Universities in various parts of the country.

Students can begin learning to play Jazz in middle school. Jazz Ensembles and electives are offered at Boynton and DeWitt....(read more)

FINE ARTS BOOSTER GROUP AWARDS SPECIAL GRANTS TO SUPPORT ICSD

Posted Wed, 04/13/2016 - 6:17pm by Gail Brisson

The Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG), an affiliate of IPEI, has awarded $11,124 in special grants for Ithaca City School District (ICSD) programs that will reach 400 students annually. The special grants will support ongoing activity over multiple years and include microphones for use in Boynton Middle School’s McCalmon Theatre, new choral risers for DeWitt Middle School and Ithaca High School choir uniforms.

Co-President Alice Wu notes, “Our school district does a great job of supporting the arts, and some programs can also benefit from additional help. The Fine Arts Booster Group is glad to offer assistance in these areas. For example, FABG helped the expanding Sixth Grade Choir at DeWitt get risers needed for their classroom use....(read more)

A Week in the Life: Elementary Visual Art Teacher

Posted Wed, 04/13/2016 - 6:14pm by Gail Brisson

30 classes a week, 40 minutes each, reaching 472 children in grades K-5 between 2 schools, all in a 4 day rotation – that is the challenging week in the life of visual art teacher Sarah Locke-Mountin. New York State mandates that visual art be taught once a week in elementary school. In order to meet the challenge of this schedule, the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) visual arts teachers master planning and materials preparation so that students can be empowered with the skills and knowledge of the visual world. The visual arts classroom is a place of project-based learning, where students can use all parts of their brain to first understand visual concepts, develop the confidence to try them out and then synthesize the knowledge to create their individual work....(read more)

FINE ARTS BOOSTER GROUP AWARDS GRANTS FOR ITHACA DISTRICT PROJECTS

Posted Sun, 03/20/2016 - 5:00pm by Gail Brisson

The Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG), an affiliate of IPEI, has awarded $3,061 in mini-grants to seven Ithaca City School District (ICSD) projects that will reach 360 students....(read more)

JEMM GRANTS ACCESS TO MUSIC

Posted Sun, 03/20/2016 - 4:59pm by Gail Brisson

The Josh Endo Memorial for Continuing Support of Music Education (JEMM) Fund, a fund of the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI), recently announced the 2015-16 award of $1,000. JEMM annually supports music education needs with priority for elementary student instrument rental scholarships and secondary student instrumental music group trip scholarships. The IPEI Fund administers JEMM with help from the Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG), an IPEI affiliate. JEMM celebrates the late Josh Endo’s love of music and his music education in the Ithaca City School District (ICSD).

ICSD Chief Administrative Officer David Brown expressed his gratitude for the grant, “The ICSD Music Department humbly accepts the Josh Endo Memorial Fund to help offset rentals for families in need....(read more)

Thank you to our IPEI Adult Spelling Bee team, the Fine Arts "Word" Boosters!

Posted Sun, 03/20/2016 - 4:56pm by Gail Brisson

Mary Ann Erickson, Nicki Zawel and Shane Henderson made it to the final round and proved that artists and musicians can spell!fabg spellers.jpg

Mini-Grant Deadline Extended!

Posted Sun, 01/31/2016 - 3:35pm by Gail Brisson

The Fine Arts Booster Group Mini-Grant deadline has been extended until Feb 6.

The website www.fabgithaca.org had some access issues this weekend, so the deadline has been extended.

Find an application there under the receive tab and apply!

Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts Partners with Fine Arts Boosters to Host Teacher Retreat: Teachers Announced

Posted Sun, 01/31/2016 - 3:07pm by Gail Brisson

The Saltonstall Foundation and Arts Colony, in partnership with the Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG), an affiliate of IPEI, is offering a five-day, four-night retreat for Ithaca City School District (ICSD) teachers February 12-16, 2016. This residency is designed to provide a residency-type retreat for local ICSD teachers in the following disciplines: creative writing, photography/film/video, and painting/sculpture/visual art. The program is totally free to attend. Five ICSD teachers were selected through a lottery system....(read more)

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