TAP: TEACHING ARTISTS PROGRAM 

FREE VISUAL ARTS LESSONS FOR RAPID CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
HOW IT WORKS
  • Artists visit a classroom full of students to teach a one-hour session, once a week for six consecutive weeks.
  • Artists and teachers collaborate one-on-one to develop curriculum connections, student learning goals, and processes.
  • The Rapid City Arts Council carefully pairs artists with teachers, ensuring a seamless fit.
  • The program requires the approval of the school principal.
  • Each teaching artist undergoes training provided by the Rapid City Arts Council before entering a classroom.​​
  • RCAC offers the program free of charge thanks to philanthropic support.
ARTISTS 
YOU HAVE THE TALENT, WE'LL SHOW YOU HOW TO TEACH IT!
  • Receive training and competitive compensation for your expertise 
  • Share your knowledge and skills with young, eager minds.
  • Build lasting relationships within the community.
  • Be inspired by working with youth and local educators.
TEACHERS
BRING FREE ARTS EDUCATION TO YOUR CLASSROOM!
  • Art is a catalyst for learning, enhancing student engagement across subjects.
  • Arts education nurtures creativity and critical thinking, vital skills for future success.
  • It provides practical tools and problem-solving skills required for future careers as engineers, designers, architects, healthcare providers and scientists.
  • Offers additional resources for strengthening student understanding on various topics.
  • Strengthens ties between the school, educators, students, parents and local artists.
MISSION
Teaching Artists Program (TAP) bridges a deficit in Rapid City public elementary schools by bringing free, standards-aligned art education to classrooms. TAP empowers local artists to bring art lessons to students and matches them with classroom teachers. TAP builds community advocacy for art education through communication with parents, students, teachers, and administrators, through accurately measuring and demonstrating its impact on student learning.

VISION
Teaching Artists Program strengthens Rapid City's public school students' capacity for imaginative learning, creativity and innovation by bringing standards-aligned art education to Rapid City area elementary schools. TAP's asset-based approach builds meaningful connections between Rapid City's students, artists and schools by training artists to collaborate with educators to create lesson plans that meaningfully integrate art into elementary classroom curriculua. TAP is a parntership between Rapid City Area Public Schools, the Rapid City Arts Council that builds advocacy for art education and is inspired by The Sculpture Project's artist Masayuki Nagase's themes of transformation, shared values, and our common aspiration to live in balance.
SCHOOLS INTERESTED IN TAP SHOULD CONTACT EDUCATION DIRECTOR MELISSA NELSON FOR MORE INFO!
melissa.nelson@thedahl.org | 605.394.4101 x3
The Rapid City Arts Council staff and Board of Directors thanks the City of Rapid City for continuously supporting our mission and the arts. The generosity of our many volunteers, donors, and members drives our mission to champion inclusive, innovative and inspiring arts opportunities to enrich the communities we serve.  Additional support comes from the South Dakota Community Foundation, Black Hills Community Foundation, and the South Dakota Arts Council with funds from the State of South Dakota through the Department of Tourism and the National Endowment for the Arts. Special thanks to our events sponsor, Bierschbach Equipment. ​​The Dahl Arts Center is a municipal facility of the City of Rapid City and is managed by the Rapid City Arts Council on behalf of the Rapid City community.
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