PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA
PCCY’s Picasso Project Director, Tim Gibbon, to receive esteemed The Friend of Art Education award
Filadelfia (October 16, 2020) – PCCY’s Picasso Project Director, Tim Gibbon, will receive the Pennsylvania Art Education Association, The Friend of Art Education award, during the kickoff of its virtual conference today.
Gibbon, who has led Picasso Project since 2016, was nominated by Leslie Marie Grace, an award winner for Pennsylvania’s Best Elementary Arts Educator in 2016 working at Nebinger Elementary.
“I cannot imagine a more deserving person who is truly more than a friend to art education,” said Grace in her nomination. “Tim is a force of nature who works endlessly to provide opportunities in the arts for students across Philadelphia, as well as working to influence and change legislation to protect the arts in our city and schools. He is a cheerleader for equitable access to the arts for our students.
“Part of what makes Tim such an amazing advocate and friend to art education is that he also teaches teachers and students how to harness the power of advocacy at local, state, and federal levels through testimonials, legislative visits, letter writing, and social media campaigns,” she continued. “Not only is he an outstanding friend to art education, he is a champion for it. “
The Picasso Project provides and advocates for arts education for Philadelphia’s children and youth.
“An artist and unyielding advocate, Tim is the embodiment of what the Picasso Project exists to achieve,” said Donna Cooper, Executive Director, PCCY. “As chronically underfunded school districts are forced to make difficult choices, arts programs remain at risk. The Picasso Project fills small holes, but more importantly, it works to teach advocacy and amplify the voices of art educators and families. Tim has accomplished more toward that goal personally than almost anyone could have dreamed when the Project was launched.”
Prior to joining PCCY, Gibbon worked as Program Coordinator for Congreso de Latinos Unidos’s afterschool and summer programs in North Philadelphia. He has also worked with several socially engaged arts and education projects, as reForm Project Director with Temple Contemporary, Bilingual Project Coordinator for Philadelphia Mural Arts, and Community Organizer for Philadelphia Photo Arts Center. Gibbon holds a master’s degree in art education with Certificate in Community Arts Practices from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art.
PCCY established the Picasso Project in 2002 with a two-fold mission: First, provide grant funding to support Philadelphia public elementary, middle, and high schools in implementing high quality, innovative arts projects. Second, advocate on a number of levels (local through federal) for increased funding for arts education for these schools. Since its inception, the Picasso Project has provided access to the arts for 47,600 students through $809,466 in grants to support 186 projects at 105 Philadelphia schools.
“Tim embodies the mission, purpose, and way of working that makes the Picasso Project unique and so effective,” said Marita Fitzpatrick, lead art teacher for Bodine High School in her enthusiastic letter urging the Pennsylvania Art Education Association. “To say that Tim Gibbon is a friend of the arts in an understatement; he is a superhero, and supporting the arts is his super-power.”
CONTACT: Kate Philips
(c) 215-850-4647
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