SMARTS Arts Education Program

SMARTS Arts in Education aims to ignite creativity and imagination in students through live arts experiences with renowned North Carolina artists. Our mission is to inspire and prepare students not only for creative careers but also for well-rounded, fulfilling lives. By engaging with the arts, students become critical thinkers, develop curiosity, and gain the skills necessary to lead productive and meaningful lives. Our program ensures that the arts play a vital role in nurturing well-rounded individuals.

Arts Davidson County coordinates programming annually with qualified NC artists, nonprofit organization personnel, school administrators, and teachers in the three public school districts, as well as independent schools in Davidson County. Some of our past artists have included Julia Taylor Ebel, Poet and Author; Mike Wiley Productions’ “One Noble Journey: A Box Marked Freedom", Pierce Freelon "The Beast, and Shared Radiance, a performing Arts Company.

The arts not only enrich our lives, communities and culture, but they are vital to a child’s education. A strong arts education promotes the skills children need to be successful. Skills such as creativity, collaboration with their peers, confidence, cultural awareness, empathy, and critical thinking. Support Arts in Education in Davidson County by donating today!

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SMARTS Arts 2023 - The Powers of Poetry Project

During the 2022/2023 school year, Phillip Shabazz, a well-known poet, brought his "Powers of Poetry Project" to several Davidson County Schools. The "Powers of Poetry Project" is a weeklong creative writing workshop which concludes with a celebratory Poetry Slam. Students have a hands-on experience of learning how to write different types of poems, share, give, and receive feedback. They come away from the workshop with new capacities and ideas for improving their writing.

Educators have called Phillip Shabazz, “One of the most inspiring individuals in the arts.” He is the author of three poetry collections, and "When the Grass Was Blue," a novel in verse. His poetry has been included in the anthologies, Literary Trails of the North Carolina Piedmont: A Guidebook, and Home Is Where: African-American Poetry from the Carolinas. Some previous publication credits in journals include, Fine Lines,

Galway Review, Hamilton Stone Review, Hamline Lit, K'in, Mason Street Journal, New Critique, the Sky Island Journal, and Thimble.

What Teachers Say

• It is the most effective writing workshop I have ever seen.

• I got loads of good ideas to present to my students.

• His methods succeed in showing teachers how to use poetry as a tool of learning and communication.

• His teaching style is engaging, fun, and direct.

What Students Say

• He taught me to write about things that related to my life.

• He knew how to talk with young people.

• He related to us as people instead of students.

This program is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.