Thursday, January 21, 2010

New Home

The Carnegie Center's blog has moved!

Find us at our new blog home on Wordpress.

Check it out here!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Young Women Writers Project

The Carnegie Center is very pleased to announce the young ladies selected for the 2009-10 Young Women Writers Project.

Kayla Biddle
Egan Colbert
Olivia Corbin
Kayla Craig
Katherine Depenbrock
Jessica Fortenberry
Claire Johnson
Julia K. Mead
Julie Niklas
Camille Palladino
Daylyn Randolph
Jamie Ritchie
Nikki Roop
Sydney Slade

Congratulations!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Carnegie Center Receives National Recognition

THE CARNEGIE CENTER FOR LITERACY AND LEARNING
WINNER OF THE 2009 METLIFE INNOVATIVE SPACE AWARD
Awarded $10,000 for exceptional art space and programming

Lexington, Kentucky- Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC) and MetLife Foundation announced the six winners of the nationwide, competitive 2009 MetLife Innovative Space Awards. The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning was awarded $10,000 in recognition of itsrobust programming for professional writers and commitment to fostering improved literacy levels in its local community, recognizing the impact that art can have on basic life skills. The awards recognize outstanding efforts in the design and development of affordable space for artists, which is an integral part of LINC's Space for Change: Building Communities Through Innovative Art Spaces program. These spaces provide a stable foundation from which artists may pursue their works and shape the neighborhoods they inhabit. The winners were selected from more than 90 organizations in 29 states.

Left vacated for nearly a year after the Lexington Public Library moved locations, the historic Carnegie library building was restored to public use with the idea of the Carnegie Center. Serving as the home of Lexington's Public Library since 1906, the building now continues on as a community learning and arts center. Since its inception, the Carnegie Center has become an established haven for writers, as well as a welcoming place that addresses the needs of Lexington's diverse community. From ESL courses for recent immigrants, to advanced workshops for established writers, the Carnegie Center exhibits a range of offerings for creative individuals at any stage of education. The building is also home to learning and arts organizations, aspiring and professional authors, writing/book discussion groups and the site for other non-Carnegie events, including the Kentucky Women Writers Conference. In addition to offering a gallery and performing arts events, the center's emphasis on writing and promoting books by regional authors has made it the state's literary hub.

"We are pleased to recognize The Carnegie Center for its extraordinary work to create innovative, affordable, and sustainable artist space that positively impacts its community," said Dennis White, president and CEO, MetLife Foundation. "The Carnegie Centerand the other winning programs serve as models for communities interested in creating and benefiting from sustainable art spaces."

"The Carnegie Center exemplifies how the development of affordable living and working spaces for artists can play a powerful role not only in the lives and careers of those artists, but in the communities where these spaces are located. The Carnegie Center is an outstanding example of excellent programming, socially progressive real estate development, and the ability to provide creative and economic sustenance in a community," said Judilee Reed, executive director, LINC.

Four other winning organizations each received a $10,000 award:

City of Asylum/Pittsburgh, Pa. provides outstanding levels of service to artists in exile through a residency program with a full range of support services for the personal and professional recovery of artists and their families.

Open Book 2.0 in Minneapolis, Minn. exemplifies collaboration among local non-profits. Three independent organizations, The Loft Literary Center, Milkweed Editions, and Minnesota Center for Book Arts pooled resources to form a vibrant literary arts center.

Soo Theatre and STARS in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. jumpstarted the economic and cultural revitalization of its area by bringing arts education and programming to the region. Soo Theatre is now a cultural asset that allows the local hospital and university to attract and retain talent.

Watts House Project in Los Angeles, Calif. meshes artists' skills with local needs to improve households, creating a bond between artist and neighbor by integrating sustainable building and landscaping into everyday life.


The grand prize winning organization, The International Sonoran Desert Alliance (ISDA), received $50,000 in recognition of its development of the Curley School, an exceptional, community-engaged artist space anchoring an arts-based revitalization movement in the border town of Ajo, Ariz. and neighboring Tohono O'odham Nation and Sonora, Mexico.

"Artist spaces should be fundamental to well-planned communities. We hope a broader set of stakeholders, including policymakers, planners and other civic leaders, will embrace arts and culture as significant components of effective development strategies," said Susan Silberberg-Robinson, associate project director, MetLife Innovative Space Awards and lecturer in Urban Design and Planning, MIT.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Parlez-vous francais?

Don't miss your last chance to sign up for a TRUE beginners French course.

It will be meeting on Mondays from 10:30-noon, beginning January 25th.

Call today for more details (859.254.4175)!

~warmly~
Katherine

Monday, January 11, 2010

One Community...One Dream

Off work or school next Monday? Join us for our annual MLK celebration and day of service.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Community Celebration
Monday, January 18
12:30-3:00 pm
FREE


After the downtown MLK march or your other morning activities, head to the
Carnegie Center to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Join us for lunch
and a series of interactive family workshops including art, music, dance, a group
service project, and a showing of Dr. King’s inspirational speeches. This event is FREE
and open to the public. No registration necessary.

~warmly~
Katherine

Friday, January 8, 2010

Carnegie Center is Open

The Carnegie Center will be open today for regular hours (9-5 pm). There is no tutoring today due the closing of Fayette County Public Schools.

As always, stay tuned for additional information.

~warmly~
Katherine

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Carnegie Center is Open

We are currently open and enjoying the view of our snowy Gratz Park backyard. Stay tuned for updates on closings. We will be closing at 5 pm.

No tutoring today, since Fayette County schools are closed.

~warmly~
Katherine

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Family Fun Night

Make your voice heard! Do you have thoughts or suggestions for future youth and family programs at the Carnegie Center. Share your ideas for Family Fun and Learning Nights while your children have fun, too! (recommended for families with children ages 3-12)

Family Fun and Learning Night
Planning Night


Tuesday, January 12
5:30-7:30 pm

FREE event, dinner will be served
For more information or to pre-register, call 859.254.4175.

~warmly~
Katherine


The January FFLN made possible by the generous support of

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

New Carnegie Center Class

Check out this new writing class offered for Winter 2010!
Feeling as a Foreign Language:
Finding Your Poetic Voice
with Emma Bolden

Saturdays
January 30-March 6
10:30 am-noon
COST: only $60

Want to find, flex, and strengthen your voice as a writer? This workshop is
designed to help you do so. Through a series of discussions, exercises, and
prompts, we’ll explore the ways in which one can make a poem, delving into
different aspects of form and content so that you can find the best notes for
your own voice as a poet. Bring a blank notebook and a sense of adventure.

Register now by calling for emailing! (859.254.4175 or ccll1@carnegieliteracy.org)

~warmly~
Katherine

Monday, January 4, 2010

New Year

The Carnegie Center is back up and running today. It has been great to talk to so many of you on the phone. While we all enjoyed a nice holiday break, we miss our patrons!

Reminder that classes begin next week. Want to learn french? Attend a Writer's retreat? Come to Family Fun and Learning Night? Call today to get registered (859.254.4175).

A complete list of classes can be found here.


Happy 2010!
Hope to see you soon!

~warmly~
Katherine