TEACHING ARTIST PROJECT (TAP)
Mobile Arts Council has come together with Alabama Contemporary Art Center and Mobile Museum of Art to relaunch the "Teaching Artist Project". This project began in 2016 as a collaborative effort between our arts organizations to create a database of teaching artists who would become known as "floating faculty". Any artist interested in teaching their craft through education programming at any of our three organizations should fill out this form. All three entities will have access to the form once submitted.
Questions? Contact kat@mobilearts.org.
Amp Up Arts
Mobile Arts Council officially gained the title of "Collaborative Site" for Amp Up Arts in January, 2023. Amp Up Arts is a collective impact of the Alabama State Council on the Arts that focuses on the implementation of sustainable arts education for all K-12 public schools throughout the state. With their help, MAC will be searching for teaching artists in our area and training them through workshops and professional development opportunities to be able to effectively provide arts classes in Mobile County schools.
Interested in teaching with us? Fill out this form! We encourage teaching artists and organizations proficient in any and all mediums, including performance art, to apply! Interested in having Amp Up Arts work with your school? Then fill out this form! Email Kat Stoves at kat@mobilearts.org for additional information or to get involved.
November Artist Member of the Month
Congratulations to our November Artist Member of the Month, Ben Kaiser! Born and raised in Alabama, he graduated from the University of Montevallo in 2016. There, Ben received a Bachelor of Fine Art in both Painting and Sculpture. His work is primarily figural, and nature related, often possessing a realistically rendered subject, with a surrealistic…
Amp Up Arts Mural Completed at George Hall Elementary School
Look at what these young artists have achieved at Hall Elementary School! Led by muralist, Hannah Georgina Legg, students worked hard to complete this beautiful work of art on the first floor of their school. The mural is titled, “Rooted in Community”, perfectly demonstrating the value of the relationships formed between the school and its…
MAC Holiday Fundraiser
Mobile Arts Council is selling holiday card sets featuring a digital design by our own Kathleen Kirk Stoves! With the card’s design, Kathleen chose to spotlight our beloved Mardi Gras history while celebrating the holiday season. Every dollar raised by the sale of these cards goes directly to our mission to enrich the quality of…
October Organization of the Month
Congratulations to our October Organization Member of the Month the Mobile Medical Museum! Nestled on the grounds of USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital, this incredible museum houses one of the largest collections of medical artifacts in the Southeast, showcasing history from the 16th century to today, representing major historical developments in many different fields of…
2024-25 Mobile Arts Guide
Mobile Arts Council is proud to announce our 2024-25 Mobile Arts Guide! This guide is representative of our mission to enrich the quality of life in the Mobile area through increasing accessibility to the arts and promoting a vibrant cultural community. Through the pages of this guide, you will find a wealth of arts events…
2024-2025 Poetry Out Loud Competition Registration Open Now!
Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Poetry Out Loud is…
September Artist Member of the Month
Congratulations to our September Artist Member of the month Marnée Wiley ! Marnée Wiley is a professional artist and educator based in Mobile, Alabama. Using acrylics and mixed media, she crafts bold paintings inspired by nature and the human experience, focusing on themes of motherhood, spiritual enlightenment, and unusual creatures. Her work features bright palettes…
Mark your calendar for our 12th Annual Throwdown!
Please join us at the coolest art competition in town, the 12th Annual Throwdown! The Mobile Arts Council’s grandest annual affair, aptly named “The Throwdown,” paints the town with creativity and purpose. For over a dozen years, local artists have eagerly embraced this unique live art competition. Five contenders—each fueled by passion and creativity—take their places. Armed…
MAC welcomes new staff member!
Please join us in welcoming our newest staff member, Community Engagement Coordinator, Jessica Jones! Jessica is joining us from Colorado Springs where she served as the Events & Marketing Director at Cottonwood Center for the Arts. Jones brings with her six years of nonprofit arts experience, and a distinct passion for the arts in the…
June Artist Member of the Month
Congratulations to our June Artist Member of the Month, Tanya Parent! A proud member of the Mobile Arts Council, Tanya Parent is currently one of two dance educators at Dunbar Magnet School of the Creative and Performing Arts. Her love of dance and arts education led her to use her talents to educate, expose, and…
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Art for All
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have created Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, an innovative arts education program managed in partnership with the Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA). Poetry Out Loud is a yearly national competition for high school students who are interested in poetry, creative writing, acting, and public speaking. Participants may go on to compete at regional, state, and final national levels. Since 2005, Poetry Out Loud has reached more than 3.6 million students and 55,000 teachers from 14,000 schools nationwide.
Each year, the Mobile Arts Council facilitates District 1 of Poetry Out Loud's Alabama Statewide Competition in partnership with ASCA. Categories include Original Poetry, Anthology Poetry, and the new Social Justice Poem competition. This program includes free professional development workshops for winner and runner-up competitors, performance training, and the Region 1 Competition. Unlike previous years, individuals are now eligible to compete independently of their schools.
In 2025-2026, Poetry Out Loud will focus on America250 in celebration of the 250th signing of the Declaration of Independence, featuring poems celebrating the rich tapestry of American history and culture. An updated online anthology is available this year, and replaces any earlier online or printed anthologies. Note: the anthology may have additional poems added through the month of October.
- In addition to the updated anthology now available online, please note that for the 2025-2026 program, students can choose any three poems from the anthology. Students do not need to select a poem that is 25 lines or fewer or a pre-20th century poem.
The program is FREE! Participating teachers receive free materials, including a teacher’s guide, lesson plans, and access to audio-visual materials on the art of recitation. Each year, MAC hosts a free Region 1 Poetry Out Loud Workshop. Here, students will have access to poetry analysis, writing, and general competition info. Students will be given the opportunity to practice their poems in the competition space, so they can be as prepared as possible come competition day! The Region 1 Poetry Out Loud workshop will be January 24th, 2026 at the Ben May Main Library from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can register here.
The Region 1 Poetry Out Loud competition will be held Saturday, January 31st, 2026 at the Ben May Main Library at 11:00 a.m. The deadline to register for the 2025-2026 Poetry Out Loud Region 1 Competition is January 24th, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Register for the competition here.
The official website is www.PoetryOutLoud.org
Please visit it to explore all the resources available.
We look forward to signing YOUR high school up
for this wonderful program!!
If you would like yourself or your high school in Region 1 to participate, please contact Sydney at scramer@mobilearts.org or 251-432-9796 ext. 3. She will be glad to answer any questions. Information regarding the 2025-2026 competition should be updated no later than October 1st, 2025. Check back to this page for region-specific updates. These will be made available as soon as possible.
Recent POL News & Deadlines
The "Five" Show
“FIVE” is a biennial juried exhibition of work by students from the area’s five colleges and universities. This exhibition gives young adults the opportunity to showcase their artwork in a professional venue, as well as a chance to meet other artists, win prizes, and gain public recognition. Prizes include cash, MAC Memberships, and gift certificates from local businesses. Entry is open to any student enrolled during the current academic year at Bishop State Community College, Coastal Alabama Community College, Spring Hill College, the University of Mobile, or the University of South Alabama. Students do NOT have to major in art or be taking art classes to participate. Submission deadlines and application will go live in early Spring every other year.
Winners received cash, gift certificates, and other prizes for courtesy of Lupercalia Art Society, Sophiella Gallery, Mobile Art Association, Mobile Arts Council, and Ashland Gallery.
Interested in participating? Email info@mobilearts.org to sign up for our Five email list!
View relevant articles regarding upcoming show deadlines, past winners, photos, and how to get involved in the links below.
Recent FIVE News & Deadlines
Visual Arts Achievement Program and Young at Art
The Visual Arts Achievement Program, also known as VAAP, has been one of the premier secondary visual arts competitions in Alabama for more than thirty years.
After much consideration, the Alabama State Council on the Arts is retiring VAAP effective immediately. During the program’s tenure, hundreds of middle and high school students were celebrated for their talent and dedication to the art form. We know that this is sad news, but we hope you will find comfort in knowing that your students made VAAP one of the most successful visual arts competitions in Alabama — that achievement is something to be proud of.
