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.
Amp Up Arts at Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama
Along with our Amp Up Arts classes at three Mobile County Public Schools this summer, we’re grateful to be able to reach four Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama with a variety of art classes. This June, we’ve had artist led classes at Bernard Malkove, Sonny Callahan, Semmes, and Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs.…
Amp Up Arts Networking Event with Mobile Arts Council
July 18th | Gallery @ Room 1927 | 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. 6 South Joachim Street Mobile, Al 36602 (Next to the Saenger Theatre) Artists, Arts Organizations, Teachers and Administrators welcome! Learn about Mobile Arts Council’s Education Partnership with Amp Up Arts! Keep the arts alive at your school! Artists and Arts Organizations are encouraged…
Summer Camps Galore!
Summer is just around the corner, and our Summer Camp Roundup is here to help your kids find creative and educational enrichment over the break. Sign up for any of these wonderful classes today! Your child is bound to gain artistic skills in creative problem solving, public speaking, and more! View this year’s listing from…
April: FIVE
Stop by MAC’s Gallery @ Room 1927 to shop in our gallery gift shop and to see our newest exhibition, the FIVE Show. The April exhibition series is sponsored by the Mobile International Airport and will be featured in the MAC Gallery through April 30th, 2024. “Five” is a biennial juried exhibition of work by…
Free Arts Education Workshop | April 13th
Are you interested in teaching visual or performance arts classes through Mobile Arts Council’s partnership with Amp Up Arts? Are you an artist wanting to sharpen your teaching skills and liven up your lesson plans? Join us for a FREE workshop at the Community Foundation of South Alabama, April 13th, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.…
Call for Summer Camp Info!
Although we’re in the thick of the Mardi Gras season, we’re not sleeping on Summer being just around the corner! Now is the time that parents and young artists are thinking about their summer plans, and we’re here to help! Every year we compile a detailed list of children’s summer camps offered by our fantastic…
January Organization Member of the Month
Congratulations to our January Organization Member of the Month, Alabama Contemporary Art Center! The mission of Alabama Contemporary is to support cultural production, provide space for courageous conversations that shape identity, and seed growth in the greater creative economy. They support living artists, and through their educational, public and curatorial programs advocate for human dignity…
What’s new with Amp Up Arts?
Mobile Arts Council’s education outreach partnership with Amp Up Arts is growing everyday thanks to our vibrant arts community. We are lucky to be connected with countless professional individuals and organizations with an interest in providing arts education to local schools. Our visual arts and dance classes at Chastang-Fournier K-8 School have been up and…
FREE for MAC Members: Performance Arts Panel Discussion & Headshots
Join us for a FREE Member Event at Mobile Arts Council’s Gallery on July 22nd, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. We are excited to hear from professionals in our local performing arts community, gaining some insight and tips & tricks on what it takes to thrive in this area of the arts. Our panelists…
Free Arts Education Workshop | May 23rd & 24th
Are you interested in teaching visual or performance arts classes through Mobile Arts Council’s new partnership with Amp Up Arts? Are you an artist wanting to sharpen your teaching skills and liven up your lesson plans? Join us for a FREE two-day workshop at the Community Foundation of South Alabama, May 23rd-24th, from 9 a.m.…
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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.
