Advocate for the Arts

		Chris Holder STORYSINGER PRODUCTIONS 14663 West Lake Road Hammondsport, NY 14840
		Phone:Bus/Fax: 607/868-7249 Email: chrisholder@roadrunner.com

Over his 25 years in the field of music, storytelling, theatre and arts-in-education, Chris Holder has continually worked as an arts advocate for the field. Whether as a mentor to newer artists in the field, as a panelist for arts-in-education at the New York State Council on the Arts, as an audition chair for arts-in-education showcases statewide or as a board member for the New York State Alliance for Arts Education, Chris devotes a major portion of his professional life to promoting the arts and improving working conditions for his fellow artists.

Here are some professional arts/teaching organizations in which Chris is particularly active.

Along with his colleague, novelist Mike Rutherford, Chris co-edited the teaching artist newsletter, Artists with Class

ARTISTS WITH CLASS for more than 12 years.
A treasured guide to arts-in-education artists for news of grants, showcases, profiles, plus hands-on information and advice on marketing, fees and insurance, ARTISTS WITH CLASS filled many needs for teaching artists in the eighties and nineties.

In the 21st century's shrinking world, the field of professional teaching artists is not just a legitimized profession, its a burgeoning artistic phenomenon! Chris is proud to have been the Co-Founder and original Co-Executive Director of the Association of Teaching Artists (ATA), the professional association of Teaching Artists for New York State and beyond. ATA's mission is to serve the ever-increasing number of Teaching Artists with the infomation, support, professional development and field advocacy they deserve.

For more than ten years Chris has been on the board of directors of the New York State Alliance for Arts Education a statewide non-profit service organization, dedicated to ensuring that the arts become an integral part of every young person's education in New York State. The Alliance creates networks and partnership opportunities for educators and arts professionals, sponsors professional development workshops and conferences, and presents arts education programming across the state.
Now serving as the Vice President of the Board of Directors of NYSAAE, Chris is actively engaged in the new NYSAAE initiatives of statewide Arts Town Meetings (for parents and community) and arts in education regional conferences (for artists and teachers) across New York State.

Arts in Education Rountables are flourishing across New York State from New York City to Buffalo, the Southern Tier to the Adirondacks. The Roundtables bring together regional arts stakeholders to share information, collaborate on programming and develop professional development for artists, teachers and cultural institutions. Chris frequently participates in New York City's annual Roundtable Conference, Face To Face, is a new member in Central and Western NY Roundtables and is currently program chair for NY's Capital Area AIE Roundtable

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Photo credit: Bruce Squires