“Our purpose is to enhance art appreciation and awareness through increased participation in order to foster ‘The Arts’ as a means of human development and cultural enrichment.” The Arts Centered Education Society (ACES), established in the Fall of 2000, has already been active with using self-acquired funds in order to propagate art enrichment programs in the Bozeman Community. Schools, programs, and individuals alike have benefited from private/public donations contributed by members of our community and by persons dedicated to promoting the ‘The Arts1 by allowing more people to do more art more often. Listed below are the accounts of accomplishments by ACES during the last year. The Arts Centered Education Society would like to thank its founding members, contributors, organizations, and everyone else who has been an integral part of making ACES what is today, as well as ensuring its success in the future. In March of 2001, all fourth and fifth grade Irving School students participated in a drawing Artist-In-Residency instructed by Chelsea Smith and Sean Faris of The ArtSplot. The fifth and fourth grade classes used charcoal to explore portraiture, floral work, and onsite landscape drawings. New techniques, observations of light and shadow, and dimensional values were the focus of instruction. ACES financed and sponsored this residency. In April of 2001, Morning Star third graders participated in an Artist-In-Residency during which they created vivd “Spacescapes” using chalk pastels and monoprint inks. This art enrichment program was offered through The ArtSplot. After viewing numerous photographs of space and experimenting with pastel blending techniques monoprint and collage methods were explored and used. Discussions on abstract art were also incorporated. ACES funded art materials of exceptional quality to this residency. In May of 2001, The Arts Centered Education Society held its First Annual Fundraiser Dinner Party in the Weaver Room of the Emerson Cultural Center. Food and wine was catered by Ruppert1s restaurant. Artwork was donated by a select group of Bozeman artists for silent auction. Stuart Weber graced the evening1s attendants with his classical guitar playing and musical presence. The evening was funded through ACES. ACES currently sponsors four students each week with private art lessons at The ArtSplot. These lessons are held Monday through Thursday in the ArtSplot studio located in the Emerson Cultural Center. During these lessons, students concentrate on building personal skill, technique, and development in a multi media environment. ACES sponsored six students with scholarship funding during the week long ArtSplot Summer Programs. These students were given the opportunity to observe and do art “onsite” in the mountains that surround the Greater Gallatin Valley as well as make use of pottery and printmaking equipment in the studio. In July of 2001, ACES sponsored Canvass MT, an eight day art / creative writing workshop for high school students in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Students hiked, painted, observed, and became a part of the wilderness experience that Montana can offer. Funds were acquired through private donations and through grant money in order to subsidize this program and keep costs low. ACES also sponsored two of the eight students who participated in the Canvass MT program. ACES gave eight students scholarship funding last fall and spring for the 3In the Field2 programs. This unique offering incorporates the time of year, weather, and landscape while painting onsite is such areas as the Spanish Peaks, Gallatin and Madison Rivers, Bridger and Hyalite mountains, and the Swan Creek drainage. This program emphasizes individualized artwork and personal technique. The Arts Centered Education Society has been fortunate to obtain the help of Josie Powell with its grant writing. Josie has experience with both reading and writing grants, has worked with and developed enriched curricula within educational systems, and posses tremendous understanding of the value of the arts. We appreciate her greatly. On December 3, 2001, MacKenzie River Pizza of Bozeman donated 20% of their proceeds from customers who presented a coupon with their bill to the Arts Centered Education Society. ACES will use this money to sponsor students in need of scholarship funding and to further propagate ‘The Arts’. MacKenzie River and ACES will continue to have more “Pizza Nights” throughout the school year. Thank you MacKenzie River and everyone who came to eat pizza and help support art enrichment in the Bozeman community. Thank you to all of our contributors. If you are interested in supporting the arts and contributing to enrichment programs such as these please contact A.C.E.S. through Chelsea Smith 587-8424, 111 S. Grand Ave., #212, Bozeman, MT. 59715.