Icicle Creek Center for the Arts, Village Art in the Park, and Cascade School District Collaborate to Support Visual Arts Education

LEAVENWORTH - Icicle Creek Center for the Arts (ICCA), Village Art in the Park (VAP), and Cascade School District have announced that ICCA and VAP will be sponsoring elementary and middle school visual arts in Cascade School District for the 2024/25 school year. This partnership will support the visual arts programs at Peshastin Dryden Elementary, Alpine Lakes Elementary, and Icicle River Middle School, impacting over 800 students and ensuring the continuation of vital arts education opportunities that are essential for creative growth and success.

Dr. Tracey L. Edou, superintendent of Cascade School District, expressed gratitude for the support, stating, "Cascade School District has six core values, one of which is artful creativity. Artful creativity means that we engage in the arts as learners and performers to innovate, create, and inspire the human spirit, inspired by the world around us. Thank you to ICCA and VAP for supporting this core value of our school district and our community during tight financial times. These local nonprofits are once again demonstrating that we have great community partners who make a difference with kids each and every day."

Phil Lacey, Executive Director of ICCA, emphasized the importance of community, saying, "It's all about our community. Icicle Creek works to provide amazing art experiences and education for all of north central Washington, but when we heard about the upcoming budgetary challenges that our own school district here in Leavenworth would be facing, there wasn't even a question – we had to find a solution. Our friends at Village Art in the Park also came to that conclusion and, with the support of our broader community, we are thrilled to collaborate with Cascade School District to make sure that this crucial arts instruction is continued. This type of collaboration between school districts and local nonprofits is exciting to see, and we are grateful to Dr. Edou and the principals of the three schools for working with us to make this possible."

During the 2024-2025 school year, visual arts instruction in elementary and middle school is expected to be provided by Amber Zimmerman for grades K-5 and Lore Smart for grades 6-8. Additionally, Teara Dillon leads a robust art program at Cascade High School.