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VDOE Fine Arts Leadership PLC Meeting
Fine arts program staff are hosting opportunities for fine arts division leadership to hear from the VDOE on current topics facing art education, as well as an opportunity to collaborate as a professional learning community. The hour-long sessions will have information sharing, Q&A, and a PLC discussion. The next meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Register here. Meetings are not recorded.
We hope to see you there!
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Resources and Opportunities
The Arts as a School Motivator
The Coordinator of K-12 Fine Arts Education for Richmond City Schools, Christie-Jo Adams Carter, has written an article for the October 2021 School Administrator Magazine, titled "The Arts as a School Motivator" (starting p.36). The article focuses on how to motivate students using the Arts as a catalyst for change. We hope you will take the time to read this article from one of Virginia's outstanding fine arts education leaders.
Governor Northam has proclaimed November 2021 as Native American Heritage Month and November 24, 2021 as American Indian Day of Appreciation. Virginia is home to 11 state-recognized Native American tribes: Cheronenhaka (Nottoway), Chickahominy (Eastern), Chickahominy, Mattaponi, Monacan, Nansemond, Nottoway, Pamunkey, Patawomeck, Rappahannock, and Upper Mattaponi. Additional teaching resources can be found on eMediaVA.
A Virtual Artist Showcase will feature a sampling of the many diverse, talented performing artists and ensembles from the VCA's Performing Arts Tour Directory, and some of the many treasured performance venues across the state. Regional Showcases will run approximately 30 minutes in length. The finale will run approximately 45-minutes. The programs will launch on the VCA's YouTube Channel by 7 PM each Wednesday evening, with prior programs being available the the Finale Week.
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The full schedule is:
October 27 - Southwest Virginia
November 3 - Shenandoah Valley/Blue Ridge (includes Charlottesville)
November 10 - Northern Virginia Part 1
November 17 - Northern Virginia Part 2
November 24 - Central Virginia (Capital Region)
December 1 - Coastal Virginia (Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore)
FINALE - December 8 - Featuring virtual performances and venue promo videos from across the state
The U.S. Army Orchestra Young Artist Competition has been the premier concerto competition for aspiring young musicians in the Washington DC metro area for over 15 years. The Young Artist Competition is open to Washington, DC-area high school string, woodwind, brass, and percussion instrumentalists in grades 9-12. (DC-area to include the District of Columbia, Prince Georges Co., Montgomery Co., Howard Co., Anne Arundel Co., Fairfax Co., Fairfax City, City of Falls Church, Prince William Co., Loudoun Co., Arlington Co., Alexandria City, and Baltimore Co.) Applications may be accepted from students who do not live in these jurisdictions but have a connection through either a musical organization or a private teacher. Applications are due by February 7, 2022.
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Great News!
- Congratulations to Kyle Cook, Choral Director at Western Branch Middle School in Chesapeake Public Schools, who was recently announced as a semifinalist in the 2022 GRAMMY Music Educator Award!
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Grant project reflects on Stafford’s history through art - Students in 11 Stafford County schools are deepening their understanding of local history and creating art to tell stories through a partnership between the school division, the Stafford Education Foundation and the Stafford Museum and Cultural Center.
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Roanoke student artwork hangs in Taubman Museum of Art for Hispanic Heritage Month - Dozens of Roanoke students’ artwork is on display at the Taubman Museum of Art in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Woodrow Wilson Middle School Spanish Teacher Katiuska Gil encouraged her students to replicate the artistic styles of iconic Hispanic artists. Impressed by their creativity, the teacher arranged for nearly 50 pieces of artwork to go on display at the Taubman Museum of Art.
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MAKING A MARK: Students decorate dolphin statue in support of Operation Smile - Kellam High School students [and art teacher, Laura Harris] joined forces with Operation Smile for a project that’s both beautiful and meaningful, bringing attention to a worldwide mission. Drive past Kellam High School and you’ll spot this dolphin statue just outside the main entrance, hand-painted by students to reflect Virginia Beach.
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E.C. Glass welcomes back famous alumni for 40th anniversary of theater program - LYNCHBURG, Va. – One Lynchburg school is celebrating 40 years of its theater program by welcoming back alumni to be part of the show. “E.C. Glass theater was where I decided that I could become a professional actor. It’s where someone, for the first time, said, ‘Hey, you know what? You could do this. This is a real job that you could have.’ So, I credit Glass theater for what’s ever happened to me as an actor,” said [Actor Matt] Fletcher. Congratulations to Allison Daugherty, theatre director at E. C. Glass High School.
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BCHS band scoring big at competitions - The Pride of Bland County Marching Band, [ led by Jared Perdue], racked up at a recent band festival, taking home a bevy of first-place and best-band awards. The band earned the honors earlier this month during the 45th Annual Lonesome Pine Band Festival, held at Central High School in Norton. BCHS Principal Tyler Eastep said, “Mr. Perdue has mastered the little things. He is immersed in his work, in our band program, and he demands a high level of competitiveness from our students. We are extremely lucky to have him at the helm of our band program and leading our school's music department.”
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Culpeper drama students return to high school stage Thursday with one-act plays - CCHS Theater teacher Maxamie Mitchell directs “21 Chump Street,” based on a true story from “This American Life” series about social issues impacting teenagers. Culpeper Middle School choral director Adam Hughes provides musical direction for the high school production. EVHS teacher Andrew Ballard directs, “The 9 Worst Breakups of All Time,” the story of a high school teen who after a recent devastating breakup, is taken on a comedic journey by a supernatural relationship manager named Evan. Here, she gets some much needed perspective.
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PHOTOS: Robious Elementary School's Veterans Day mural - P. E. teacher Zack Miller helps as art teacher Andrew Woodward hangs the final piece of the Veterans Day mural at Chesterfield County's Robious Elementary School on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021.
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Danville library showcases young art talent - DANVILLE, Va. — If you walk into the Brosville-Cascade Public Library, you’ll notice a ton of paintings. Those paintings were made by students at Tunstall High School.
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Abingdon High School theater students going to state competition - For the first time in nearly 10 years, the curtain is rising on a group of theater students at Abingdon High School — and the teacher who is leading them to a state-wide spotlight.
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Monticello students and Tony award winning teacher share a play for a new scholarship fund - ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - There are some new playwrights in Albemarle County. A group of high school students are showing off both their acting, and writing skills this week. Four Monticello High School students spent most of the pandemic crafting their original play “Unhinged.” With the help from a Tony award winning teacher, their play is now coming to life. “One of the joys was meeting, you know, every Monday and Wednesday night with these kids over Zoom, and having them come up with these ideas,” Drama Teacher Madeline Michel said.
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Herndon High School gets invite to perform in DC National Parade of Heroes - The Herndon High School marching band will be performing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during Veterans Day weekend. The band, called “The Pride of Herndon,” is busy practicing to be part of the National Parade of Heroes in D.C. on Saturday. “It’s such an honor,” said Kathleen Jacoby, band director at Herndon High School.
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Shout Outs to Virginia Fine Arts Educators
In October, we asked fine arts division leaders to offer a “shout out” to one or more incredible arts educators in their division. Here is a glimpse of great things happening around Virginia!
- ALL Band, Choir, and Theatre teachers who are navigating higher risk activities!
- All the Fine Arts Educators in Franklin County who are dedicated to providing quality instruction in the arts while navigating many challenges in the midst of COVID.
- Highland Springs HS and Tucker HS Art Departments (Henrico County) opened new buildings and art spaces in the midst of the pandemic.
- Claire Cullen and Bridget Hendricks (Old Hundred ES; Chesterfield County) helped students create an exterior wall installation for the school community using the school motto: SOAR.
- Laura Chatterson, Diane DiGiacomo, Jennifer Meade and Don Barnes (Albemarle County; Ceramics) for going out of their way to help our virtual art teacher (k-12!), located in Texas, to get clay and tools for her students spread around the county. Awesome team effort!
- Renee Kingan and Lee Knight (York County School of the Arts,York County; Dance and Literary Arts) are shifting our annual Swing Dance to an outdoor event, complete with food trucks! If it's as successful as we anticipate, it'll be Swing Dance Under the Stars every year!
- Claire Leeper and Sarah Waldrop (Harrisonburg High School, Harrisonburg; Music and Visual Arts) continue to provide arts education to Level 1 language learners through our Arts Exploration curriculum for newcomer students at the high school level.
- Charlie Nesmith and Jon Wilson (Shelburne Middle School, Staunton; Band) continue to wow their music department students and staff with putting on a concert during each school period for anyone who would like to stop in and visit! VERY talented teachers!
- Kirstie Hein-Sadler, Julie Crowder, Jasmine Stone, Natalie Patino-Wright, Briana Jamison, and Lauren Bleam (Richmond; Visual Arts) are a great group of visual art teachers presenting at the annual conference of the Virginia Art Education Association.
- Kayla Seabolt and Susan Winckler (Hanover County; General Music) created a 9-week music enrichment curriculum for Hanover County Elementary music teachers with about a week's notice and did a terrific job.
- Maia Bayuzick (Washington-Henry ES, Hanover County; Visual Arts) is the 2021 Hanover County Schools Innovator of the Year. She has such wonderful energy!
- Thompson Daniels (King George HS, King George County; Band) and the KGCS Marching Band earned great ratings on all of the marching band competitions their marching band has attended.
- Desiree Dabney (Boushall MS, Richmond; Theatre Arts) for making her school an official troupe chapter in the International Thespian Society.
- Leigh Drake (Tidewater VAEA Regional President; Visual Arts) has done an outstanding job facilitating a number of the events associated with the upcoming VAEA Conference in Virginia Beach. Her efforts to support teachers across the entire state are exceptional!
- Cathy Drummond (Round ES, Manassas; General Music) is an awesome K-4 General Music teacher; incorporates technology through QuaverMusic; always takes advantage of our division's partnership with the Hylton Center for the Performing Arts to give her students both virtual and live field trip experiences; gets students involved in chorus and brings in musicians to provide live music for their shows; directs pit orchestras for various musicals in her spare time; great musical role model!
- Becky Epstein (Baileys Upper ES, Fairfax County; Dance Arts) led the state Dance for Kindness event in Fairfax City on September 18, 2021.
- Audrey Fowler (Walker Grant MS, Fredericksburg; Theatre Arts) put on the musical, Aladdin at Walker Grant Middle School this year! The first musical in 5 years there!
- Maggie Hagy (Keister ES, Harrisonburg; General Music) is in the process of creating a DAW station in her classroom for her elementary students to create through composition and recording. Her student composition program has been a catalyst for many young songwriters and composers already!
- Alison Hall (Woodside HS, Newport News; Theatre Arts) invested herself in over 100 hours of personal professional development. She connected our school with the Manhattan Theatre Project and provided some very unique experiences for her theatre students.
- Rachel Hicks ( Spotsylvania HS, Spotsylvania County; Visual Arts) received Best in Show in the Practice What You Teach.
- Patti Huggins (Quioccasin MS, Henrico County; Band) has been a research guru as it relates to maintaining the health and safety of our students in the arts.
- Joel Joyner (Smithfield HS, Isle of Wight County School) was one of the people that other people raved about how awesome he has been with his program and students.
- Sarah Krantz (Creekside ES, Suffolk; Visual Arts) installed an art display for our local Peanut Festival that includes every student. Each student painted a "feather" and it was put together to represent the artwork of Kelsey Montague, What Lifts You. It was a beautiful set of wings to represent every student. It is also the first art show in Suffolk since the pandemic!
- Melissa Legge McGunigal (James Wood HS, Winchester; Choral) - Missy is an extraordinary teacher and leader. She made several virtual, video concerts with her students while they were home due to the pandemic. She has a wonderful rapport with her students and her passion for music education is evident everyday.
- Jeff Midkiff (Patrick Henry HS, Roanoke; Orchestra) has a commissioned orchestra piece he will be debuting with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra.
- Maeve Nash (West Springfield HS, Fairfax County; Theatre Arts) assisted in the creation and maintenance of the district theatre arts resource site and assisted in the transition of our technical theatre assessments to a digital format.
- Marie Sarmiento (Bel Air ES, Prince William County; Visual Arts) for such wonderful energy and positivity. She has incredible drive and focuses on her students. Her passion for teaching art shines through. We're so lucky to have her!
- Jackie Warren Stetina (Tarrant MS, Hampton; Band) wrote 6-12 Curriculum Embedded and Complex Performance Assessments for composition that align to Innovation in the Arts and Creative Process SOL.
- Laura Thomas (Charlottesville HS, Charlottesville; Orchestra) arranged for a week-long residency with Massamba Diop - Sengaleese master of the talking drum featured in the Black Panther soundtrack.
- Katrina Wynes (King George HS, King George County; Theatre Arts) is teaching all blocks, and preparing one acts for One Act Competition and fall play, The Complete History of Theatre Abridged.
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Contact
Kelly Bisogno, Coordinator of Fine Arts
Virginia Department of Education
kelly.bisogno@doe.virginia.gov
(o) 804-225-2881
(fax) 804-786-1597
P.O. Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23218-2120
Michelle Milligan, Music Specialist
Virginia Department of Education
michelle.milligan@doe.virginia.gov
(o) 804-371-4919
(fax) 804-786-1597
P.O. Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23218-2120
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