Importance of arts focal point of WH Schools festival
The public had an opportunity to come and enjoy the artwork of West Holmes Schools students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The hallways at the high school were packed with parents, family and friends who could take in quite a huge display of art.
West Holmes High School was abuzz with activity on Friday, April 19, the parking lot filled to overflowing with people from the community who flocked to the school to take in the annual West Holmes Arts Festival.
This annual event was created to showcase the talents and gifts of students throughout the district, from kindergarten to senior year, and the evening gave all youth a chance to shine.
On stage in Excalibur Theater, students from each grade in every school in the district paraded to center stage to sing or play instruments.
One by one groups led by music teachers in the district sang songs and delighted the crowd.
The main hallways were plastered with drawings, sculptures and other creative artwork the students created this year. The hallways were so packed with patrons that at times it seemed as though it was difficult to navigate through the maze of artwork, as parents, grandparents and others tried to locate the artwork from that special child they went to see.
All of it was with an eye toward promoting the great work of the students, as well as giving them some well-earned recognition for their artwork and their music.
“The neat thing about this is that this isn’t just a few kids being featured this evening. It’s a lot of kids,” said Kristen O’Brien, West Holmes High School vocal and instrumental arts teacher. “This includes students from throughout our whole district, and it’s a fun night filled with music, art and food that highlights all of their individual talents and skills. You can’t go wrong with that.”
Many of the elementary school art and music teachers have started working on special projects from the beginning of the year in preparation for this event. O’Brien said her high school choir students started preparing their numbers in early January, so there is a great deal of work that went into creating this special evening.
For those younger children, having educators who care about them and a desire to teach students the joy that can be found in the arts is the first step to recognizing a child might have a passion for designing, creating music or finding their path in any of the arts.
Alex Looney, Millersburg Elementary music teacher who has taught at the high school level, has quickly found joy in dedicating himself to working with younger students. He said it is heartwarming to see an event like this that focuses on the youth and the things they’ve accomplished.
“Any time you focus on music and with all of the arts in general at a young age, the focus is on finding the joy in it,” Looney said. “Once they find that passion and joy, they begin to slowly build skills they’ll need later. If a district doesn’t have dedicated teachers invested in doing that, you won’t have future students and programs like this. The goal is to ignite a passion in them to perhaps find that they do have a gift they can enjoy.”
While there is a push right now to promote STEM programs, those who teach the arts recognize there is still a big role the arts play in building self-esteem, character, teamwork and in building the lives of young people.
“For some kids this is the reason they come to school,” O’Brien said. “It’s a way for them to express themselves. It’s a place where they feel like they can fit in and belong and contribute something that brings them joy. That’s why it is so important to keep the arts alive and well in all of our school districts.”
While encouraging young people to pursue the arts in any form is one of the focal points of the evening, it also is an event that gives West Holmes seniors a chance to have one last day in the sun, whether it is through music or art.
For the seniors on stage, singing or playing an instrument with their friends and classmates as their high school careers wind down is special. Seniors are given special display areas in the main hallway where they can display their favorite art pieces they’ve crafted.
“This is one of the last few things our seniors get to do, whether it is through their art or on stage,” O’Brien said. “It’s memorable and meaningful and something I hope everyone can appreciate because many of these seniors have dedicated themselves to their craft and it means a lot to them.”