The arts shine at West Holmes K-12 festival

The annual West Holmes K-12 Fine Arts Festival April 17 at the high school was greeted by perfect weather and plenty of parents, grandparents and others eager to hear and see the efforts put forth by the district's students through both art and music.

In Excalibur Theater, the music program was accentuated by plenty of select performances featuring grade levels throughout the district.

The West Holmes Choir Concert kicked off the vocal portion of the evening, followed by the WHMS sixth grade choir; the combined effort of the Killbuck and Lakeville fifth grade classes; a select women’s choir; Millersburg second grade, which featured an all-recorder performance; the West Holmes Chamber Choir; Millersburg fourth grade students; and the WHMS seventh grade and eighth grade choir.

In the gymnasium, the instrumental talents were on display. The West Holmes Jazz Band initiated the night of music, followed by the WHMS seventh grade band, WHMS sixth grade band, WHMS eighth grade band, West Holmes Concert Band and West Holmes Symphonic Band.

Kristen O’Brien, high and middle school choir teacher, said this event is one that continues to be a terrific moment for the entire community and the school district.

“This night is just the best,” O’Brien said. “What makes it so special is that it is every grade in every building contributing something and showing what the students in our district can do through music and art.”

She also said for the young elementary-age students, this night is good because it allows them to see what they can look forward to if they continue to pursue the arts.

“We have all these talented high school students, and for these younger kids to get a chance to experience their gifts and see what they can strive to achieve down the road is wonderful,” O’Brien said.

At Millersburg Elementary, new music teacher Katelyn Fraley said it was inspiring to watch her students invest their time and talents into music and then get a chance to share it in front of the community.

“This is an ideal time for the kids to go beyond the music room and share their talents in a new and challenging way,” Fraley said. “We get to showcase their gifts in an exciting way, and this opportunity prepares our kids for the future if they want to get involved with choir or band in high school.”

She said performing in Excalibur Theater in front of so many people is both exhilarating and nerve-racking for the students, but she said it also helps them realize people will always overlook the imperfections and enjoy the art for what it is, a performance of celebration and joy.

While visitors enjoyed the music, many other visitors took to the hallways at the high school, where selected artwork from every grade graced the walls. From ink to paint, clay to papier mache and more, every type of media was put to good use, creating an array of artwork.

Vivian Arbaugh was one of dozens of Art 1 students who united to create a puzzle collage of three featured people or characters including Salvador Dali, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Faith Ringgold. The Art 3 and 4 students recreated "The Nightmare Before Christmas" through this technique.

“It was a fun project to work on, and I think this whole night is really cool because everyone gets to show off their artwork, not just the high-schoolers, but all of the grades throughout the district,” Arbaugh said. "It’s really fun seeing the artwork of all of the little kids and the hard work they put in.”

She said high school art teacher Sandy Miller is a tremendous teacher because she lets the students create work through their own imagination, creativity and style.

West Holmes visual arts staff includes Anna Irwin at Killbuck, Lakeville and Nashville; Kristen Bartman at Millersburg; Amy Rohr at West Holmes Middle School; and Sandy Miller at West Holmes High School.

The West Holmes music staff includes Stephanie Schwartzwalder at Killbuck, Lakeville and Nashville; Katelyn Fraley at Millersburg; Kristen O’Brien for West Holmes Middle and High School choir; Blake Depinet for West Holmes Middle School band; and Steve Butcher for West Holmes High School band.

In addition to the arts being presented, patrons could enjoy the beauty of the evening outside with four food trucks, and in the cafeteria, many families with youngsters took advantage of the arts and crafts tables, where volunteers provided face painting and other crafts for the kids.