KNIGHTS STAND OUT | ARTS

The Arts Pillar supports student experiences in these six areas: media arts, music, dance, publications, studio arts, and theatre.

Whether premiering new works on campus, participating in gallery exhibitions in Greater Houston, competing and showcasing projects nationally, or simply exploring our more than 50 creative offerings, there is something in the Arts Pillar for everyone!

Members of our choirs and instrumental ensembles traveled to Carnegie Hall in New York City and Disney Studios in Florida, respectively, where they participated in intensive workshops, performances, and other terrific learning opportunities.

In the Dance program, the launch of the new Street Dance course this semester has been a success. Specialist instructor Aaron Medina, a seasoned choreographer and teacher, has brought a new energy to the program. The EHS Elevate team received platinum (the highest) scores and other top rankings at the Artistic Dance Exchange Convention and Competition in Houston in mid January.

The Theatre program had a busy start to the year. Mr. Brock, Dr. Berckley, Mr. Revaz, and Ms. Succi accompanied 25 students on a trip to New York City, where they were immersed in workshops, Broadway performances, and other arts experiences. The spring musical, Mamma Mia, opened to huge audiences, with more than 70 students featured and recognized for their extraordinary performances of this beloved show. With hugely popular tunes and the largest cast in any EHS musical to date, this show was an absolute treat for all!

We are proud to announce that our visual arts students have won several awards in the Scholastics Art & Writing Competition. Thirteen students won 15 Gold Keys, and 17 students won 19 Silver Keys. Additionally, 32 students won 37 Honorable Mentions, and 9 students won awards in multiple categories. The success of our students in this competition is a testament to their hard work and dedication to their craft.

In addition to the Scholastics Art & Writing Competition, our Publications Program continues to produce outstanding content in all three areas: Yearbook, Newspaper, and Broadcasting. The Broadcasting staff produced its first individual podcasts and vlogs, and their first newscast of the semester aired in February. The Guild, the official EHS student publications hub, premiered new content on the school website in mid February.

Animation and Moviemaking classes have also been busy this semester. Animation students started the semester with a bang by creating an animation using a technique called “pixilation.” The Moviemaking class produced their Video Alphabet project, a fan favorite, where they filmed a video to represent every letter of the alphabet. We are proud to announce that our students have had success in the Oklahoma City University High School Film Festival, and ETV participated in the All American High School Film Festival Winter Invitational, where they placed as finalists and earned 2nd Runner Up for “Better Late Than Never.”

Photography students made great strides this semester, with ten students winning awards with their darkroom prints. Seven of these students won awards in the Scholastics Art & Writing Competition, one of whom was a Gold Key winner. The Advanced Photo students filmed in the studio, while the Alt Photo students prepped images for photo weaving, and the Photojournalism students planned for the Yearbook and Newspaper needs. In late March students took a photo trip to Austin for street photography, landscape photography, macro photography, and nature photography. They had the opportunity to visit UT Austin to view the oldest known photograph by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce titled “View from the Window at Le Gras.”

Studio Art classes success: Students won a combined 27 regional awards in the 2022 Scholastic Art & Writing Competition. Seven of these awards were regional Gold Key awards, and they advanced in the competition for a chance to win a national level award. Finally, the National Art Honor Society (NAHS) continues to be very active, both on and off-campus, and we are proud of our students’ commitment to their artistic endeavors.

The Visual Arts Department would like to commend Isabelle Massaro ’24 and Reagan Moriarty ’25 for earning national recognition in the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards! Isabelle won a Gold Medal for her short film, The Coffee Order, and Reagan won a Gold Medal for her sculpture, Daily Bread.

– Dr. Jay Berckley, Dean of Arts & Innovation