Galloway Arts Playbill 2022-23 Season

A Letter from the Head of School

You don’t have to be good at art for the arts to be good for you.

Dr. Christina Davies, UWA Centre for

the

Arts, Mental Health and Wellbeing

With its emphasis on self-discovery and cultural competency, Galloway’s mission is not only an impressive and progressive statement for a school, it provides the perfect incubator for powerful, transformative arts education.

Our 17 Fine Arts faculty members make a huge impact in the experience of Galloway students: they teach across 15 grade levels, reaching at least 85% of the entire student population daily. As artists themselves, these talented teachers recognize the many ways students learn and express themselves and work in collaboration with classroom teachers to foster connections across the disciplines. From ukulele and Creative Movement in Early Learning, ensembles in Middle Learning, and up the ladder to AP Art and mainstage theatrical productions in Upper Learning, Galloway students are given every opportunity to spread their wings as young artists.

I join Director of Fine Arts Natalie Pitchford in sharing a vision that the arts at Galloway will leverage the framework the school has already established to become a model institution for other schools and become known as the premiere independent school for arts education in Atlanta, the South, and beyond. We are poised to elevate all of the magical things happening inside these walls and to shout it from the rooftops.

This is only the beginning. The arts are a critical component of a Galloway education, and it’s time to celebrate all we are, all we have been, and all we will be.

Sincerely,

Dr. James Calleroz White Head of School

Galloway Fine Arts Faculty 2022-2023

Natalie Pitchford Director of Fine Arts

Misao Cates

Chaddick Center for the

Music

Arts Manager

Kerren Berz, Upper Learning Orchestra

Linda Floyd, Early Learning Music

Nathan Medley, Middle and Upper Learning Chorus

Brian Mitchell, Middle and Upper Learning Guitar

Daniel Solammon, Middle and Upper Learning Band

Theatre

Sarah Day, Middle Learning Theatre

Antonia Fairchild, Upper Learning Theatre

David Morgan, Upper Learning Design and Production

Liz Whalen, Upper Learning Design and Production

Dance

Juana Farfan, Early Learning Creative Movement

Cara Lavallee, Middle and Upper Learning Dance

Visual Arts

Mary Stuart Hall, Upper Learning Visual Arts

Erin Ray, Middle Learning Visual Arts

Lore Ruttan, Upper Learning Visual Arts

Kyra Sampson, Early Learning Visual Arts

404.272.8891

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A Letter from the Director of Fine Arts

Galloway community,

It is an honor and a joy to publish this first Fine Arts Playbill, chock full of our amazing events, faculty, FAB, and for the first time, an abundance of local sponsors. We have turned over a new leaf in Fine Arts this year, emerging from the shutting of our beloved Chaddick Theater doors during COVID in 2020-2021 and the transitional (sometimes bumpy!) time that last year became.

On a personal note, I set a word of intention each year as a kind of guiding principal or mantra to live by. Here at Galloway, my word for this year is AWARENESS, in all its meanings. As it pertains to the Galloway community, I am shouting from every mountaintop that I encounter about not only what we do in the arts, but how we are so different than other schools in our approach and why Galloway has its own kind of magic that sets us apart. I fully believe that Galloway is positioned to become known as the best independent school for arts education in Atlanta and beyond, and here’s why:

In the fall of 2022, Fine Arts by the numbers looks like this:

• 17 Fine Arts Faculty Members

• 15 Grade levels taught (PreK3-12)

• 27 Middle Learning Fine Arts courses

• 42 Upper Learning Fine Arts courses

• 661+ students currently enrolled in Fine Arts courses

• 85% overall participation

The numbers say it: Galloway is an arts school. We uniquely attract creative students thanks to our mission statement, culture, and community. Arts are an essential part of our curriculum. Our faculty and facilities are top-notch. The time has never been better to step into our light.

Spread the word about what we are doing. Join FAB as a member (QR codes inside!). Volunteer with FAB (more QR codes!). Come talk to me about your experiences in the arts and how you’d like to be a part of our arts family.

Join the movement to put Galloway Fine Arts in the spotlight. It’s time.

With gratitude for Gallloway -

Natalie Pitchford

Bio on page 20

Fine Arts Boosters

Welcome to another incredible year for the arts at Galloway! I look forward to seeing you in Chaddick, where the energy and excitement for the year ahead is palpable. Fine Arts Boosters, affectionately known as FAB, is committed to helping provide a vibrant and engaging learning experience for all our students, from PK3 through grade 12. Our mission is guided by our belief that the arts – whether it be dance, music, theatre, tech, or visual arts – elevates the human experience and enriches our community.

FAB has been humbly supporting the Fine Arts at Galloway for almost two decades. What began as a group of enthusiastic theatre parents feeding performers before musicals has evolved into what is now a passionate membership who share a vision for Galloway’s Fine Arts program to be the very best in Atlanta. Your membership donation and partnership with FAB will help that vision become reality. With over 25 mainstage events calendared for the 2022-2023 schoolyear, and 85% of students participating in the arts, there is no shortage of ways to get involved. I encourage all parents to become involved with FAB, whether that’s by becoming a member for the 2022-2023 schoolyear, signing up to volunteer at an event or behind the scenes, or both. Your involvement in FAB will ensure you a front-row seat in the continued success of arts programming at Galloway.

Thank you for your continued support of the Fine Arts at Galloway!

Fine Arts Boosters (FAB) plays an important part in Galloway’s thriving fine arts by supporting students, faculty, and programs through volunteerism and fundraising, and is committed to enhancing the student experience and promoting arts in the community.

Courtney Roth Stoll President, Fine Arts Boosters

Rebbecca Kaplan Early Learning Chair

Jennifer Dana Visual Arts Chair

Lauren Morris Music Chair

Courtney Stoll FAB President and Dance Chair

Marci Silverman Theatre Chair

Leslie Isenberg Theatre Chair

Scan here to become a member today!

Patron - $50 or one-time event volunteer

Receive a Galloway Arts magnet

Performer - $100, chair a team, or volunteer for more than one event

Receive a Galloway Arts magnet and two tickets to the fine arts event of your choice

Producer - $250

Receive a Galloway Arts magnet and two tickets to two fine arts events of your choice

Director - $500

Receive a Galloway Arts magnet, two tickets to two fine arts events of your choice, and your name engraved on a chair in Chaddick Theater

Founding Member - $500+

Receive a Galloway Arts magnet, two tickets to two fine arts events of your choice, your name engraved on a chair in Chaddick Theater, your name on a Founding Members display in the Chaddick lobby

$1000+ or sponsorship of a specific fine arts project

Please reach out to Natalie Pitchford directly if you are interested in sponsoring Fine Arts for over $1000 or if you are interested in sponsoring a specific Fine Arts project.

Galloway Fine Arts Calendar 2022-2023

October 20-22, 2022

7 PM

Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl

Upper Learning Fall Play

November 9, 2022

7 PM

Upper Learning Music

Ensembles

November 10, 2022

7 PM

Middle and Upper Learning

Chorus Concerts

November 16-17, 2022

5:30 PM

Middle Learning Music Ensemble Concerts

December 8-10, 2022

7 PM

Willy Wonka, Jr. Middle Learning Musical

January 12, 2023

7 PM Dance Concert

March 4-April 3, 2023

Galloway Visual Arts at the High Museum

March 30-April 1 , 2023

7 PM

April 2, 2023

2 PM

The Spongebob Musical Upper Learning Musical

April 12-13, 2023

7 PM

Upper Learning Music Ensemble Concerts

April 19-20, 2023

5:30 PM

Middle Learning Music Ensemble Concerts

April 27, 2023

7 PM Dance Spring Showcase

May 5-6, 2023

7 PM A Wrinkle in Time Middle Learning Play

May 11, 2023

6 PM

Visual Arts Senior Show

All dates and times are subject to change. Please visit our website, gallowayschool.com/arts for details.

Visual Arts at Galloway

In the last five years, Galloway Visual Arts has seen tremendous growth in demand for classes, resulting in significantly expanded offerings. Beautifully aligned across all three levels, students are prepared for what comes next at Galloway and beyond.

Early Learning Art taps into learning different mediums like ceramics, painting and drawing along with using found objects to create sculpture works. Students are allowed to explore during choice-based art time where they can create based on their own curiosities and interests using a range of materials, allowing them to grow their art language by talking through and about their works.

In Middle Learning, students continue to explore with additional media through Visual Art classes, deepening their understanding of the elements of art in both 2D and 3D formats.

Upper Learning launches students through Foundations of Art, honing skills in photography, ceramics, painting, drawing, graphic design, sculpture, and beyond. Students who wish to take AP Art develop and refine their portfolios along with their skills and artistry. Recently, the Visual Arts faculty created a resident artist program to formalize how professional working artists are invited into classrooms to work with students in an impactful and meaningful way.

Visual Arts Faculty Bios

Mary Stuart Hall holds a degree in Sculpture at Sewanee, The University of the South, and a Master’s in Art Education from the University of Georgia. Mary Stuart Hall is also currently pursuing her MFA in Studio Art at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). She also maintains a studio practice outside of her teaching. A multi-disciplinary artist born and raised in Atlanta, she creates sculptural installations that mediate text and other forms of cultural artifacts into a multi-dimensional experience. She has shown her work in Atlanta and the Southeast.

Erin Ray holds a BFA in Art Education from the University of Georgia, as well as National Board Certification. She has taught visual art for over a decade and still learns new ways to go about it every day! Her balanced curriculum offers students the opportunity to build skills sequentially in a variety of media while developing creativity and personal voice. Her favorite medium is printmaking, especially in the classroom. She loves to travel and go on adventures with her partner, Austin, and their two children.

Lore Ruttan received degrees in biology from the University of Chicago, Ecology and Evolution from the University of Minnesota, and in Human Ecology from the University of California at Davis. She then joined the Department of Environmental Studies at Emory where she taught for nine years. Lore took courses in Botanical Illustration at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and in Natural Science Illustration at the University of Santa Cruz, discovering a new passion for art, and left Emory to start a business. She continues to work as an illustrator for scientific publications, public spaces, and private collections.

Kyra Sampson has a background in elementary art education and has spent her years in different cities learning the community and what the art room’s purpose is. With a passion for creating choice-based artistic learning environments where young students are able to create based on their own interests and ideas along with learning artistic behaviors and skills, Kyra makes the art room a space for exploring and creating in a safe space.

Theatre Faculty Bios

Sarah Day holds a BA in Theatre and Dance from James Madison University. Before Galloway, Sarah was the lead theatre teacher and director at Thomas Dale High School/Specialty Center for the Arts in Chesterfield, Virginia. Before teaching at TDHS, Sarah worked for a variety of regional theatres including Virginia Repertory Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and The Studio Theatre in Washington DC. Sarah has completed professional training courses through The Kennedy Center, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Southern Oregon University, and the American Alliance for Theatre & Education.

Antonia Fairchild is a theater educator, producer, director and storytelling consultant. She worked in play development for over a decade in New York City, directed and produced digital learning content for grades 6 through 12 for Duke University’s Talent Identification Program for several years, and has served as a digital producer and consultant at Duke University’s Sanford School since 2020. She holds a B.S. in Radio/TV/Film from Northwestern University and an MFA in Acting from the American Conservatory Theater. She is a member of Actor’s Equity Association.

David N. Morgan is an Atlanta-based scenic designer, technical director, and educator. With more than 20 years of experience in professional theatre, David has designed, built, or painted shows across America and has taught at both the high school and college levels in multiple states. David served as the Technical Director for the Murray Arts Center at Mount Paran Christian School in Kennesaw, Georgia for seven years. He holds a graduate degree in Theatre from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is also a proud graduate of the Auburn University Theatre Department.

Liz Whalen A lifelong theatre kid at heart, Liz received her BA in Theatre from Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame and her MFA from the University of Alabama in Technical Theatre Production. A Midwest native, Liz has worked with theatre companies across the country including Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, Contemporary American Theatre Festival, Brevard Opera Company, and more.

Misao Cates is a maker. With roots as a visual artist, she begin her artistic career as a graphic designer, eventually discovering working in 3D to be more fulfilling and presently enjoys working with fabric, paper, foam, found objects, and just about anything with interesting color, shape and texture. She has been a participating artist a number of years for Art on the Atlanta Beltline with her site-specific interactive installations. Misao has been a part of the Galloway community for many years as a parent of two “lifer” students, and as costumer with the Galloway Theatre Company where she has designed and built costumes for every Galloway level. 18

Theatre at Galloway

In both middle and upper learning theatre, there are multiple opportunities to explore theatrical performance through productions and curated coursework. With a combination of both exploratory and pre-professional quality theater experiences, students exercise their creative muscles, develop ensemble skills and learn essential performance technique.

Galloway Theater complements The Galloway School mission by training the citizen artist - a student who understands how theatrical tradition, performance and culture, and the skills that accompany these pursuits, develop the whole person creatively, intellectually and artistically. Classes such as Acting, Advanced Acting, Improv, and Public Speaking offer students a holistic approach to performance skills while allowing them to deepen their artistry.

Integral to theater is the Design and Production discipline which works in tandem with the theatre program. In these classes, faculty consult with students during the design phase all the way through production, allowing them to brainstorm and problem solve with professionals and see the process at every stage.

In both Theatre and Design and Production, from middle through upper Learning, Galloway students are deeply invested in the overall production process and ultimately take on leadership roles to run the shows themselves.

WE THINK YOU’RE FABULOUS

Did you know we always need event volunteers for Galloway Arts events? You can help as many or as few times as you like. Scan below to sign up!

Natalie Pitchford’s life is owed to the arts. In the mid-1970s, her father - a guest conductor at Eastern Music Festival - met her mother, a receptionist and pianist at EMF. The rest is history, and Natalie’s earliest memories are made of symphony hall balconies and her dad in tails. Growing up in a home filled with classical music and performing in the Nutcracker, it is no surprise that Natalie has never left the world of the arts. In the mid-90s, Natalie auditioned for her first musical and never looked back. Following a BFA in Musical Theatre from Elon University, a MM in Classical Voice from Southern Illinois University, contracts in professional theatre, and bouncing around between New York City, Perugia, Italy, and more, Natalie met her husband: a professional jazz trombone player who had just finished touring with a pop icon and had settled down with his doctorate to teach at the university level. She joined him, cutting her teeth as an educator with years of professional performance experience as faculty of Voice for Music Theatre at Illinois Wesleyan University in the BFA Musical Theatre degree track. She directed productions, industry showcases, and began conducting - like her father - while at IWU.

A desire to return to the south brought the Pitchfords to the Lovett School in Atlanta in 2016. Natalie assumed the role of Director of the Lovett Conservatory of Music, managing a major-income program with a staff of 25 music faculty and became Musical Theatre Coordinator, directing and managing Lovett’s historic legacy of professional quality musical productions.

In 2020, Natalie made a switch to the Galloway School, directing the Middle and Upper Learning Choral Program as well as Directing and Music Directing productions. In 2022, Natalie began the role of Director of Fine Arts, overseeing the entire arts program from PreK3 through 12th grade. Natalie continues to perform professionally in and around Atlanta and is mother to two Galloway Early Learners, Lucy (8) and Hudson (3).

Music at Galloway

Music at Galloway transforms creativity into sound, draws interdisciplinary connections, sparks harmonious community, and offers students the lifelong gift of musical literacy. In Early Learning, students are exposed to the elements of pitch and rhythm through movement, interactive classroom activities, percussion instruments, ukulele, singing, and recorder. They also begin building a language to discuss instrumentation and contextualize genres.

In Middle Learning, students develop their musical-selves through band, guitar and choral ensembles. Musical literacy instruction guides students to understand what the page of music is communicating and how to execute the artistry. This is paired with technical competency, building proficiency on their chosen instruments or voices. This amalgamation allows pupils to unlock their creative potential, culminating in performances that showcase their work.

In Upper Learning, students work towards mastery of their chosen instrument(s) including voice, brass, woodwind, percussion, guitar, and/or strings. The addition of music theory challenges students to understand the building blocks of melody, tonal harmony, and compositional form. UL students also explore digital music and use industry standard software and methods to develop and analyze a wide array of pieces. Pupils build cultural competency through understanding varied genres and historical context. Upper Learners are empowered to attain musical proficiency allowing independence in their artistry with greater opportunities for performance that showcase our immensely talented Galloway musicians.

Music Faculty Bios

Kerren Berz’s talents span the musical spectrum. Currently Concertmaster of the Columbus (GA) Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Berz has also performed, recorded, and toured with the Atlanta Symphony, the Harlem Festival Orchestra, and the Nashville Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Berz has shared the stage with music legends, including Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughan, and Stevie Wonder. As a music arranger and performer, she is featured on albums by Outkast, Pink, and on the hit single “Survivor,” by Destiny’s Child.

Linda Floyd has been teaching music for 30+ years, mostly spent at The Galloway School. She has a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Music Therapy from East Carolina University and a Master of Music from Georgia State University. She has taught elementary, middle and high school choral and general music. Mrs. Floyd frequently accompanies choral groups on the piano and plays in the pit orchestra for the high school musicals. She was the musical director for eight of Galloway’s Upper Learning musicals.

Nathan Medley has emerged in recent years as one of the leading American countertenors. He has sung at some of the major stages of the world including the English National Opera and Barbican Centre in London; Carnegie Hall; Philharmonie de Paris; and Kölner Philharmonie, to name a few. Nathan Medley made his professional debut in 2012 in John Adams’ The Gospel According to the other Mary with the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. Most recently, Mr. Medley was the head of the vocal department at Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts at Pebblebrook High School.

Brian Mitchell is a professional guitarist, music educator and composer. He has served on the faculties of the University of West Georgia and Georgia Perimeter College. As a composer, his works have been performed at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, S.C, the High Museum of Art and at colleges and universities throughout the US. In 2006 he was commissioned by the High Museum of Art in Atlanta to compose a new score for Sergei Eisenstein’s legendary silent film Que Viva México! which received its premiere at the opening of The High’s Latin American Film Festival.

Daniel Solammon earned a BM in Composition at Michigan State University and MM in Jazz Studies at University of New Orleans. His music endeavors have included performing and arranging music with Harold Batiste, Wynton Marsalis, Ben E. King, and Ellis Marsalis, Dionne Farris and Grammy-winning recording artist Van Hunt. Alongside his work in education, Mr. Solammon continues to perform and compose, including projects with Fox Networks, BET, Aspire TV, Bounce TV, and Bravo.

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Dance Faculty Bios

Juana Farfan has a BA in Modern Dance Performance from the University of South Florida, and holds a certification from the Teachers Training Institute in Dance Education. Recently, Juana traveled to her hometown Bogotá-Colombia, to give an artistic residency at her school in arts curriculum integration. In the past, she has been a teaching artist for Georgia Perimeter College, Dynamic X-Change- CORE Performance Company Outreach Program, and Playmaking for Girls at Synchronicity Theatre Company. Juana is certified in Grounded Kids Yoga and Brain Compatible Dance Education with Anne G. Gilbert.

Cara Lavallee A graduate of William Smith College (BA, Dance) and Temple University (EdM, Dance), Cara believes the arts are a vehicle for self-discovery as well as a window into diverse perspectives and experiences. She works to build a performing arts program that values individuality and community. Cara was the Dance Director at The Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square, PA for eight years. At Galloway, Cara aims to highlight the many talented dancers we have in our midst and to foster an environment of inclusion and belonging, regardless of where a student is on their dance journey.

Dance at Galloway

With Creative Movement and/or Dance offered at every grade level, this discipline is an integral aspect of arts education at Galloway. In Early Learning, dance concepts and skills are explored in a class called Creative Movement. In CM, the creative process is used to explore numerous topics and ideas through play and movement expression. Whether students are learning about insects, weather systems or outer space, CM pairs these classroom units with the Dance Elements of Time, Space, Energy and Body Awareness in order to creatively examine these topics. Students build movement confidence in CM that then empowers them to become movement artists.

In Middle Learning, we shift our movement exploration to specific dance styles, identifying what is historically unique about each style. Starting in ML, dance will focus on technique, learning and creating choreography, and preparing for performance. As students progress through our ML program they have the opportunity to explore Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip-Hop and Contemporary dance styles. Guest artist masterclasses are a significant part of our curriculum.

Upper Learning builds two stage performances each year that include both student and faculty choreography. The focus in UL is on developing Dance Artists through Dance Literacy. Students who wish to pursue dance in college do not only have a movement background but are able to write about and discuss dance as an art form in critical and meaningful ways. Our UL dancers also attend the KSU Dance Festival each year, create Dance Portfolios and are introduced to Movement Science and Anatomy.

When she awoke every morning, she repeated the same words: I will not be afraid -Sarah J

Maas

Audrey

With love and excitement for your next stage, Mom, Dad & Cole

Peyton Hunter Peyton Hunter

Perseverance pays dividends. If you don’t let challenge stop you, nothing will stop you!

You are so deeply loved, and will forever have us cheering on the sidelines,wherever life takes you.

With Love, Pride, and Congratula�ons! Mom, Dad, and, Eliza.

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