Posts Tagged "Arts"
Honors Art: Process Over Product
December 11, 2024
Art is personal. It showcases skills and communicates an idea. Students will never be asked to display a test, but an art project will always be on display for others to see. This can be daunting for some, even students in Honors Art. To eliminate the paralyzing fear of imperfection, students are encouraged to adopt the mindset of process over product.
On the first day of class, I showed the students a photo of an artwork and asked them what they thought of it. Most students' initial reactions were what I expected them to be– not impressed. After I shared the story behind the artwork the students' opinions changed. The lesson was: Not everything you create in your lifetime will be wall-worthy, but that doesn’t mean the time you spent creating those things was meaningless. Students were excited to handle the original artwork, a Pablo Picasso, during our time with the traveling collection of Christian Thomas Lee.
Students often assume that they need to be a talented artist to enroll in Honors Art. While Honors Art does require some foundational skills, students have quickly learned that engagement is the key to success, not innate talent.
The Honors Art curriculum encourages students to build on and combine foundational skills learned in their introductory courses. Students are given significant creative freedom and are asked to wrestle with thought-provoking prompts. This year’s students are being asked questions like “How can I visually communicate parts of my identity?” and “If Jesus were here today who might he be hanging out with and what might he be doing?”. These are difficult questions to answer on a canvas, but CHS students do one thing exceptionally well in my classes: encourage.
I like to believe “all together now” is a phrase that captures the spirit of the art room. Brainstorming, praising, suggesting, and questioning are ongoing during class. Students are challenged to critique (and receive critique) each other's projects in a kind and respectful manner– a skill every adult needs in the working world. During our first critique of the year (an altered self-portrait) I heard a few variations of my favorite phrase: “This turned out better than I thought it would” and “This was not as scary as I thought it would be”, enforcing my belief that by adopting the mindset of process over product, the product will ultimately be more successful because of the work it took to get there.
Honors Art students will display their work in a special exhibit at this year’s K-12 art show. It is my hope that the intentionality of each student’s work will be evident to the public. Everything done in the art room is for the glory of God and is a reflection of our innate desire to create, given by and inspired by God’s love for creation.
Mrs. Olivia Olson is the upper school art teacher at CHS. She earned her BFA in Studio Art from Asbury University. She has been teaching at CHS since 2020 and is a CHS alum. Her favorite part of her position is the privilege of getting to know and witnessing growth in her students throughout their entire middle and high school careers.
CHS Musical Theater: It’s Not Just About The Show
November 04, 2024
Excitement has been building since the Homecoming Reveal of our 2025 Spring Musical, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The students are now busy learning songs, monologues and even tap dances in preparation for their upcoming auditions. Once the cast is announced over the Thanksgiving break, we will be off and running. The students will begin to dig into their characters in rehearsals, music will be learned, lighting and sets will be designed, set building will begin, costumes will be chosen and props and set pieces will be secured. The groundwork for the theater magic begins!
To the OUTSIDE world, one would think that January - March it is all about preparing for opening night, but on the INSIDE, it is so much more. It is…..
…a community
…an extended family
…a sense of belonging
…a support system
…a confidence booster
…a creative outlet
…a challenge
…an education
…a place to succeed
…a safe space to take a risk
…a place to try something new
…a place to discover your best self
…a place to find some lifelong friends
…a place to build confidence that lasts a lifetime
…a place to be a part of something bigger than yourself
…a place to be part of a team where no one sits on the bench
And most important,
…a place to give our talents in praise to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
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To us as directors, these inside moments far exceed the success of any theatrical performance in the spring. What a joy it is to observe young people stretch and discover how God has gifted each of them while surrounded by a community who loves them, and they can trust.
In addition to those “ah-hah” moments of realizing they CAN do this, there are those life lessons that they will carry as they leave the halls of Christian Heritage. Through the years, we have received correspondence from cast and crew member who shared what they learned as being part of the Theater Program.
Todd (Class of 1988): “Being exposed to such a high level of excellence in production really opened up my eyes to the world of music and video production and working with a large group of people.”
Brian (Class of 1989): “Being part of the CHS musical taught me a lot about myself, mostly it taught me that my actions and ability to take something seriously effects other people. I personally matured a lot through the process.”
Josh (Class of 1999): “I learned about how the collaboration of many people with different talents can come together to make something truly spectacular. The friendships you form, the things you will learn, you will take with you, and they will have an impact on the rest of your life. You will look back at what you were involved in, the thing you helped create, and these things will be remembered for generations to come.”
Grace (Class of 2006): “Participating in theater at CHS stretched a creative muscle I never knew I had, allowing me to explore acting, singing, student directing/choreography, while building leadership skills in a community of friends that have stayed with me to this day. The courage and confidence I gained on that CHS stage continue to support me in my career as a professional communicator, public speaker and podcast host.”
Bella (Class of 2022): “ I started as a cast member but soon learned that my passion was for behind the scenes. As Stage Manager, the lessons I learned about leadership and management are ones that I will continue to use for the rest of my life.”
Christopher (Class of 2022): “CHS Theater has completely changed my life. It was a place where I received glimpses of eternal joy. The lifelong friendships that you create plays into the fact that CHS theater really is a family. It was so valuable to be in a program where Christ is at the center of it all. The memories that I have will stick with me forever.”
In March, when you come out to support our amazing students, when the Overture begins to play and the curtain peels back to reveal the start of the performance, when you hear the music and experience the laughter and joy, when you see the connections and you feel the tingles and goosebumps during curtain call, we pray you will have a little insight into the depths of what participation in the CHS musical is truly all about. We look forward to seeing you in March and covet your prayers for the 38th Spring Musical production at Christian Heritage School.
ALL for His Glory!
Reminder: Spring musical auditions (Grade 8-12 only) are next week, November 18-20, 2024. If your students are interested, please have them visit this link for information.
Mrs. Robin Hannibal serves as the Upper School Choral Director and a Co-Director of the Spring Musical. She received a Bachelor of Science in K-12 Music Education and a Masters of Science in School Counseling, both from Western CT State University. Robin started her career teaching high school music in Stamford and came to CHS in 1986. CHS has become a second family, and she is grateful for the years of being part of a community that loves Jesus, seeks excellence and serves one another. Her passion is for her students to know that in Jesus they are loved, cherished and chosen, and in her classroom, they are seen, valued and loved. “THEY are the reason I am here!”
Robin and her husband Don have 2 children, David (’07) and Rachel (’10). In their spare time they enjoy traveling and hiking National Parks.