Congratulations to high school students, Ashton Cameron, Zoe Jackson, Hannah Sterling, and Natalie Hamlin for being selected as featured artists in The Center for Civil and Human Right's Social Justice Art Series showcase on May 9th.
Students in and around the Atlanta-area submitted work centered around social justice awareness to be considered for the series, entitled "Awoken: A Student Social Justice Art Showcase."
Senior Natalie Hamlin also received a Best in Show award for her piece entitled “Muna”, which is from her AP Art concentration that is based on refugees in Clarkston, GA: “The most diverse square mile in America.”
Congratulations, art students, for using your voice for good!
Alex Thorne, 8th grade, has played a key role in the Fine Arts department. He is a top member of the Advanced Band, Marching Band, and Basketball Band at Wesleyan. In addition to sharing his excellent clarinet skills with the band, Alex continues to perform lead roles in the Middle School plays and musicals. Alex shares his musical and theatrical gifts freely and invests in the progress of his peers and the ensemble. We are blessed to have Alex in the Fine Arts at Wesleyan.
The Middle School Theater Department is proud to present 8th grader Davis Olds as our Fine Arts Member of the week. Davis is a familiar face to our department having been in the past three Wolf Jr. Productions. This week, you can see him as Mr. Salt in our spring production, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka. We are so thankful to have Davis as a member of our cast. He is a joy to work with during rehearsals and is a great example to all of his cast mates of what it means to be patient and kind. Davis is hardworking and wonderfully particular in how he brings his characters to life onstage especially when those characters are difficult ones. Not only does Davis participate in the Wolf Jr. Productions, he is an outstanding member of Mr. Simmons’ 8th Grade Improv Class. It is encouraging to see his love for theatre, in all its artforms, grow and flourish. Congratulations, Davis!
Ally Jones is developing into a leader of the Fine Arts early in her high school career. As only a ninth-grader, Ally has been involved in all three shows with the Wesleyan Wolf Players this year. She has also performed several solos as a member of the Chamber Singers, a testament to her talent and energy in rehearsal. She is also a valuable member of this year’s Literary Team. Ally won the Area championship and placed 5th at State in Girls Solo. She also placed 5th at State as a member of the Girls Trio. Ally has plenty more time to add to her accomplishments but has sought opportunities now to distinguish herself. Way to go Ally!
Don’t miss the 9th annual Visual Arts Exhibit. The opening reception is Wednesday, April 11, from 6:30 pm until 8:00 pm in the Fine Arts building. Enjoy music, finger foods, and beautiful artwork selected from our middle and high school art students. The artwork will be on display in the Fine Arts building until May 11.
Congratulations to 8th grader Jessica Nolan, the Fine Arts Member of the Week. Jessica is a 4-year chorus member and has also been a part of several Wolf Jr. Player theater productions. Over her time in chorus, she has greatly improved her singing skills and has emerged as a leader. In addition to her excellent and expressive singing, Jessica has recently stepped up as a choreographer in chorus class, leading her peers in learning a dance for their upcoming music video, “This Is Me.” Jessica is also serving as stage manager for the upcoming production of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka, a position that has her at rehearsal every day, and frequently has her standing in and playing the roles of any cast members who are absent (often from memory!). Jessica - thank you for using your gifts in a variety of ways in Wesleyan fine arts!
Michelle Tan, 12th grade clarinetist, is this week’s Fine Arts Member of the Week. Michelle has been a dedicated member of the band program; she is a 4-year member of the symphonic band and was a member of the marching band for 6 years. She served as drum major this past season and did an outstanding job. Additionally, she has led the symphonic band clarinet section very well the past few years. She worked hard to prepare her section on some very challenging music this semester. She has auditioned for and made it into the District Honor Band all four years of high school and was a member of the Honor Wind Symphony at the University of Georgia Band Festival back in January. We are proud of Michelle and her accomplishments!
Lauren Bell, 12th grade, is involved in multiple areas of fine arts. She is in AP Art student with a focus on photography and has won multiple art awards this year, including two Regional Scholastic Gold Key Awards, an Honorable Mention in the Shutter Sense awards, and district finalist in the All State Art Awards. She is also a talented graphic designer and has designed all five theater posters this year. You may have seen Lauren on stage as Mrs. Potts in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast or singing in the chapel band. Lauren plans to study graphic design in college. Congratulations, Lauren!
Senior, Grayson Ragsdale, has performed on the Wesleyan stage throughout her tenure at the school. During high school she appeared in every Wesleyan musical, singing the classic Day By Day in the Wolf Player production of Godspell during her junior year. She was Belle's understudy in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and performed that role during the Saturday matinee. This year, she also secured her second comedic role in a Kaufman and Hart play. The first, during her sophomore year, was Maggie Cutler in The Man Who Came to Dinner and in April, her final Wolf Player performance, Grayson will perform the part of Penny Sycamore in You Can’t Take It With You. Her talent and versatility has made her a fixture on the Wesleyan stage. In the fall, she appeared in The Odyssey as the Muse and Calypso - very appropriate for someone whose inspiration and energy have been her strengths. Congratulations, Grayson!
Lily Rudder, AP Art student, recently earned a Scholastic Art Awards National Silver Key for her mixed media painting entitled Shadows of Africa. This award identifies Lily as one of the most talented young artists and writers in the nation by panels of creative professionals. This year, nearly 350,000 works of art and writing were submitted.Only the top 1% were recognized at the national level. Congratulations, Lily!
Congratulations to the 5th and 6th Grade Grade Chorus for earning GOLD ratings at the Southern Star Music Festival on March 23. The group also won the Sweepstakes Trophy, distinguishing themselves as the top middle school chorus in the competition! All three judges gave the chorus a score of 98/100. After their excellent performance on Friday, the chorus enjoyed a day at Six Flags on Saturday and celebrated their victory at the Southern Star Awards ceremony held in the park. Way to go, 5th and 6th Grade Chorus! You can check out their performance here. Be sure to check out the end where Dr. Angela Beaty, a judge from the University of Tennessee pays the group some BIG compliments!
Senior, Grayson Ragsdale, has performed on the Wesleyan stage throughout her tenure at the school. During high school she has appeared in every Wesleyan musical, singing the classic, Day By Day, in the Wolf Player production of Godspell during her junior year. She played Belle's understudy in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and performed that role during the Saturday matinée. This year she also secured her second comedic role in a Kaufman and Hart play - the first, during her sophomore year as Maggie Cutler in The Man Who Came to Dinner and the second will be in April, her final Wolf Player performance, Grayson will perform the part of Penny Sycamore in You Can’t Take It With You. Her talent and versatility has made her a fixture on the Wesleyan stage. In the fall she appeared in The Odyssey as the Muse and Calypso - very appropriate for someone whose inspiration and energy have been her strengths. Congratulations, Grayson!
Sponsorship opportunities are now available for the 20th Annual Wesleyan Artist Market. The Artist Market is a cherished annual event at Wesleyan, and sponsorships are vital to the market's success. Sponsorships also allow us to return more net dollars to the school and it’s Fine Arts programs. Family sponsorships are available starting at $150 and can easily be done online at https://payments.wesleyanschool.org/artist-market-sponsorship/. Be Original. Be Present. #BEBOLD
For her enthusiasm, effort, and dedication to her work, 8th grade Advanced Art student, Mackenzie Madison, has been chosen as this week's Fine Arts Member of the Week.Mackenzie gives 110% to every class project; she comes into the studio outside of class time and often takes work home. Her positive attitude and enthusiasm towards her work have been contagious among her peers, especially as the class recognizes Mackenzie’s outstanding projects and ever-growing skills. It seems that Mackenzie will succeed at anything she puts her mind to because of her incredible determination! Congratulations, Mackenzie!
Noah has been in Middle School Band for four years. He is multi-talented, playing French Horn and percussion. Noah is also a fine singer and actor. He continues to land roles in several of the MS plays and musicals. In May he will take on the role of Mr. Buckett in the middle school musical, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka. Noah has participated in Basketball Band, Marching Band and Winter Drumline throughout his years in Middle School. Noah gladly shares his gift in music and is an incredible mentor to the younger students in the band. Congratulations, Noah!
The Fine Arts Members of the Week will both be featured as student artists at the 2018 Wesleyan Artist Market. Sarah Moon, 12th grade, and Norah Bishop, 8th grade, are this week's Fine Arts Members of the Week. Both students participated in the Artist Market last year and will have booths in the student art section at the Artist Market again this year. The 2018 Wesleyan Artist Market will run from April 26 through April 28. Sarah is a senior in AP Art and an established artist specializing in painting, illustration, and printmaking. Sarah has won multiple Silver Key Scholastic Awards for her art, was a district finalist at the All State Art Awards, and one of her paintings was featured in the Atlanta Dogwood Festival last year. She received a scholarship for SCAD Summer Seminar classes that she attended last summer. Norah is a self-taught artist and has developed an animated, cartoon style of drawing. Norah spends a lot of her time drawing, both for fun and for profit.
Felicia Wang, 9th grade, is a tremendously gifted flutist. She contributes her talents to the symphonic band and has already received several accolades for her contributions so far this semester. She was selected to participate in the UGA Band Festival and was placed as 5th chair in the 2nd highest band (out of 8 bands). She recently performed with the GMEA District Honor Band, and in March, she will be performing with the GMEA All-State Band in which she earned 3rd chair! We are proud of Felicia!
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7-12. Since 1923, the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards have recognized the vision, ingenuity, and talent of our nation’s youth, and provided opportunities to celebrate creative teens. The awards have recognized some of America’s most celebrated artists while they were teenagers, including Andy Warhol, Richard Avedon, Idelle Weber, Ken Burns, Paul Chan and Kay WalkingStick. We are proud to count some of our students among these esteemed Scholastic Awards alumni! Overall, Wesleyan won 8 Gold Keys, 13 Silver Keys, and 15 Honorable Mentions, the most we have ever received as a school. Our Gold Key recipients will now go on to compete at the National Level.
Alexa Chase is a 4th grade student in Mrs. Moody’s class and has been chosen as this week’s Fine Arts Member of the Week. Alexa is an outstanding music student, always giving her best effort whether she is leading praise and worship music as a chapel singer, playing the recorder, learning the Easter Play songs, or participating in our class discussions. She is working on an original composition - a song about helping those in need – combining her beautiful singing voice with her compassion for others! Congratulations, Alexa! You are a talented music student and a wonderful leader in 4th grade music!
Sara Marie Miller is this week’s Fine Arts Member of the Week. Sara Marie is a 5th grade student; she took art class last semester and demonstrated talent, humility, and an eagerness to learn. Her watercolor butterfly was chosen for the Arts Alliance note card compilation pack. She spent her class time working hard to master new techniques, and classmates were always interested in seeing her work. Sara Marie exemplifies the JOY motto with her humble spirit and desire to encourage others in their work. Congratulations, Sara Marie! We can’t wait to see how your talent grows throughout your years at Wesleyan.
