Fine Arts Monthly Medley (FAMM)

- Leanne C. Miller, Curator of Art and Artifacts

The University of Arizona's Center for Creative Photography currently has Louis Carlos Bernal: Retrospectiva as a central exhibit until March. Born in 1941 and raised in Douglas, Bernal moved to Tucson and became a trailblazing photographer as well as the first photography instructor at Pima Community College. His photography of barrio life not only showcases his compositional skill; it serves as an important time capsule of Mexican American life. The EMC has an excellent book of his work, Barrios, in its Chicano Literature section.

- Rose Bratten, Library Associate - EMC

The Arizona State Seal of Arts Proficiency, commonly known as the Arts Seal, is a statewide program currently in its sixth year. The Seal is awarded to arts scholars - fine arts high school seniors who have demonstrated exceptional ability in both artistic expression and artistic literacy. In addition to the academic and extracurricular arts activity requirements, each Arts Seal applicant must produce a capstone project that will demonstrate the culmination of their artistic knowledge, which is then adjudicated by a panel of experts in the student’s artistic discipline.

Picture 1: Marlene Armendariz, Cholla High 2023, pen drawing “Incluso Después de La Muertes”

This year, 122 students are vying to be awarded the Arts Seal, a record number of applicants. To date, 264 TUSD graduates have received the Seal in the disciplines of music, dance, theatre, visual art, and media art. After graduation many of our students continue their fine arts studies. Rory Bricca, University High class of the 2022, who is currently majoring in music at Yale University, will return to Tucson to conduct his capstone project, Salem for Orchestra, for the Superintendent’s Concert on April 9th at Catalina High School.

Picture 2: Lily Figueroa, University High 2024, oil paint “A foreign reflection of foggy features’

- Thom Lewis, OMA Coordinator

The Advanced Theater Arts class at Rincon/University High School recently premiered a production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. This production, which ran for 4 shows from December 12th to the 14th, retold the iconic classic tale of hysteria and moral conflict, but reimagined it in a futuristic world dominated by robots, advanced technology, and artificial intelligence.

Using video projections to simulate the screens that are a constant staple of our present world, this adaptation explored the parallels between 17th-century witch hunts and present-day fears about technology's capacity to manipulate truth and incite division.

For information on future productions, follow our Instagram page @castofthousandsruhs!

- Julian Cardenas, Theater Arts - Rincon/University High School

Van Gogh's masterpiece rendered in pixelated paint by students Jamarcus Dehart, Brian Gutierrez, and Angel Moreno Alas

Mentored by Roan Carter, Visual Arts - Rincon High School

Our newest dance teacher, Amy Stahlman, is the movement arts integration specialist at the Mary Belle McCorkle Academy of Excellence. She is one of five members of the OMA teaching staff that uses dance to help our students excel in the classroom. Dance is so much more than physical education.

The movement and learning processes of a dance class stimulates neuroplasticity, which supports cognitive growth and mental agility. It also develops emotional maturity and the life skills of responsibility, persistence, and communication.

Twice a year, the student dancers will present a joyful expression of music made physical in an OMA “Informance” – a performance that informs, as well as entertains.

- Thom Lewis, OMA Coordinator

Artwork by Wakefield students is to be featured in the Pima County TAAG (Taking Action Against Graffiti) 2025 Calendar!

John B Wright kindergarteners, in collaboration with the preschool and gardening programs, spent 5+ weeks creating an outdoor installation project inspired by Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama. OMA Visual Arts AIS, Trista Tamura, gathered donated or discarded furniture/broken instruments and invited students to paint them completely white. Next, kindergarteners and preschoolers were introduced to Kusama’s “Obliteration Room” installations. They spent an entire session “obliterating” furniture with polka dots (both student created and pre-made).

In early December, “Obliteration” sculptures were installed in the courtyard including interactive scavenger hunts and “polka dot” data collection to keep attendance of visitors to the exhibition. Kindergarteners were treated to finger sandwiches, cakes, and cookies for their OMA Art Opening (titled: Peace, Love, & Polka Dots) before officially inviting John B Wright students, staff, and visitors to view their artwork.

- Trista Tamura, OMA Visual Arts Integration Specialist

At Sabino, the fine arts department has just gotten to work on the musical Freaky Friday, by Bridget Carpenter, Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey and based on the novel and Disney film. The musical this year will include the entire fine arts department, as – for the first time – we will have a live orchestra accompanying us, conducted by our band teacher Jack Taylor!

We have students designing our set, (which we use tax credit money to buy materials for), our publicity, and our lighting. Ben Cline, our choir and technical theatre teacher, will assign students to run lights and sound during the production and will train the cast on the songs. The first month or so of rehearsals are generally broken up by discipline – music, acting, choreography – before we try to bring the show together as a whole.

This year’s production of Freaky Friday will take place at the Sabino Auditorium on March 4, 5, and 6th, 2025 at 6 PM. Tickets are $15. Hope to see you there!

- Kris Kissel, Drama - Sabino High School

On November 21, seven teachers from Miller Elementary School, an OMA Gold school, had the opportunity to spend the morning at another OMA Gold school, Dietz K-8. The broad purpose was to see what school-wide arts integration looks like at another school, and more specifically to see how classroom teachers integrate the arts into their regular classroom instruction. A related goal was to have ideas to share with the rest of the Miller staff.

We observed an arts-integrated lesson with the Dietz Arts Integration Specialist, Yubitza McCombs, and spent time in two other classrooms at the school where evidence of arts integration was present. Miller teachers later expressed how much they appreciated seeing these lessons and classrooms and gaining new perspectives on possibilities for arts integration.

- Jeff Requadt, Arts Integration Specialist - Miller Elementary School

(Photos by Renee Castorena)

Jan 8th - CANCELLED Pasta roller as printing press, CANCELLED

Jan 8-10th - Teacher Giveaway at the OMAgination Studio; paper, recyclables, prints, books etc. 8am-4:30 PM

Jan 22nd - Trista Tamura/OMA PD (OMA only. Contact Trista.tamura@tusd1.org

Jan 29th - Mesoamerican murals and figures in clay, A-D all day in OMAgination Studio/ LIRC with Leanne and Carol. Sign up through True North Logic.

Now you can receive 301 monies for our PD's!